Popularizing the Use of RTI Law through Street Theatre.

Participatory democracy ought to be founded on the principle of an informed public adequately equipped to contribute actively and meaningfully in the governance of their respective country. If transparency and accountability are the necessities for democratic governance, access to information becomes an essential instrument in achieving this.  

Sri Lanka’s Right to Information Act (RTI) was enacted in mid-2016 after a fifteen-year struggle by media practitioners, lawyers and civil society activists. It was operationalized on February 3rd, 2017.
 
Since the operalization of the RTI, The Social Architects (TSA) have been at the forefront in promoting the use of the law by the grassroots. Street Theatre is an effective means of communication with the rural population. TSA has developed Street Theater Groups based on local issues with the involvement of grassroots communities. 

Recently the Colombo youth team and the Ampara Youth for Shared Future (YfSF) collaborated to develop a street theatre using past success stories to disseminate the information on how to use RTI to make local government accountable.

TSA’s youth group performed in Thirukkovil public market, Kanchirankudah village and Akkaraipattu beach in the district of Ampara on the 15-16 March 2020 with nearly 1500 audience. TSA’s core team, along with legal officers, were present to support the communities to file RTI requests on the spot. 

Telling stories has the power to change people’s attitudes more than any other form of outreach. Street theatre resonates with an audience in a way that sermons and laws cannot.
Where TSA works, we tap into that potential as we try to change community attitudes towards challenging authority through the use of RTI law