This discussion session presents the role of local communities in documenting and preserving cultural heritage in Indonesia. It highlights how local initiatives are increasingly recognised as an important approach to safeguarding local knowledge and making it accessible in digital formats.

The discussion examines community-led projects that reflect the diversity of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. Key case studies include the documentation of sacred cultural practices in Bali and the presentation of Malay culture in North Sumatra. Both demonstrate that cultural heritage can be preserved more effectively when it is maintained by the communities that live those traditions.

In this conversation, speakers will also discuss practical approaches using Wikimedia Commons, as well as collaborative strategies to sustain these efforts and strengthen community-based documentation practices in the long term.