After introducing the CC Italy Chapter to you in July, the CC Netherlands Chapter in August, CC Bangladesh Chapter in September, and CC Tanzania Chapter in October, we are now traveling to Asia again to introduce the CC India Chapter! 

The Creative Commons Global Network (CCGN) consists of 45 CC Country Chapters spread across the globe. They’re the home for a community of advocates, activists, educators, artists, lawyers, and users who share CC’s vision and values. They implement and strengthen open access policies, copyright reform, open education, and open culture in the communities in which they live.

To help showcase their work, we’re excited to continue our blog series and social media initiative: CC Network Fridays. At least one Friday a month, we’re traveling around the world through our blog and on Twitter (using #CCNetworkFridays) to a different CC Chapter, introducing their teams, discussing their work, and celebrating their commitment to open! 

Say hello to CC India!

The CC India Chapter was formed in 2018 after previously existing in different collective structures. Its Chapter Lead is Savithri Singh and its representative to the CC Global Network Council is Subhashish Panigrahi. Since the beginning, the Chapter has been involved in promoting and supporting open education and copyright. It advocates for open content and promotes the growth of @creativecommons in India (check out the first meeting). For this post, we spoke to Subhashish who told us a bit more about the Chapter’s work. He responded in both English, Odia and Hindi! 

CC: What open movement work is your Chapter actively involved in? What would you like to achieve with your work?

CC India: The CC-India Chapter has organised several webinars  (e.g. OER in elementary education, future of open education) particularly during the COVID outbreak on relevant areas like OER. The community also includes many Wikipedians who are involved in growing open content in Indian languages and license migration by public agencies.

[HINDI] Creative Commons-भारत चैप्टर ने विशेष रूप से मुक्त शैक्षिक संसाधन (Open Educational Resources – OER) जैसे प्रासंगिक क्षेत्रों पर COVID महामारी के दौरान कई वेबिनार (जैसे प्रारंभिक शिक्षा में OER, Open Education यानी मुक्त शिक्षा का भविष्य) का आयोजन किया है । इस समुदाय में कई विकिपीडिया संपादक भी शामिल हैं जो भारतीय भाषाओं में मुक्त लेखन प्रस्तुत करने और सरकारी संस्थाओं द्वारा लाइसेंस स्थानांतरित करने में शामिल हैं ।

[ODIA] Creative Commons-ଭାରତ ଚାପ୍ଟର କୋଭିଡ ମହାମାରୀ ସମୟରେ ଅନେକ ୱେବିନାର ଆୟୋଜନ କରିଛି । ଯଥା: ପ୍ରାଥମିକ ଶିକ୍ଷାରେ ଓପନ ଏଜୁକେସନାଲ ରିସୋର୍ସ – OER ଏବଂ ଓପନ ଏଜୁକେସନର ଭବିଷ୍ୟତ । ଏହି ସମ୍ପ୍ରଦାୟରେ ଭାରତୀୟ ଭାଷାରେ ଖୋଲାରେ ପାଠ୍ୟ ତିଆରି କରୁଥିବା ଏବଂ ସରକାରୀ ସଂସ୍ଥାମାନଙ୍କଦ୍ୱାରା ଲାଇସେନ୍ସ ବଦଳାଇବାରେ ଜଡ଼ିତ ଥିବା ଅନେକ ଉଇକିଆଳି ମଧ୍ୟ ଯୋଗଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ।

CC: What exciting project has your Chapter engaged in recently?

CC India: There are many — from many community leaders organising and participating in webinars like the ones shared above on topics Open Education, OER, open licensing and open mapping, to ongoing active Telegram group discussions, to the creation of a Wikipedia article on the Chapter, to the initiation of three projects that were supported by Creative Commons Global Network Communities Activity Fund.

[HINDI] कई है — कई समुदाय के नेताओं ने ओपन एजुकेशन, OER, ओपन लाइसेंसिं और ओपन मैपिंग जैसे विषयों पर वेबिनार का आयोजन किया और भाग लिया; सक्रिय चर्चाओं के लिए एक टेलीग्राम ग्रुप है; CC-भारत चैप्टर पर विकिपीडिया का एक लेख है । Creative Commons ग्लोबल नेटवर्क कम्युनिटीज एक्टिविटी फंड (CAF) द्वारा समर्थित तीन परियोजनाओं को शुरू किया गया था।

[ODIA] ଅନେକ: ଏହି ସମ୍ପ୍ରଦାୟର ନେତୃତ୍ୱ ଓପନ ଏଜୁକେସନ, OER, ଖୋଲା ଲାଇସେନ୍ସ ଏବଂ ଖୋଲା ମାନଚିତ୍ର ଭଳି ବିଷୟ ଉପରେ ୱେବିନାର ଆୟୋଜନ ଏବଂ ଅଂଶଗ୍ରହଣ କରିଥିଲେ; ସକ୍ରିୟ ଆଲୋଚନା ପାଇଁ ଏକ ଟେଲିଗ୍ରାମ ଗୋଷ୍ଠୀ ରହିଛି; ସିସି-ଭାରତ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ ଉପରେ ଉଇକିପିଡ଼ିଆରେ ଏକ ପ୍ରସଙ୍ଗ ରହିଛି । କ୍ରିଏଟିଭ କମନ୍ସ ଗ୍ଲୋବାଲ ନେଟୱାର୍କ କମ୍ୟୁନିଟିଜ ଆକ୍ଟିଭିଟିଜ ଫଣ୍ଡଦ୍ୱାରା (ସିଏଏଫ) ସମର୍ଥିତ ତିନୋଟି ପ୍ରକଳ୍ପ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରାଯାଇଛି ।

CC: What do you find inspiring and rewarding about your work in the open movement?

CC India: I would say the network effect of the open movement as it helps in distributed, collaborative, diverse and inclusive action for spreading knowledge.

[HINDI] मैं कहूंगा कि ओपन मूवमेंट का नेटवर्क प्रभाव — यह ज्ञान के प्रसार के लिए वितरित, सहयोगात्मक, विविध और समावेशी कार्रवाई में मदद करता है ।

[ODIA] ମୋ ମତରେ ଓପନ ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନର ନେଟୱାର୍କ ପ୍ରଭାବ କାରଣ ଏହା ଜ୍ଞାନ ବିସ୍ତାର ପାଇଁ ବିତରଣ, ସହଯୋଗୀ, ବିବିଧ ଏବଂ ଅନ୍ତର୍ଭୁକ୍ତୀ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟରେ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ କରିଥାଏ ।

CC: What are your plans for the future? 

CC India:  As we move through uncertain times, CC-India Chapter will focus on engagements and innovations in areas that are hit badly because of COVID: from liberating paywalled resources to online discussions to lobbying with governments for license migration to even creating/translating open content.

[HINDI] जैसा कि हम सब एक अनिश्चित समय में आगे बढ़ रहे हैं, CC-भारत अध्याय ये सारे क्षेत्रों में शामिल होंगे और नवाचारों पर ध्यान केंद्रित करेंगे जो COVID के कारण बुरी तरह से प्रभावित हुए हैं: पेवल संसाधनों को मुक्त करना, ऑनलाइन चर्चा और लाइसेंस का बदलाव के लिये सरकार को समझाना एवं मुक्त विषय का अनुवाद/लेखन ।

[ODIA] ଆମେ ସମସ୍ତେ ଏକ ଅନିଶ୍ଚିତ କାଳ ଭିତରେ ଆଗକୁ ବଢ଼ୁଥିବାରୁ ସିସି-ଇଣ୍ଡିଆ ଅଧ୍ୟାୟ COVID ହେତୁ କୁପ୍ରଭାବିତ ସମସ୍ତ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ସକ୍ରିୟ ଅଂଶଗ୍ରହଣ ଓ ଉଦ୍ଭାବନ ଉପରେ ଧ୍ୟାନଦେବ । ଯଥା: ପେ-ୱାଲ ସମ୍ବଳକୁ ମୁକ୍ତ କରିବା, ଅନଲାଇନ ଆଲୋଚନା, ଲାଇସେନ୍ସ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ପାଇଁ ସରକାରଙ୍କ ସହ ବୁଝାମଣା କରିବା ଏବଂ ଖୋଲା ପାଠ୍ୟର ଅନୁବାଦ/ଲିଖନ ।

CC: Anything else you want to share?

Though there are the following interesting things that we have seen in the last decade, India has a long way to go with open content:

• Textbooks by a national board relicensed under the CC-BY-SA 3.0 License,  
• Many sites and publications by the Odisha state government including OER in 21 indigenous languages and national-level online school education portal DIKSHA make active use of Creative Commons Licenses.
• A handful of educational institutions, civil society organisations, public sector entities and publishers like Story Weaver publish content under CC Licenses.
  

Thank you to the CC India team, especially Subhashish for contributing to the CC Network Fridays feature, and for all of their work in the open community! To see this conversation on Twitter, click here. To become a member of the CCGN, visit our website!

?: Featured image has icons by Guilherme Furtado and Vectors Point via Noun Project (CC BY 3.0).