AUSTCARE

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AUSTCARE
TIMOR-LESTE OUR COMMUNITY PEACE
BUILDING PROJECT
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AUSTCARE

• History
• Timor-Leste Today
• AUSTCARE in Timor- Leste
• AUSTCARE Community Peace Building Project

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Timor-Leste History and the Fight for
Independence

• Portuguese Colonization (400 years)
• Japan Occupation World War 2 (1941-1945)
• Return to Portuguese Timor
• Civil War (1975)
• The Indonesian Occupation (1975-1999)
• United Nations Referendum for Independence
  (1999)
• INTERFET Peace Enforcement (1999)
• UN Transitional Administration East Timor
  (1999- 2002)
• Independence (20th May 2002)

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Timor-Leste - Today

• One of the newest nations of the new millennium,
  Timor-Leste is also one of the poorest. In a
  population of 924, 642 (2004)
• - More than 40 of the population live on less
  than 55c a day
• - More than 40 of the population is below the
  poverty line
• 43 of children underweight for their age
• 44 if the rural population cannot meet their
  basic needs for food, clothing and
  housing
• - Life expectancy stands at just 57 yrs
• - Only 57 of the population is literate
• - Approx. 20 of the rural population have
  access to safe water
• - 50 of the population is below 16 years of
  age
• - Unemployment is rife and there is significant
  urban drift by young people in search of work
• Maternal Mortality is the worst in the world.

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Timor-Leste A country of refugee and
Internally Displaced Peoples

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During the years of Indonesian occupation and
the violence of 1999 forced hundreds of thousands
of Timorese to flee within and out of
Timor-Leste. This was due to violations of their
civil, political, economic, social, cultural and
human rights suffered from intimidation,
persecution, forced migration, rape, forced
military service, torture, murder and harassment.
High levels of violence have been experienced by
women.

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AUSTCARE

• ESTABLISHED in 1967, AUSTCARE is a
  not-for-profit, independent and secular
  Australian non-government organisation.
• OUR MISSION is to assist refugees overseas,
  displaced people and those affected by landmines
  to rebuild their lives through the expert
  delivery of development programs in partnership
  with local communities and other agencies.
• HAS SUPPORTED the people of East-Timor since 1981
  and has strengthened a permanent presence in Dili
  showing commitment to positive engagement with
  the people of Timor-Leste.

(Peace Building - Bobonaro)
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AUSTCARE in Timor-Leste

• AUSTCARE projects areas include
• Capacity building
• Education
• Agriculture
• Human rights and civics

• AUSTCARE has MOUs with
• the Ministry of Agriculture,
  Fisheries and Forestry
• the Ministry of Education
• the University of Timor-Leste
• AUSTCARE works with Local NGOs
• HALARAE (a Timorese NGO)
• COBAH farmers cooperative

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Community Peace Building , Bobonaro District
This education program is designed to - increase
knowledge and awareness of peace building through
school and community based education
programs. -to strengthen the ability of families,
communities and schools to promote peace building
within their district areas. Timeframe 30 May
2004- October 2005 Curriculum Covers the areas
of - conflict resolution - social
responsibility - working together - peace -
domestic violence - gender - human rights and
justice
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Map of Timor-Leste
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Why a Peace Building Project?

• The project was formulated in response to the
  affects of a culture of violence
• High levels of violence
• Criminal activity
• Decline traditional civic/family values
• Violence towards women
• Children and a culture of violence.

(The Program in Action)
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The Need for Peace Building
AUSTCAREs Peace Building Project manager, Mr
Agostino de Deus, describes the situation that
Timorese people have faced Many people were
killed before and after the referendum,
particularly during Indonesian occupation. After
the referendum much sexual violence was
committed. During the violence people even
killed members of their own familythis makes me
feel very, very sad. The peace building is
important for Timor-Leste because people have
been affected by conflict. People need to
reconcile, people need to live in peace.
Children and women have particularly been
affected by violence, our community needs to
heal.
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The Project in Action

Peace Building
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Achievements of the Community Peace Building
Project to date are

• 4,720 participants involved in the program
  (2,255 community members and 2,465 primary
  school children/ 48 of these participants are
  female).
• 5 civic centres established and 16 field project
  officers trained as trainers.
• A project Steering committee involving community
  leaders and women has been established.
• A training curriculum and manual developed to be
  used in schools and in wider community.
• Community and school trainings use appropriate
  learning methods, including group discussion,
  story sharing, song, dance and ceremony. This
  has been effective in engaging the local
  community.

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Involving Women and Children in the Peace
Building Process
Increasing womens participation by - the use
of womens networks - establishing women only
groups when appropriate - the development of
gender sensitive facilitation skills of
trainers - accessible locally based sessions
held at appropriate times - an open learning
environment enabling children to attend if
necessary. Recognising Women as peace
builders- UN resolution 1352.
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Outputs of the Project

• Increased community information and awareness
• Of building peace and security.
• Of gender based issues and reduced levels of
  sexual and gender based violence.
• Increased participation of women in peace
  building

AUSTCARE meeting with Field Officer Lopez
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AUSTCARE Projects Community,
Cultural and Conflict Sensitivity
The project is implemented with the Department of
Education, Bobonaro and supported by AUSTCAREs
team of Timorese and Australian project managers.
Like all AUSTCARE projects, community and
cultural sensitivity is at the heart of The
Community Peace Building Project. This project
was developed in a way which incorporates such
sensitivity and awareness. It was developed and
implemented in conjunction with Timorese
nationals and in response to identified human
security issues in post conflict Timor-Leste
society.
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AUSTCARE and Timor-Leste The Future

• AUSTCARE believes that Timor-Lestes future
  development and security will be dependent on
  poverty reduction and the strengthening of civil
  society in rural areas, particularly in the
  vulnerable border districts.
• AUSTCARE will extend the Peace Building project
  to Oecusse District in December 2005.
• AUSTCARE welcomes support in addressing poverty
  alleviation at the community level through a
  focus on
• Food Security
• - Rural Communities
• - Capacity Building

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AUSTCARE
Peace must be built, peace cannot be made!
Only when society begins to build itself
gradually will peace establish itself on solid
foundations and, with time, be consolidated!
H.E. Presidente Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao on the
occasion of the launch of the Peace and
Democracy Foundation Dili, 14 December 2002
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AUSTCARE Donor Thanks

• ADF
• AID
• Australian Public
• Australian Rotary
• CIDA
• Crawford Fund
• Intrepid Tours
• UNFPA

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