The programme activities included the establishment of an Independent Southern Sudan Media. The establishment of independent media in southern Sudan is a key component of USAID/OTI's intervention. The people of southern Sudan have limited access to balanced media information. The provision of balanced information is critical to the expansion of citizen participation in local governance and peace-building activities. Building support for any peace agreement begins with balanced, reliable, and easily accessible information.

USAID/OTI awarded the Education Development Center (EDC) a cooperative leadership award to establish a local language radio service for southern Sudan. A short-wave radio broadcast began in July 2003. Initial programming was broadcast in Nuer, Dinka, Juba-Arabic, English, and Arabic and focused on the provision of news and information, particularly surrounding the peace talks. Additional radio content to promote the positive and peaceful development of the governance institutions included educational and cultural programmes, health issues, and civic education and governance programming.

The programme works to improve governance and to strengthen the balance between leaders and citizens. OTI's efforts focus on strengthening the rule of law by increasing the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary. It issued a grant to provide targeted assistance to the judiciary, including transport and communications support as well as establish a legal aid unit out of the Women's Development Center in Rumbek.

Conflict

As one of its initial activities, OTI sponsored the December 2002 All-Nuba Conference, bringing together representatives of civil society, the GOS, the SPLM, and others from all parts of the political spectrum to discuss the future of the Nuba people.

The programme’s support for southern peace processes hoped to address the preconditions for longer-term development programming. Proposed OTI interventions include the provision of technical assistance/capacity building to civil society groups and key sector governance bodies, and the implementation of community-identified priority projects to secure local peace agreements among citizens.

The project’s objectives also include peace and civic education initiatives, projects to increase women's participation in civil society/governance bodies, and local and nationally sponsored dialogues.