Citizens Voices in Strong and Sustainable Community Libraries

Project period:

15.06.2023 - 15.06.2024

Granted amount:

500,000,- DKK

Total budget:

500,000,- DKK

Organization:

Denmark Lesotho Network (DLN)

Partners:

Development for Peace Education (DPE)

Pool:

Civilsamfundspuljen

Grant type:

Medborgerindsats

World goals:

Goal 1: No Poverty

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Efforts take place in:

Lesotho

Resume

The intervention proposed is an extension of the “Building a People’s Movement for Peace, Development, Accountability and Democratization of Lesotho” which has run for the period 2017-2022. The intervention seeks to facilitate community dialogue on the requirements for the sense of ownership of the already established Community Libraries by the communities on the one hand and explore sustainability on the other. Community Libraries (CL) are spaces for ordinary citizens in the rural and hard-to-reach areas where DPE operates to engage in non-violent dialogue and to seek solutions to issues that affect the public. These facilities are equipped with computers with internet and other communication equipment. The CLs are used to link citizens among themselves, but also citizens and policy makers. Through CLs, communities engage policy makers on various issues. Remarkably, citizens have used CLs to protest bad legislative plans contemplated by parliament, express views on “Wool and Mohair S