14/08/2026
Co-Creating the Swaraj Learning System (SLS)
From 10–12 August 2026, I had the opportunity to participate in the three-day national workshop “Co-Creating the Swaraj Learning System (SLS)”, organised by Vaagdhara Institute, Banswara, Rajasthan, at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi.
The workshop brought together representatives of voluntary organisations working with indigenous, tribal, marginalised and disadvantaged communities from different parts of India.
The key objective was to review, validate and co-create the Swaraj Learning System, rooted in indigenous knowledge, wisdom, practices and community leadership.
The discussions focused on three major themes:
🌱 Agro-ecology – land and water use, seeds, biodiversity, livestock and energy justice.
🥗 Indigenous Food Systems & Health – food diversity, nutrition, food culture, governance and indigenous health systems.
♻️ Circular Lifestyle – household and community practices, indigenous culture, self-governance and energy management.
On the third day, participants discussed climate and heat, gender, community leadership and governance, mental health and happiness.
The most valuable part of the workshop was the opportunity to learn from unique grassroots experiences from different states of India and contribute my own experiences to the collective learning process.
The Swaraj Learning System is being developed as a web-based platform to document and share indigenous knowledge, community experiences and best practices.
Knowledge does not exist only in institutions—it lives within communities, cultures and everyday practices.
The workshop was a meaningful journey of co-creation, dialogue, knowledge sharing and collective ownership.
Grateful to Vaagdhara Institute, experts, mentors and all participating organisations for creating this important platform for community-led learning.
From community knowledge to collective learning. 🌱
