The Wales-Lesotho Link was the focus of a public Forum in London, attended by Lesotho's High Commissioner

A unique 'twinning' between two countries, one in the rich world and one in the developing world, was the focus of a public Greencoat Forum, at the London centre of Initiatives of Change, on 7 December. The Wales-Lesotho Link, or Dolen Cymru in Welsh, is believed to be the world's only country-to-country twinning, with formal links giving benefits to both.

Her Excellency Me Lebohang Ramohlanka, High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho, talks with Amina Dikedi from Nigeria, Co-ordinator of the Clean Africa Campaign, during a Greencoat Forum in London

The aim of Dolen Cymru, which marks its 20th anniversary in March 2005, is to 'build a relationship based on understanding and friendship' rather than just economic aid, said the link's founding Secretary, Paul Williams in his talk. 'The idea of Wales developing its own special link with a country in the Third World grew out of the desire to see if our small nation could make a direct contribution to one of the greatest challenges facing us today: the ever growing economic divide between the countries of the North and the developing countries of the South.'

Lesotho's High Commissioner in London, Her Excellency Me Lebohang Ramohlanka, said that when she took up her post in 2000 Dolen Cymru was her 'number one top priority'. 'The link in my country has been held in the number one position,' she said. She explained that the Kingdom of Lesotho, land-locked by surrounding South Africa, had never been conquered and, as a result, 'we pride ourselves as being God's special child'. She believed that Lesotho could now, with adequate education, conquer the scourge of Aids afflicting her country.

Dolen Cymru had been formed in 1985 following a time of 'political doldrums' for Wales, Williams said. A referendum in 1979 on forming a Welsh assembly had been rejected. A series of public 'dialogues' on Wales' role, held by Initiatives of Change, had subsequently looked at Wales' contribution to the wider world. Someone had put forward the catalytic thought that 'Wales' role is to build a world community based on care'.

Then at an all-Wales dialogue in 1982, Dr Carl Clowes suggested the idea of finding a Welsh 'twin' in the developing world, in an attempt to bridge the 'North-South divide'. Clowes became the founding President of Dolen Cymru and was recently appointed Lesotho's Honorary Consul in Wales. The Link was launched on 12 March 1985, Moshoeshoe Day in Lesotho, named after Lesotho's founding King.

The High Commissioner of Lesotho with Paul Williams, founding Secretary of Dolen Cymru, at a Greencoat Forum in London

Lesotho, known as the Kingdom in the Sky because of its high altitude, was chosen because of its similar land area, mountainous topography and population to Wales, Williams explained. Since then a 'multifaceted grass-roots web of relationships' has been build between the two countries, including exchanges between schools, church leaders, choirs and medical professionals. Over 50 Welsh schools have linked with schools in Lesotho and there have been teacher exchanges. Three hundred Welsh primary schools donated 1,400 large boxes of books for Lesotho schools. But when riots broke out in the capital, Maseru, 400 of the boxes, stored by the Ministry of Education, were destroyed by fire. The UK's Department of International Development stepped in to grant £120,000 for new books to replace them.

Two Lesotho choirs have visited Wales and a 35-strong Welsh choir has visited Lesotho and sung for Lesotho's Queen Mother. Lesotho's royal village of Matsieng has twinned with St Davids in Pembrokeshire, where the Queen Mother visited in 1999 to launch that link. The then Clwyd County Council donated a fire engine to Maseru, where it was one of only two in the city. And the island of Angelsey has linked with the Mafeteng District of Lesotho. A sponsored knit raised £13,000 to help to build a women's residential centre outside Maseru. Doctors have also provided training in Aids counselling to health care workers in Lesotho, where a third of the population are HIV positive.

But the traffic has not been all one way, Williams stressed. He emphasised the benefits of the Link in broadening the perspectives of people in Wales, particularly the young. There has been a series of youth exchanges and Welsh primary school children, aged 9 to 11, study a work pack entitled 'Khotso!' comparing Wales with Lesotho, as part of their geography curriculum. A second pack, including an hour-long video, is also in use in Welsh secondary schools.

Core funding to support Dolen Cymru's full-time Director, Dyfan Jones, now comes from the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff.

Williams, who has visited Lesotho three times, showed colour slides of the country. Such was the similarity that one photo of a Lesotho valley could have been taken in Wales.

Michael Smith