“Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Guwahati Off-Campus”, organised TISS-G Model United Nations 2026 from May 1 to 3, 2026, under the theme “Dawn: Expanding Horizons,” on the occasion of celebrating 90 years since TISS‘s establishment. The event brought together students, academicians, social organisations, and other stakeholders to engage in discussions and activities centred on contemporary social issues, leadership, dialogue, and global perspectives. Boli Cheto Foundation participated as a supporting organisation and served as the programme’s lead partner.
The inaugural session of TISS-G MUN 2026 began with a welcome address by Prof. Jagannath Ambagudia, Campus Director, TISS Guwahati Off-Campus, followed by an introduction to TISS-G MUN 2026 by Dr. Navaneeta Deori, Faculty-in-Charge, TISS-G MUN 2026.
The programme also featured the felicitation of the chief guests, followed by addresses from distinguished guests representing various organisations. Among the speakers was Nethi Sai Kiran from Boli Cheto Foundation, along with representatives from NEAID, Byatikram Group, Raahein Foundation, and Seven Sense Communications.
Day 1: Celebrating Indigenous Languages, Knowledge and Cultural Heritage at TISS-G MUN 2026
Indigenous languages are more than words – they carry the stories, memories, knowledge and identity of communities across generations. At TISS-G MUN 2026, Day 1 created a meaningful space for students and participants to explore the importance of indigenous languages, linguistic diversity and the need to preserve and promote them.
As part of the Day 1 programme, Nethi Sai Kiran(myself) and Gita Doley from Boli Cheto Foundation joined the gathering as resource persons to engage with students and participants in an interactive discussion on indigenous languages and knowledge systems. The session encouraged participants to look beyond language as a means of communication and understand its deeper connection with culture, identity, heritage and community knowledge.
Indigenous languages carry generations of oral histories, traditional practices, customs, values, ecological knowledge and community wisdom. When a language declines, the cultural knowledge and worldview embedded within it can also be placed at risk. Therefore, preserving indigenous languages is closely connected with protecting cultural diversity and ensuring that knowledge continues to be passed from one generation to another.
Connecting Indigenous Issues with Global Initiatives
The discussion also touched upon the Forum for Indigenous Issues, encouraging participants to reflect on cultural identity, representation and the challenges faced by indigenous communities. It highlighted the importance of creating spaces where indigenous voices, languages and knowledge systems can be recognised and represented. A key focus was the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), a global initiative that aims to draw attention to the critical situation of many indigenous languages and encourage their preservation, revitalisation and transmission.
The session emphasised that language preservation is not limited to documentation. Languages need to be spoken, taught, used, shared and passed on, particularly among younger generations.
Wikipedia, Open Knowledge and Indigenous Languages
Another important part of the discussion was the role of Wikipedia and the Open Knowledge Movement in supporting indigenous languages and the objectives of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Open and freely accessible knowledge platforms can provide opportunities to document indigenous languages, cultures and knowledge and make them accessible to wider audiences. The speakers emphasised the importance of creating knowledge in indigenous languages, enabling communities and young people to become active contributors rather than only consumers of digital information. Digital platforms can therefore become valuable spaces for young people to document stories, traditions, photographs, audio resources and other forms of cultural knowledge, helping strengthen the visibility and continued use of indigenous languages.
The session also included fun and interactive activities that encouraged students to think about their own languages and the cultural knowledge connected with them. These activities made the discussion engaging while highlighting the relevance of indigenous languages in everyday life.
Youth participation emerged as an important aspect of language preservation. Their involvement can help ensure that these languages remain relevant and continue to thrive in contemporary society.
Significance of the Session
The participation of Boli Cheto Foundation as a supporting organisation and lead partner added an important dimension to TISS-G MUN 2026. Through the contributions of Nethi Sai Kiran and Gita Doley, participants were encouraged to understand indigenous languages not simply as forms of communication, but as living repositories of cultural identity, history and community knowledge. The discussion reinforced that preserving indigenous languages requires collective efforts involving communities, educational institutions, civil society organisations, digital knowledge platforms and young people.
Day 1 ultimately served as a reminder that every language carries a story and every community holds knowledge worth preserving. Through awareness, education, documentation and meaningful youth participation, indigenous languages can continue to be spoken, shared, celebrated and passed on to future generations.
The session at TISS-G MUN 2026 therefore created an important space for dialogue and reflection, highlighting that protecting linguistic diversity is also a way of protecting cultural identity, community heritage and the richness of our shared knowledge.
Day 3 of TISS-G MUN 2026: Becoming Wikimedians
Day 3 of TISS-G MUN 2026 began on an exciting and engaging note, a conversation around language, identity, culture, and the power of documentation. The opening connected beautifully with the discussions from the previous sessions and encouraged students to think about an important question: How can our languages, stories, cultures, and lived experiences be preserved and shared in the digital age?
From Language and Culture to Open Knowledge
Sai Kiran introduced students to the idea of Wikimedia and open knowledge platforms as powerful tools for documenting language and culture. The session helped students understand that open knowledge is not simply about accessing information – it is also about ensuring that diverse communities have the opportunity to create, document, preserve, and share their own knowledge.
This discussion was particularly relevant to the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), an initiative that highlights the importance of protecting, revitalising, promoting, and preserving Indigenous languages. The students explored how digital platforms can contribute to this larger goal by creating spaces where languages, oral traditions, cultural practices, local histories, photographs, stories, and community knowledge can be documented and made accessible.The conversation also connected with the discussions held earlier Day 1 TISS-G MUN 2026, allowing students to look at language not merely as a means of communication but as an important carrier of identity, heritage, memory, and culture.
From Discussion to Action: Becoming Wikimedians
The workshop soon moved from introduction to hands-on learning. Students were guided through the process of creating their Wikimedia accounts and exploring the platform. They learned how to edit and contribute to articles, add pictures, create voiceovers, and understand how their individual contributions can become part of a larger knowledge ecosystem. Jennie, Vedika and Jessi (students at TISS-G) actively debated, shared opinions, questioned ideas, and discussed the possibilities and challenges of documenting their languages and cultures online.
For many students, this was their first experience of becoming an active contributor to a free knowledge platform. The excitement was evident as they experimented with editing and explored the different ways in which they could contribute. The hands-on nature of the workshop made the learning process much more engaging. Students were able to immediately put the concepts discussed during the session into practice. And the participation translated into activity on the programme dashboard as well. The TISS-G MUN 2026 Outreach Dashboard records 38 editors, 58 total edits, and 25 Wikimedia Commons uploads, reflecting the enthusiasm generated during the programme, making the session both new and exciting.
By the end of the workshop, the students had not only gained practical knowledge about Wikimedia but had also taken their first steps towards becoming Wikimedians, young contributors who can help make knowledge more accessible, diverse, and representative.
Building on the discussions throughout the day, the students drafted a resolution recognising the role of free knowledge platforms and Wikimedia in fostering the goals of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032). The resolution reflected the students’ understanding that digital platforms can support the preservation, promotion, documentation, and accessibility of Indigenous and community languages. It also recognised the importance of empowering young people and communities to actively participate in documenting their own linguistic and cultural heritage.
What began with a voice note in the morning therefore evolved into a broader conversation about whose voices are heard, whose knowledge is documented, and how technology can help preserve linguistic and cultural diversity.
Day 3 was therefore more than just a workshop. It gave students the chance to discover that everyone can be a creator, contributor, and custodian of knowledge. With curiosity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn, the TISS students embraced the Wikimedia journey- and this may just be the beginning of many more stories they will contribute to the world of free knowledge.
Note: Thanks to Gita & Gayatri for compiling the article.
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