The Power of Paper

Recently I was reading an article by Walter Brueggemann titled, “On Mapping”, in which he referred to Jo Guldi’s book: The Long Land Won: The Global Struggle for Occupancy Rights.

Dr. Brueggemann makes the following observations:

“in her final chapter (pp354-381), Guldi considers mapping as a strategy whereby landless people may come into possession of land.  Guldi observes that “paper” is an instrument whereby control over territory is gained and maintained.  To consider this mystifying power of “paper”, it has been possible among landless people to recognize that paper (cheap paper!) can be ‘an instrument of popular power’ (356-357).”