CIS-A2K/Reports/CIS-A2K Report 2023-24/Partnerships

Meghalaya GLAM

The underrepresentation of knowledge about the North-East region of India on Wikimedia projects, coupled with the minimal presence of the Wikimedia community, has prompted CIS-A2K to initiate GLAM projects in collaboration with local organizations. These pioneering efforts are fostering the development of Wiki communities in the remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya.

In February 2023, CIS-A2K partnered with Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama in Sohra, Meghalaya, and the West Bengal Wikimedians User Group (WBG) to launch a project focused on the "Digitization & Documentation of Cultural Heritage and Literature in Meghalaya." This pilot initiative received partial funding from "The North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR)."

A review visit for the GLAM project was conducted in December 2023 to assess progress and train members from partner organizations located in Shillong and Cherrapunji. The first phase of the Meghalaya GLAM project resulted in a dedicated gallery on Wikimedia Commons, featuring 166 photos and 25 videos. Additionally, over 13,000 pages were digitized, and 19 volunteers received training on Wikimedia projects—comprising 13 individuals from Ramakrishna Mission, three from Jeebon Roy Library, and three from the Vintage Museum.

In September 2024, a final visit marked the completion of the GLAM project. A portal was established on Wikimedia Commons titled Commons:CIS - Meghalaya. The deliverables included a separate gallery for the project with 337 photos and 25 videos uploaded. The digitization of approximately 20,000 pages was completed, including the upload of 5,426 pages across a total of 41 books, notably featuring 28 books in the Khasi language for the first time. Furthermore, skill training was provided to 24 volunteers involved in Wikimedia projects—18 from Ramakrishna Mission, two from Jeebon Roy Library, and four from Vintage Museum. Awareness sessions regarding Wikimedia projects were conducted at various institutions including Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Shillong, Jeebon Roy Memorial Trust, IIM Shillong, Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in Sohra, and Vintage Museum in Sohra, engaging around 50 participants.

Facilitating Strategic Partnerships for West Bengal Wikimedians

As part of CIS-A2K’s broader strategy to strengthen Wikimedia communities through institutional collaborations, the Senior Program Officer (Partnerships) visited West Bengal (July 24-31, 2024) to support the West Bengal Wikimedians User Group (WBG) in advancing their GLAM and Wikisource initiatives. This aligns with A2K’s focus on sustainable partnerships, capacity building, and content enrichment in Wikimedia projects.

Key meetings were held with Visva-Bharati University, Jadavpur University, and cultural organizations like Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust and Suchana. Discussions centered on academic integration, relicensing, digitization, and collaborative knowledge-sharing projects. To ensure long-term impact, a structured follow-up plan includes regular meetings, technical training, and clearly defined roles.

Key Outcomes & Next Steps:

Santali Food Festival Documentation – Co-organized with Ghosaldanga Adibasi Seva Sangha, supported by WBG and Santali Wikimedians.
Museum of Santal Culture & School Documentation – WBG to execute this project using a WMF grant.
Silchar Event – Promoting relicensing and digitization, led by WBG with A2K’s support.
Rammohan Library Digitization – CIS-A2K to provide equipment, WBG to initiate a collaboration proposal.
Bhasha Bhavan Workshop – Joint proposal for Wikidata and Wikisource training to be submitted.
Suchana Collaboration – Strengthening networking for small language education strategies.
Endangered Language Documentation – WBG to begin work with Jadavpur University, with A2K supporting outreach and audio recording.

By fostering these institutional connections, CIS-A2K aims to enhance the sustainability of WBG’s initiatives, ensuring wider participation, technical skill development, and enriched open knowledge resources.

Documenting Telangana Culture: Partnership with the Department of Language and Culture, Telangana Government

Link: Category:Photos from Language and Culture Department - Telangana

CIS-A2K has actively built upon the long-standing partnership between Telugu Wikimedians and the Telangana Government’s Language and Culture Department, leveraging key events such as WikiConference India 2023 and TeWiki Pandaga 2024 to strengthen connections with officials. A significant milestone in this effort was engaging with Mamidi Harikrishna, Director of the department, to explore avenues for collaboration.

As a result of these engagements, CIS-A2K formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana Language and Culture Department. This agreement primarily focuses on relicensing and uploading images, books, and paintings commissioned by the government to showcase Telangana’s culture, cuisine, history, and arts on Wikimedia platforms. Among the most prestigious contributions under this collaboration are the "Telangana Tejo Murthulu" (Luminaries of Telangana) paintings—a collection of over 30 artworks featuring eminent historical figures from Telangana, painted by skilled artists under government commission.

Beyond visual art, the department has organized numerous cultural programs at Ravindra Bharati, Hyderabad’s renowned cultural centre. These events include traditional art performances, artist exchange programs, exhibitions, and felicitation ceremonies for prominent artists. The media archives from these events, including images and videos that capture Telangana’s rich cultural heritage, are now being made available on Wikimedia Commons.

A key person in executing this initiative was Pranayraj, a seasoned Telugu Wikimedian, who served as the Wikimedian-in-Residence for this program. His deep experience in the Wikimedia movement, coupled with his long-standing relationship with the department, played a crucial role in facilitating this partnership and ensuring its success.

The collaboration has already yielded 9,126 media files on Wikimedia Commons, including 39 books on Telangana arts and culture. Additionally, the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) also collaborated in this initiative, further strengthening institutional support for the project. This partnership marks a significant step in expanding free and open knowledge about Telangana’s heritage, making valuable cultural assets accessible to a global audience.

Nagar Vachan Mandir GLAM Partnership

More: PNVM GLAM Partnership

The ‘Digitisation Plus’ program was developed to engage PNVM in a comprehensive process of creating and disseminating free knowledge. This initiative includes an ongoing effort to digitize public domain books alongside a complete Marathi literature database project initiated in collaboration with Wikimedians, century-old public libraries, and several technical experts. To enhance library networks for accessing rare books, a Digitisation Workshop was organized for libraries across Maharashtra. Training sessions focusing on tools necessary for the literature database project were also arranged. An OpenRefine workshop took place in Pune for PNVM members and Wikimedians. Regular online sessions and review visits are being conducted to maintain momentum. To raise awareness about these activities, PNVM has visited various repositories and institutions throughout Maharashtra and neighboring states. Visits have included public libraries located in Matheran, Kolhapur, Solapur, Hyderabad, and Satara. Collaborative events such as Heritage Walks, Readers’ gatherings, and thematic workshops are being organized to connect citizens and researchers with digital content created on Wikimedia Commons and Wikisource. Under this digitization program, a total of 432 books encompassing 85,423 pages have been digitized and uploaded into specific categories on Commons.

Future of the Commons

More Details: CIS-A2K/Events/Future of Commons 2024 and Future of Commons 2024/Report

The Future of Commons (FoC) 2024 event, co-organized by CIS-A2K, aimed to strengthen the connection between the Wikimedia movement and the broader open knowledge ecosystem in India. This conference focused on exploring the intersection of digital commons and generative AI, with an emphasis on AI's integration, cultural heritage preservation, and enhancing knowledge access through Wikimedia projects. The event took place from July 5–7, 2024, in Pune, Maharashtra, in collaboration with the Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited. The conference brought together a diverse group of 35 participants from 24 organizations, including Wikimedians, technologists, policymakers, academicians, archivists, and content creators, creating a rich environment for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The conference objectives included providing a platform for collaboration on technological innovations, particularly in relation to AI’s potential impact on Indian languages. It aimed to foster critical discourse on technology, not just from a solution-oriented perspective, but as a space for inclusive examination. Attendees discussed how insights from AI could be applied to ongoing projects and explored the challenges and opportunities in archiving and AI projects in India. Key takeaways from FoC 2024 included the need for continued investment in developing resources and tools for archiving and Indian languages, creating open-source tools, and enabling further exchanges of ideas. These efforts aim to inform future strategies for archiving and AI initiatives in India, paving the way for sustainable growth and collaboration within the open knowledge movement.

Roundtable Conversations

The 2023-24 Roundtable Series emphasized key learnings aimed at enhancing discussion effectiveness and engagement strategies. Conducting preliminary workshops to gauge participants’ expertise along with providing orientation materials can bridge varying levels of understanding among attendees. Active facilitation and translation support are crucial when engaging multilingual stakeholders to ensure inclusivity. Integrating roundtables into broader networks or alliances can amplify their impact by fostering continuity through follow-ups and clearly defined action items. Rather than functioning as standalone consultations, roundtables should be viewed as initial steps within a larger engagement process that includes deeper discussions with stakeholders. Prioritizing diversity in thought while conducting stakeholder mapping beforehand leads to more targeted conversations that yield insightful outcomes. Establishing clear impact goals prior to events while maintaining sustained engagement with participants can result in meaningful long-term benefits. Additionally, effective management of discussions through structured moderation, relevant icebreakers, and thorough documentation is vital for ensuring productive interactions.

The following themes were covered during this roundtable series:

Roundtable on Mis/Disinformation: Hosted by CIS on October 17, 2023, in Bengaluru, this roundtable gathered 15 participants including researchers, journalists, and content creators to explore the complexities surrounding fake news and disinformation. CIS presented its work since 2020 alongside insights from Meta regarding strategies to combat misinformation while gathering participant feedback. Key discussions underscored how misinformation flourishes due to social and psychological factors such as confirmation bias and emotional triggers—illustrated by historical events like the 1995 Ganesh idol "drinking milk" phenomenon. While technology amplifies misinformation's reach, it is not solely responsible; historical examples predate digital platforms. Challenges include deep-rooted biases that necessitate grassroots solutions tailored to cultural contexts. Participants highlighted the importance of media literacy, critical thinking skills, and responsible journalism while acknowledging platforms like Wikipedia's role in promoting verified community-driven knowledge. Discussions also touched upon balanced regulation alongside collaboration among tech companies, governments, and civil society as essential components for effective counter-strategies against misinformation. Inclusivity—especially concerning marginalized communities—and ongoing adaptation to misinformation's evolving nature emerged as critical elements for successful interventions. The roundtable concluded that holistic approaches integrating technology with education and community engagement initiatives like Wikipedia are vital for addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by disinformation.

Roundtable on Digital Governance: On November 3, 2023, CIS organized a roundtable focused on ‘Digital Governance’ for non-profits in Pune, Maharashtra. This event brought together 18 participants from 15 civil society organizations specializing in areas such as women’s empowerment, education, agriculture, and community development. Discussions revolved around the impact of digital governance initiatives along with barriers faced by rural communities in accessing these services while emphasizing civil society organizations' (CSOs) roles in bridging existing gaps. Participants stressed the need for inclusive digital governance frameworks alongside improved grievance redressal mechanisms while leveraging social media for supporting CSOs' campaigns. Although challenges related to implementing digital governance at grassroots levels were highlighted during this event, it underscored reimagining digital governance strategies to better serve rural populations through insights drawn from CSOs' experiences.

Roundtable on Digital Cultures: CIS hosted a roundtable discussion on ‘Digital Cultures’ in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on January 5, 2024 as part of an ongoing series exploring digital technologies' roles across governance frameworks communication channels cultural production processes everyday life experiences . This event attracted participation from diverse stakeholders—including artists educators researchers cultural practitioners—with discussions focusing primarily upon how digital media influences education creative expression livelihood opportunities . Key themes addressed included emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), their implications for cultural production needs surrounding digital literacy within educational settings ,and safety accountability transparency issues concerning digital platforms particularly affecting children . Facilitated by CIS representatives Pavan Santhosh Subodh Kulkarni ,the dialogue illuminated challenges posed by AI-generated art potential misuse collaborative policy improvements . Furthermore ,the significance open knowledge systems collaborative platforms addressing digital divides fostering cultural preservation was emphasized throughout proceedings . Overall ,this gathering underscored necessity responsible creative navigation future landscape emphasizing importance inclusive accessible tools shaping societal advancement .

Roundtable on Digital Access: CIS collaborated with Meta to organize a roundtable discussion centered around ‘Digital Access’ held in Bhubaneswar ,Odisha .This event convened participants representing various CSOs—comprising Wikimedians researchers grassroots organizations—to engage regarding challenges opportunities associated with enhancing digital access .Key topics encompassed representation regional languages online effectiveness multilingual knowledge platforms EdTech impacts digital healthcare design inclusive systems catering first-time users marginalized communities .Discussions revealed accessibility barriers faced differently-abled individuals alongside necessity fostering digital literacy regional languages while highlighting importance open-source platforms ensuring community data ownership .Recommendations proposed included tailored skill modules gender-sensitive spaces policy-level changes addressing rural challenges .Ultimately ,this roundtable reinforced urgency creating culturally sensitive solutions bridging gaps empowering communities guaranteeing equitable access tools services within digital realm .

Digitizing Complete Works

In this program year, Lek Ladki Abhiyan (LLA) made significant contributions to the movement, particularly through its initiative to digitize the complete works of Pandurang Sadashiv Sane (Sane Guruji) on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary. This effort is part of a larger initiative to digitize and preserve the works of eminent Indian figures in the public domain, ensuring broader accessibility and engagement from language and cultural communities. LLA coordinated with libraries and private collectors to create structured data, gather rare books, and digitize his writings, making them widely available. Additionally, a public event was organized to disseminate this knowledge and encourage participation.

Beyond this, Lake Ladki Abhiyan continued its efforts in relicensing and digitization, facilitating Wikimedia sessions in 150-year-old libraries in Kolhapur and Satara, and raising awareness among public libraries and collectors about contributing to open knowledge. Through these initiatives, LLA is fostering a collaborative movement to preserve and share India's rich literary and cultural heritage.

Digitization and Outreach Efforts in Goa

Relicensing and Digitization in Goa

Main Article: Here

CIS-A2K is expanding its relicensing and digitization program across India, with efforts in Goa initiated last year. To continue this, meetings were held on August 16-17, 2023, with authors, publishers, and language institutions. Discussions covered relicensing, copyrights, and digitization, along with demonstrations of past cases.

As a result, the son of author Gajanan Raikar released 13 books under a free license. Meetings with Konkani Bhasha Mandal focused on creating a database of Konkani authors and relicensing their works. Goa University’s Marathi Department and Library have begun training students in digitization, providing a scanner and laptop for hands-on learning. Two students have started digitizing relicensed books, and plans for a public domain database were discussed with the librarian.

Wikimedia Workshop at Goa University

Main Article: Here

CIS-A2K, in collaboration with Goa University's Shenoi Goembab School of Languages and Literature (Marathi Department) and the University Library, organized a two-day Wikimedia workshop on August 18-19, 2023. The workshop aimed to create free knowledge on Wikimedia projects about Goa’s freedom fighters, monuments, and heritage sites as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The event began with an awareness session on free knowledge and Wikimedia projects, attended by 60 students and faculty members, with 32 students actively participating in Wiki editing. The workshop covered topics such as digital knowledge in Marathi, Wikipedia editing, sourcing reliable references, copyright guidelines, and scanning historical documents.

Students collected reference books, wrote articles on freedom fighters, and documented historical monuments through photography. Hands-on training in scanning and post-processing was provided, leading to the successful scanning of one relicensed book.

The Marathi Language Department has adopted this as a yearly project to document Goa’s freedom struggle through articles, images, interviews, and books, ensuring long-term academic integration.

Mula Mutha Nadi Darshan Image Exhibition

CIS-A2K, in collaboration with Pune River Revival, organized the Mula Mutha Nadi Darshan photography contest (May 15 – Aug 31) to document Pune’s rivers, with active participation from partner organizations like Jeevitnadi and Ecological Society. Outreach and training encouraged citizen involvement. After evaluating submissions, four jurors selected ten winners. Additional campaigns, such as Paint the River, Sketch the River, and Poster Stories on River, led to a curated exhibition at Yashavantrao Chavan Kaladalan on World River Day (Sept 24), where Prof. Vijay Paranjpye and photographer Chandrashekhar Bapat felicitated the winners. The initiative raised awareness about river degradation and inspired ongoing citizen documentation.

Relicensing and Digitisation workshop at Sayajirao Gaekwad Research Centre, Aurangabad

CIS-A2K conducted a relicensing and digitization workshop at Sayajirao Gaekwad Research and Training (SGRT), Aurangabad, on September 11-12, 2023. The GLAM project, initiated in December 2022, aims to build digital archives on Sayajirao Gaekwad. In the first phase, 60 books were relicensed and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons.

The second phase began with a relicensing and digitization workshop for SGRT staff, with 12 participants attending Wikimedia sessions and two trained in scanning and post-processing. A scanner was provided for the project, and 821 public domain works were listed for digitization, with 77 books selected for relicensing.

Living GLAM project on Santali food and culture

The exploratory visit to the Museum of Santal Culture in July 2024 initiated a collaborative effort between Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust (GBAT), West Bengal Wikimedians User Group (WBG), and Santali Wikimedians to document Santali food traditions. CIS-A2K played a key role in coordinating with various organizations, including BAIF, Yojak, Keystone Foundation, and Kalpavriksha, to develop a comprehensive plan for Santali food documentation. Discussions with subject matter experts Dr. Anindita Majumdar, Dr. Indrani Bhattacharya, and Prof. Silanjan Bhattacharya ensured that scientific perspectives were incorporated. Several planning meetings were conducted between organizers and Wikimedians (both Bengali and Santali) to finalize the program structure and logistics.

On 8-9 December 2024, the 11th Museum Day & Traditional Santal Food Festival was jointly organized by GBAT and CIS-A2K at RSV School and Museum of Santal Culture, Bishnubati. This event aimed to showcase, document, and preserve traditional Santali food culture while fostering collaboration among academics, community members, and Wikimedia contributors.

On day 1, December 8, 2024, the seminar on Santali food traditions featured distinguished speakers, including Dr. Rahi Soren (Jadavpur University), Dr. Sibdas Baskey (Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya), Prof. Onkar Prasad (Santiniketan), Gouri Tudu (Teacher & Ward Councilor, Bolpur Municipality), Subodh Kulkarni (CIS-A2K, Bengaluru), Dr. Stephen Soren (West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences), and Parboti Murmu (Health Worker, GBAT, Ghosaldanga). The seminar was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Binoy Kumar Saren as the chief guest. These speakers from West Bengal and Jharkhand shared insights on Santali food heritage.

At 3 PM, the Traditional Santal Food Festival commenced at the Museum of Santal Culture, Bishnubati. Inaugural speeches were delivered by Dr. Dukhia Murmu (Head, Dept. of Santali, Visva-Bharati University), Dr. Kalachand Mahali (University of Kalyani) and Anita Tudu (Kodma, Santal Parganas).

Highlights of the food documentation:

40 community members participated in preparing and presenting 30 traditional Santali dishes.
The entire process was documented by West Bengal Wikimedians, covering:
- Raw material collection (e.g., snails, vegetables, red ants for 'Hanow Chipi', meat for roast dishes).
- Step-by-step preparation and final presentation of dishes.
Traditional Santali music and dance performances enriched the festival atmosphere.

The second day featured Santali plays and cultural programs to celebrate the 76th birthday of Dr. Martin Kämpchen, a German writer and Tagore scholar who was instrumental in founding GBAT. The villagers of Ghosaldanga and Bishnubati performed traditional Santali plays, songs, and dances to honor his contributions.

The entire event was documented in various formats, ensuring digital preservation and wider accessibility. Media documentation is available under Wikimedia categories:

This initiative marked an important step in preserving and promoting Santali culture while strengthening collaborations between academic institutions, indigenous communities, and Wikimedia projects.

Wikimedia session with Santali Wikimedians at Visva-Bharati University

The collaboration with Santali Wikimedians began during the Santali Wiki Regional Conference in September 2024 in Kolkata, where Prof. Ramu Hembram (Visva-Bharati University) expressed interest in Wikimedia projects, relicensing, and digitization of Santali literature. Following discussions, a Wikimedia session was held on 7 December 2024 at the university.

With the initiative of Wikimedian Bodi Baski and Prof. Ramu Hembram, a Wiki Akhada (Club) was formed in the Santali Department of Visva-Bharati University, where students started contributing to Wikipedia and Wiktionary (in incubator). The session covered digitization, relicensing, and Wiktionary & Wikidata Lexemes, with a live demonstration by Bodhisattwa Mandal and a discussion on partnerships by Subodh Kulkarni (A2K). The digitization potential of the department library was explored, and mapping of Santali literature will begin soon. The session was attended by 15 students, including Ph.D. scholars.

Wikimedia Commons session for Birdsong members

CIS-A2K partnered with Birdsong Organisation in Sangli to document the district’s biodiversity, initiating the project with a Wikimedia Commons workshop in January 2022. After a gap due to the pandemic, activities resumed with a focus on bird call and song documentation.

On 20 October 2023, a workshop was held to discuss structuring uploads on Commons, with five participants. Sharad Apte, a pioneer in bird call recordings, is leading the effort to systematically sort, rename, and upload files. Wikimedian Shyamal provided expert input. Many of these bird calls and songs are being uploaded to Commons for the first time.

See: Bird calls and songs recorded and uploaded by Sharad Apte

Wikimedia session for ‘Book Lovers Club’ members in Belagavi

The Lokmanya Library, Belagavi in collaboration with CIS-A2K organised a session on "Contributing to Free Knowledge & Wikimedia Projects" on 4 September 2024 to mark the 9th anniversary of the Book Lovers’ Club. The event, attended by 40 members, covered key topics such as Unicode and digital language representation, online publishing in Marathi, open knowledge platforms, copyright and Creative Commons, Wikimedia projects, major campaigns, relicensing, digitization, and digital archives.

Discussions emphasized best practices in metadata standards, accessibility, community engagement, and sustainability. The library is now developing a database of Belagavi-based Marathi authors. Follow-up initiatives include online sessions on digitization, photo documentation of heritage, and Wikipedia & Wikisource editing, along with a digitization workshop for old libraries..