An ongoing fascination for me is the way in which maps reflect our understanding of the world around us, reveal our cultural biases, record human history, or chart the geography of conflict.

If you share my fascination, then allow me to recommend to you strange maps, a blog which collects unusual maps portraying places that are real or exist only in the cartographer’s imagination. A recent posting included this one depicting a “culture wars” battleground: where and how evolution is taught in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Bill Warters at Campus ADR Tech Blog links to “Baghdad: Mapping the Violence,” a BBC News animated map depicting the violence in Baghdad since May 2003 when the U.S. declared the end to major combat operations.

Important correction! Online Guide to Mediation and the World Directory of ADR Blogs nearly caused an international incident! I had originally reported that the World Directory had added its first French blog. In fact, it is it’s first Belgian blog. Mon dieu! Une erreur très embarrassante! Fortunately the blogger, mediator Dominique Foucart, charmingly and most graciously pointed out this regretful faux pas. I appreciate his understanding and hasten to correct my error here.

It’s exciting in any event to announce now not just one but two firsts for the Directory: its first French language blog and its first Belgian blog. Even better! Merci beaucoup, Dominique!

Bienvenue to the ADR blogosphere to Dominique.

If you wish to add your blog or someone else’s to the World Directory of ADR Blogs, please let me know. It’s a commercial-free site, and there is no cost to be listed. I am especially interested in leads on ADR blogs outside the U.S. and Canada. If you know of any, I hope you’ll get in touch. The Directory has information on submitting your blog and submission guidelines.

Many thanks to to my friend Christoph Stroyer, a mediator, attorney, and blogger in Germany, for letting me know about this new blog.