Dec. 7, 1941 - A Day to Remember

On December 7, 1941 the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese planes, which drew the US formally into World War II.

Today we honor the memory of those lost that day, and of those lost and wounded, over the next four years.

Below is a world map showing the positions of Allied (US and friends) and Axis (Germany, Japan and friends) in 1941.  A version of this must have been hanging in the offices of US military leaders.

Blue - Allied countries;  Black - Axis Countries. 1941

The job of planners was to mobilize troops and supplies from the US and Allied countries and place them in direct, and sustained, contact with forces of Axis countries.  When Russia (red area) entered the war on the side of the Allies, the supply chain needed to extend to that portion of the map, too.  That was a huge undertaking, but succeeded over the course of the war.  

Many books, movies and articles have been written that describe how the US turned its economic might from domestic production to military production and mobilized its millions of citizens.  Can this scale of mobilization ever be repeated?

view graphic here

Such a mobilization is now being attempted, led by the United Nations.  

At the right I've combined two graphics. The top is a race-poverty cmap that I created to show challenges youth and families in high poverty areas of the US face.  Under that is the graphic showing the  UN's 17 Global Sustainable Development Goals. You can see both in this article. 

If you've read many articles on this blog you see my frequent use of maps to focus attention on places where people need help, as a result of violence, poverty, poorly performing schools, or a combination of all of these and other indicators.

If you visit the SDGs website you can find maps like the one I've posted below, which is one of several showing world poverty issues, Goal #1, around the world.  

View this SDGs map here

There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals and maps like the one above are available for each. 

Thus, as you think of Pearl Harbor, and how the US and Allies mobilized resources to fight battles in all parts of the world, give some time to thinking of how you might help in the mobilization needed to achieve the SDG goals.  

Here's one more graphic. It's a concept map from my collection that shows the planning needed to support such a mobilization.

Planning needed concept map - click here

On the right side of my concept map is a GIS map, showing all the places in the Chicago region where poverty is concentrated and where organized, long-term tutor, mentor and learning programs are needed to help youth move through school and into adult lives.  On the left are graphics that focus on building public will and the need to influence resource providers, volunteers and public leaders, not just the students, parents and leaders of youth programs in poverty areas.  

data maps

This concept map points to many of the mapping platforms that I draw from to create my own map stories. You can use them, too.

This same thinking applies more broadly to the SDGs.  Without building and sustaining the public will, which the US and Allies did during World War II, there will be no distribution of resources to all places where they are needed and no long-term victory.  

My blog articles and web site are a demonstration of what one person and a small group of people can do to try to create public will and influence actions of others.  Everyone who reads this could be creating their own visualizations and blog articles. Or they could simply be sharing mine through their own personal and social media networks.  

Here's a concept map with links to people who already are doing this "sharing". 

On each of my concept maps is a "help me" graphic, inviting people who value the maps or the ideas I share to provide contributions to do this work. Think of these as "war bonds" asking you to invest dollars to fuel this mobilization. 

If you're able, and willing, to help,  Click Here to add your support. 

Click here to help fund Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC for 2020

Thank you for reading, for sharing this with your network and for your contributions.  Let's honor the memory of Pearl Harbor with the work we do to create a better world.