Who Builds the *Commons*?

Open knowledge movements across the Global Majority face interconnected challenges: contributor retention crises, extractive relationships between proprietary platforms and knowledge commons, and rapid AI integration without community-driven ethical frameworks.

This conference examines who sustains open knowledge ecosystems, how communities can grow without losing their core values, and what governance models ensure the commons remain genuinely community-driven.

Core Focus Areas

Our sessions and roundtables are structured around three pillars designed to secure long-term movement intelligence.

Community Sustainability

Ethical AI Innovation

Movement Intelligence

Systematically examine contributor retention patterns and amplify measurable social impact to build evidence-based strategies for sustainable growth.

Critically examine technology integration and AI while interrogating the power dynamics determining whether advancement strengthens community agency.

Engage with peer-reviewed research on platform governance and contributor behavior to connect isolated observations into systemic understanding.

Milestone Timeline

August 5, 2026

August 31, 2026

September 30, 2026

January 22-24, 2027

Call for proposals and scholarship applications officially open worldwide.

Deadline for submitting program proposals and scholarship funding applications.

Review results announced on or before this date for all applicants.

Open Knowledge Conference 2027 convenes hybrid in Hyderabad, India.

Contribute your research, proposals, or scholarship applications to the 2027 gathering in Hyderabad.