This side event brings together leading experts and practitioners to examine the interconnectedness of Indigenous languages, health and well-being through a rights-based and community- centered lens.
Grounded in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and aligned with the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, the discussion will explore how language revitalization and maintenance contributes to cultural continuity, identity formation, mental and physical wellness, and community resilience.
Panelists will address the role of language preservation in sustaining knowledge systems; Indigenous and non-dominant frameworks of health; language rights in conflict and crisis contexts; and the impact of targeted micro-funding in supporting community-led initiatives that advance both linguistic vitality and health equity. The discussion will also feature insights from Project NIN (I AM), a global initiative contributing to the International Decade of Indigenous Languages that mobilizes intergenerational participation through a collective art process to advance Indigenous linguistic rights, strengthen global cooperation, and nurture collective well-being through our languages. Together, the panel will identify practical pathways for scaling community-driven language initiatives as part of broader strategies for Indigenous health and resilience.
Panelists include:
- Doug Whalen, Founder, Endangered Language Fund
- Mary Encabo Bischoff, UNESCO Chair for Rights Education Among Indigenous and Non-Dominant Language Communities
- Richard Ejinagosi Kistabish, President, Canadian Commission for UNESCO
- Noro Andriamiseza Ingarao, Specialist Education Program UNESCO Paris
This event is free and open to the public.
April 21, 2026
2:00-4:00 pm
CUNY Graduate Center
365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016
