Inspired by this week’s discussion on instances of human history that have been ignored, our group decided to touch on the topic of avoiding single stories, and to relate that to our archived history, we imagined a utopian world setting centering “The Island of Knowledge”. The Island of Knowledge shall be both an embodied and a virtual library of historical documents, that is accessible to every single person across the globe. In our library, we share different perspectives and include different interpretations of one certain historical event under one category, so that dispute based on cultural differences can be avoided. The cultural differences here are specifically differences created by how history textbooks portray the same event differently in different countries. For instance, the meme that I included here demonstrates how WWII is interpreted differently by Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and the rest of the World’s history textbooks, and by planting these differences into the younger generation’s common knowledge can be the blasting fuse for future conflicts. Similar to Jessica’s point about Haitian Revolution and how it’s rarely referred to in other countries’ history textbooks, certain distorted truths, biased interpretations, alongside with the absence of certain historical instances (e.g. Haitian Revolution, and in Kindred when Dana discovers there’s no historical references to free papers) can all be threatening for globalization and communal understanding/love in the near future.

When expanding on the details of our saturated library, we wanted to focus on accessibility and inclusivity, not only in the books/information themselves, but also for the consumers. In order for this place to be truly utopic for most individuals, we must ensure the erasure of privilege as much as possible. With this in mind, we thought of other ways to present information for the neurodivergent, disabled, and those who face other such barriers that would make this resource exclusive. Technology would be utilized to make these resources more available. This includes oral AI narration (one that would sound less robotic and have the dynamic flow of human speech to allow for better understanding), multi media representations and visual storytelling (through video, hologram performance, pictures, etc.), other such technology for the visually impaired such as braille translations, developed lingual translators and translations (one able to sort out the complexities of various languages and translate properly unlike Google Translate), and other resources. Furthermore, In order to combat the barrier of distance, as not everyone can find their way to this island due to monetary constraints or the limited capacity for both citizens and tourists, we thought to utilize the world-wide web. Along with its physical form, the Island of Knowledge would have a digital platform on the internet open to all, along with a place for people to submit their knowledge from afar. This island is a place of celebrated difference, and one of the first ways to commit to that value to provide opportunities for diversity to both collaborate, indulge, and consume. 

Alike to the 4th bullet of the Feminist Data Manifesto-No, much of the data accumulated is through the means of embracing humanity through knowledge and accepting statistics for their origin and story. In a world of interpretations with various perceptions and perspectives, there are multiple truths to every story and in the Island of Knowledge this is accepted as reality. This is why this information center accepts knowledge of all kinds, from multiple witnesses and takes of infamous historical events, to the life story of “ordinary” civilians. To rely on a single instance or truth is the foundation of stereotypes and a building-block for prejudice. In this library, diversity is embraced in a fashion that combats single stories and sole truths.

Rules of the world:

On this island, value is not in the form of money currency. Collective knowledge is categorized and not limited to personal experiences, witness of a historical event, and creative talents. Islanders gain values that are able to exchange for material goods by sharing experiences and creating values to the community. 

Another rule of the community states that the witnessing process of stories and historical events is highly prioritized during the storytelling process, and the island will only exist with collective honesty. Honesty is the foundation of a loving community, and “commitment to truth telling lays the groundwork for the openness and honesty that is the heartbeat of love” (Hooks). 

In this world, without the influences of capitalism and consumerism, people will be accepted for their true selves and there is no need to put on a false pretense to be loved and accepted by the community. Connecting back to Hooks, “[l]ovelessness is a boon to consumerism. And lies strengthen the world of predatory advertising” (47): Islanders find values by creating, and without being driven by consumerism, they live in states of intellectual contentment and emotional fulfillment.

In this collective intellectual library, information is not limited to books, but information in all forms of media. Islanders are able to create and utilize technology to narrate stories with the warmth of humanity. Media includes all forms of art creation, and the collective memory system is also inclusive to the disabled community: the senses of taste, vision, and sound can be recreated and shared by the community. 
 

Why “Island of knowledge”? 

In conclusion, the gods of the world intend to break the norms of a single-story narrative and define power by loving ethics. On earth, people with the greatest power are the political leaders who use fear-based mechanisms such as military and economic sanctions to dominate and write stories. However, to love and express ourselves fully, we have to surrender the will to dominate others with fear. In the Island of knowledge, power is defined as the ability to share; reveal true-selves; witness stories; contribute creative talents with compassion for communities inclusively; acknowledge stories from multiple perspectives, and share individual experiences critically. In such a system, historical events will not be falsely written from a single perspective, and there is no intervention in using knowledge or art as a tool to propagate a single individual’s desire to rule and dominate. Power is not defined as a limited source that people fight for in competitions, but the faith and ability in loving and sharing authentically.

"To be loving we willingly hear each other's truth and, most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love” (49).

About the Author Follow Kira M. Newman Kira M. Newman is the managing editor of Greater Good. Follow her on Twitter!, & Follow Kira M. Newman Kira M. Newman is the managing editor of Greater Good. Follow her on Twitter! (n.d.). How Cultural Differences Shape Your Gratitude. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_cultural_differences_shape_your_gratitude. 

Feminist Data Manifest No. Retrieved November 05, 2020 from https://www.manifestno.com/ 

Hooks, B. (2000). All about love: New Visions.

Lewis, A. (2018, February 09). 11 significant history facts interpreted differently by other countries. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://quizzclub.com/stories/history/11-significant-history-facts-interpreted-differently-by-other-countries/. 

R/HistoryMemes - Japan. (n.d.). Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryMemes/comments/c5o32m/japan/.

Tgedragontv. (2017, March 01). Sun Ra A Joyful Noise Movie. Retrieved November 05, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I46buUxltU.