Overall goal: To profile TRC’s work and open a platform for dialogue necessary for participatory democracy.

Programme Purpose The project exists to position TRC as an important player in the arena of development. It communicates TRC’s activities to the world.

Programme Functions

A. Facilitation of debate on national, regional and international issues

The focus is on improved objectivity in addressing national issues as well as a more robust approach towards harnessing citizens’ contribution to a national conversation. The project also aims at creating more informed analysis of public policy issues. This it does through platforms and fora for dialogue and debate on national and sometimes international issues that impact on our people.

B. Setting an agenda for information dissemination

This would be done through increased presence and influence in the media. The media is also be granted a greater advocacy role to supplement basic reporting by mainstream media houses. The target is to offer consistent support for a clear and discernible national and global agenda.

C. Creation of a platform for advocacy and free expression of public voice

The programme aims to achieve an open and free expression of public opinion as well as increased support for a national consensus on pressing issues.

D. Projection of the TRC’s image to the outside world: More effective positioning to attract international awareness, improve solidarity and inspire donor cooperation.

E. Friends of TRC Meetings

Interest and participation in the discussions has improved significantly thus indicating a remarkable capture of citizen voice in governance issues. Topics discussed included the African Peer Review Mechanism Report, the Audit Reports and Media Freedom. There has been a significant rise in public understanding of development and governance issues among the public. This has also had a positive influence in improving the responsiveness of government and other partners to service delivery.

F. Publications

The project produces publications of the organization, the Work for Justice and Litaba tsa Lesotho. These complement the radio programme that TRC is staging with one local radio station in setting the agenda for debate and dialogue on national issues. The Work for Justice carries similar governance and development issues, yet with more depth and academic rigour. It is targeted at policy makers and opinion leaders who have influence on policy direction of the country. Work for Justice currently remains arguably the principal journal of choice for commentators and opinions-makers locally. Not only has the newsletter gained respect for projecting and sustaining debates, it has also clarified certain issues that would otherwise have easily been dismissed as ‘old news’. The glossy and semi-academic version of the newsletter was distributed mainly among decision- and policy-makers as a lobbying tool. Positive responses were received all round especially commending not only the layout and style but also the refreshing content.

G. Radio

TRC stages a radio programmes on a wide variety of issues, ranging from equality before the law, analysis of the performance of state institutions, the challenges of women participation in political activity and so on. It stimulates vibrant, focused and animated responsiveness to national issues form a wide variety of contributors. The discussions simplify and demystify an otherwise tension-filled approach to questions of national importance. More issues are being discussed with refreshing openness and frankness that had not been experienced hitherto. Thus, the gap between the governing elite and civil society has narrowed as government officials have found themselves sharing the same platform with citizens to defend certain controversial actions and positions or merely to debate issues of common interest. The radio programme therefore widens the arena for public participation in governance and development where advocacy has been the main tool to guide a variety of desirable responses.

H. Documentation:

The programme also collects a variety of documents for different departments. This is done to research for article writing, website writing and for the sole purpose of researching. Among documents that are collected are Hansards from the parliament illustrating parliamentary proceedings, major national reports such as the Auditor’s Report, the Lesotho’s Peer Review Mechanism Report, the speech that His Majesty made from the throne when opening the parliament, Central Bank Economic Review , and a an array of these that can help build an archive for the resource centre.

I. Website

TRC has a website that is uploaded frequently with TRC’s main events and activities undertaken by different programmes. Since 2005 the website has carried the quarterly Lesotho summary chronicles collected by retired Lesotho mathematician Professor David Ambrose. This summary of events is mainly sourced from newspaper clippings and they provide useful historical sources for researchers and policy-makers. The online dictionary, Wikipedia, has cites the TRC website as a credible source of essential information on Lesotho mainly relying on the summary of events.

J. Media

Most of TRC’s activities are publicized in different media to make them known to the public. Press conferences, press releases and information clips were used by numerous media houses to publicize TRC activities as well as national and community activities. A huge volume of visual materials are produced to publicize the centre’s activities.