Linguistic diversity and digital heritage: NPLD and DIGICHer event in Brussels

On 23 September 2026 the Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (NPLD) marked the European Day of Languages in Brussels with a networking breakfast and a conversation titled "Linguistic Diversity and Digital Heritage: Europe's Shared Memory". It was organised in cooperation with DIGICHer, the EU-funded project on digitising the cultural heritage of minority communities, and Participio organised the event for the project.

What it was about. A keynote and a panel discussion looked at how Europe's linguistic diversity shows up, or fails to show up, in the way minority communities' heritage is collected, described and made accessible online. The second question was how more inclusive, community-driven approaches can help every language and culture find a place in Europe's shared memory.

Who was invited. Government members of the NPLD, members of the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission and the Council of Europe, and representatives of EU member states.

Why it matters for participatory work. It put a research finding in front of the people who set policy: digitisation decisions made without the community tend to describe its heritage in someone else's language and categories.

Participio organised this event on commission from the DIGICHer project.