TEDxManagua, an independently organized TED event, took place in Nicaragua this year. I had the privilege of contributing with my talk, “The map is in your hands” (El mapa está en tus manos), presented in Spanish. My presentation focused on the unique challenges of mapping in a country where streets often lack names. I highlighted community-driven initiatives and our efforts in creating Managua’s first public transportation system map.

This talk was a lively summary of our endeavors in Free Software communities, notably within the OpenStreetMap Nicaragua group. Over the past year, we’ve achieved significant milestones:

We’ve adapted OpenStreetMap to accommodate local addressing customs using reference points, as opposed to street names. We embarked on creating the most detailed online map of Nicaragua. We’ve initiated the comprehensive mapping of Managua’s public transportation system. We’re exploring mapping informal areas like Mercado Oriental, Central America’s largest marketplace, through collaborative efforts within our diverse group. Our project underscores the power of leveraging new technologies to improve our surroundings. It’s about proactive community engagement, utilizing available tools, learning collaboratively, and transforming ideas into reality — epitomizing the concept of technology available to the people.

Regrettably, due to technical issues faced by the organizers, most videos from this year’s TEDxManagua have not been released. Should my talk’s video be published, I will share it here for wider accessibility.