Challenges and Opportunities: The View From Timor-Leste (original) (raw)

The Promise of Prosperity: Visions of the Future in Timor-Leste

The Promise of Prosperity: Visions of the Future in Timor-Leste

ThE PROMISE OF PROSPERITY x FVF Fundação dos Veteranos das FALINTIL [FALINTIL Veterans Foundation] GDP gross domestic product HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome LNG Liquified Natural Gas MU Ministério do Ultramar [Ministry of Overseas Territories] RAEOA

A New Era? Timor-Leste after the UN

This edited book, a product of the inaugural Timor-Leste Update held at the Australian National University in 2013 to mark the end of Timor-Leste’s first decade as a new nation and an end to 14 years of UN political and peacekeeping missions, brings together a vibrant collection of papers from leading and emerging scholars and policy analysts. Collectively, the chapters provide a set of critical reflections on recent political, economic and social developments in Timor-Leste. The volume also looks to the future, highlighting a range of transitions, prospects and undoubted challenges facing the nation over the next 5-10 years. Key themes that inform the collection include nation-building in the shadow of history, trends in economic development, stability and social cohesion, and citizenship, democracy and social inclusion.

East Timor – a brief Update

Timor-Leste is amongst the youngest nation-state of the United Nations system and is about to mark its first decade as a sovereign state, with equal status as any member of the United Nations. There is excitement about marking this tenth anniversary on 20 May 2012. Next year Timor-Leste will also celebrate the 100 year anniversary of the 1912 great Revolt of Manufahi, led by D. Boaventura, against Portuguese colonial rulers. Having experienced centuries of colonial rule, almost a quarter of a century of foreign occupation and a war of resistance, a referendum for self-determination followed by a bloody transition, and finally the gain of its rightful sovereignty as an independent nation on 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste is one country with incredible history prior to becoming a State. As this piece is being written, the National Parliament concluded the 13-day debate on the 2012 State Budget, ending with the approval of almost $USD1.7 billion in expenditure which largely provides the kick off envisaged by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão to implement the 20 year Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030 approved by the Parliament earlier this year. Reflecting upon this very first decade of Statebuilding exposes the pain and the inspirational dynamics of this process with its many lessons of success as well as its weaknesses, and of national resilience - important lessons for the international community, particularly in the realms of nationbuilding and Statebuilding. Key words: Timor-Leste, elections, stability, political parties, CNRT, Fretilin, celebrations, nationbuilding and statebuilding, development, trust, peacebuilding

Timor-Leste: The Harsh Reality After Independence

Southeast Asian Affairs, 2007

Even set against its long history of misery, 2006 was one of Timor-Leste's worst years. While there have been other years in which more people have died and in which its physical infrastructure has been more destroyed, 2006 saw, if not the ending of a dream, then the harsh realization that the value of independence was only as good as its political community made it. In 2006, Timor-Leste's political community tore itself apart, setting in train an internal conflict that had scope to run well beyond the year's end, and which threatened to relegate the country to the status of just another post-colonial failed state.

2019 Review: The Promise of Prosperity: Visions of the Future in Timor-Leste

Anthropological Forum A Journal of Social Anthropology and Comparative Sociology

Sara Niner (2019) Book review of The promise of prosperity: Vision of the future in Timor-Leste' Anthropological Forum: A Journal of Social Anthropology and Comparative Sociology http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/canf20/current

Re-imagining Development in Timor-Leste

People and the Planet 2013 Conference Proceedings , 2013

In the wake of Timor-Leste’s bloody ‘vote for independence’ in 1999, development was one of the many disciplines deployed by the international community to help stabilize and transition the nation from ‘post-conflict state’ to ‘liberal democracy’. Over the next few years a plethora of multilateral agencies and international organizations would implement a vast array of activities and programs aimed at improving the lives of the East-Timorese people. 13 years on and despite significant resourcing and expertise, many of the desired ‘developmental’ outcomes have failed to materialise: 41 per cent of the country’s population continue to live in absolute poverty, while 45 per cent of children under the age of five are significantly underweight. Moreover, there is also growing anecdotal evidence that development orthodoxy is struggling to connect with, as well as adapt to, communities where customary ‘ways of being and doing’ remain vital to social integration. Now as the United Nations and other agencies begin to draw down their activities in Timor-Leste, this essay asks why has development struggled to deliver more observable outcomes and benefits during this period of sustained international engagement? Exploring and highlighting a number of aspects unique to East Timorese society it also asks how might development be ‘re-imagined’ so as to be more effective in the future?

Timor-Leste: climbing towards the end of the journey

Timor-Leste (East Timor) has now reached 13 years as a sovereign Nation-State. Its politics, social dynamics, religion and governance have endured the challenges of peacebuilding and nationbuilding; and now, Statebuilding in progress. The success of this process is of paramount importance because not only its leaders, but also its people and Nation, after almost a quarter of a century of war and violence, no longer embrace anything to do with violence. Long-lasting peace is the only way to go. But Statebuilding is a complex craft; it requires decades and generations to get it right; not perfect but the closer to perfection the better. And Timorese can do it, just like the struggle for national liberation was won, against all odds. It epitomises what Churchill has said: "Every day you make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you and ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb." This paper is a reflection of this joy and glory of the climb, towards the summit of the mountain, just like Martin Luther King, Jr. once said; that “I may not be there with you” - but he was certain his people will reach the summit. This process of moving forward with complex processes of Statebuilding cannot be guided by specific prescriptions, list of items of activities to be done. The only ingredient needed, is your conviction; that no matter what, you may know you will not make it, but you are always certain that your people and your Nation-State will!