A new republic learns

It is late afternoon and a group of men and women begin to converge under the shade of a huge mango tree in Yambio in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state. The group is not gathering for an ethnic, political or religious meeting. They are here to listen to a community-based civic education programme on their local community radio station called Let’s Talk.

The programme introduces listeners to civic topics ranging from the fledgling republic’s transitional legal framework to strategies for combating corruption and protecting children’s and women’s rights. Drama is used as a teaser segment that weaves rather complex issues or topics into the lives of characters in a fictional South Sudanese town of Jedida in a simple and humorous manner. Let’s Talk is broadcast in English, Arabic and two local languages of the state, Dinka and Nuer.