Photos by Kia Mistilis

“Keep on going, keep spreading the message of peace and unity in the world.”
Ego Lemos, permaculture trainer and director of Permatil (Permaculture Timor Lorosa’e)

Country Snapshot 2009
Location: South East Asia. (333 miles / 200 km north of Darwin, Australia.)
Population: I million
Capital: Dili - population 50 000
Area: 14 874 sq km (5743 sq miles)

Overview of East Timor today
In these early years of independence East Timor’s democracy is fragile and its people are facing many challenges in rebuilding their country. After 24 years of brutal military occupation, the nation is still emerging from war and dealing with its many legacies. Creating political and social stability is a slow and often very difficult process. Widespread poverty remains the most pressing challenge to be overcome. Despite the traumas of the recent past and the enormity of the challenges that face them, an overwhelming majority of Timorese people are committed to peace and democracy and are determined for their country to emerge as a stable and independent nation. Rarely reported in the international media is the work of many groups and individuals at the grass roots level who are steadily making a positive contribution to their country’s progress towards a better future.

East Timor - Australia history resource

For easy to read info which sheds light on the current situation, as well as Australia’s shared history with East Timor, check out these slideshows:
Timor Timeline
Timor-Australia history

Political & Historical

East Timor is the youngest democracy in the world
•450 years Portuguese colony: 1520’s-1975
•4 years Japanese occupation: 1941-1944 (WW2)
•UN sponsored Independence Ballot - August 30, 1999
•UN Transitional Authority in East Timor (UNTAET) 1999-2001
•First Democratic Elections: May 2001 Mari Alkatiri PM, Xanana Gusmao President.
•East Timor becomes The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.
•Second Democratic Elections: May-June 2007: Xanana Gusmao PM, Jose Ramos-Horta President.

Social & Cultural

East Timor is a post conflict society and the poorest country in Asia.
Major social issues are linked to poverty and the trauma of war.

Approximately 900 000 of East Timor’s 1.2 million people live in rural areas and derive their livelihood from farming. During Indonesia’s violent withdrawal in September 1999, 80% of all infrastructure (homes, schools, hospitals, utilities) and agricultural assets (animals, tools) were destroyed or stolen leaving hundreds of thousands of people internally displaced without their homes or livelihood. Many Timorese people still do not have the resources to return to their villages and start again. During the violence of April 2006, the numbers of internally displace people (IDP’s) in Dili swelled to 150 000 and in April 2008, around 50 000 were still living in the capital under UN tarpaulins. In June 2009, approximately 40 000 people remain internally displaced, with no secure home or livelihood.

Poverty affects large numbers of people with 44% or 450 000 people in East Timor living on less than $1.50 per day. More than half the population report severe food shortages throughout the year. As well as being the poorest country in Asia, East Timor has the highest fertility rate in world. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 7.8 births per woman. 60% of the population are children or youth and 44% of all children in East Timor are severely malnourished compared with 28% in Vietnam and 28% in Indonesia. 50% population are illiterate and unemployment is 40%.

East Timor’s people are 90% Catholic mixed with Indigenous animist beliefs. Indigenous culture and languages remain strong throughout the country. Timorese people are multi -lingual. Tetun is the lingua franca, one of 16 national languages and dialects spoken throughout the country.

POSITIVE ACTION: Ways to Contribute & Connect with East Timor
There are many grass roots organisations collaborating with Timorese people to consolidate peace and democracy in East Timor and sustainably rebuild the country. They are based in Australia, Timor and also online, so there are many ways you can get active and collaborate with others to make a positive difference. Here is a guide:

East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)
Grass roots human rights org working in solidarity with the Timorese people. Formed in NYC, 1991, ETAN is a leading East Timor advocacy, resource and online activist centre. Website includes comprehensive directory and links to Timor orgs around the world, campaign action alerts and current information on East Timor sourced globally and updated daily. www.etan.org

ETAN on myspace:
www.myspace.com/etan_us

Oxfam Australia
Oxfam Australia has been supporting long-term development work in Timor-Leste since 1975. Today Oxfam work in partnership with 26 local NGO’s, the government and community groups. Programs address peace building, sustainable development and poverty alleviation. www.oxfam.org.au

Alola Foundation
Timorese NGO supporting Timorese women and children’s in areas of maternal and family health, education as well as community and economic development programs. Established by (Australian) Kirsty Sword-Gusmao with mostly Timorese staff.
www.alolafoundation.org

Permaculture Timor Lorosa’e (Permatil)
Permatil are East Timor’s leading permaculture NGO working with local communities across the country. Permatil also share a partnership with Bali based Indonesian permaculture NGO called IDEP. They have collaborated on many projects and trainings in Indonesia and East Timor. Note: “Timor Lorosa’e” is tetun for East Timor. www.idepfoundation.org

IDEP
IIndonesian permaculture NGO, working in partnership with Permatil. IDEP offer “practical programs for sustainable development, helping people solve their own problems.”
www.idepfoundation.org

Permaculture Education
Australia’s leading permaculture training centre. Campus at Djanbung Gardens, Nimbin NSW offers PDC (Permaculture Design Certificate) and other accredited courses in sustainability. These courses are vocational, AUSTUDY approved and geared for work with indigenous and ethnically diverse communities both in Australia and overseas. Courses open to Australians and international students. Principal Robyn Francis is a leading permaculture designer, consultant and educator whose extensive work is respected worldwide. Highly recommended for those wanting to begin or extend their skills in field of sustainability and collaborate with others in community based projects.
www.permaculture.com.au

Volunteering for International Development from Australia (VIDA)
“VIDA places skilled Australian volunteers in developing countries in the Asia Pacific region. VIDA volunteers work with local counterparts to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development in the communities in which they work through skills and knowledge exchange, institutional strengthening and capacity building.”
www.vidavolunteers.com.au

Friends of Bacau – part of Australia-Timor sister cities
This is one of many community orgs promoting friendship between Australia and East Timor through ‘sister city’ programs. This one connects the city of Bacau with Darebin and Yarra in Melbourne, Victoria. Friends of Bacau are building long term relationships with people in their sister city, raising funds and collaborating on projects in-country which support our Timorese friends in rebuilding their community.
www.friendsofbacau.org

For more ‘sister-city’ links, go to the Friendship Manual:
www.comraded.org

Arte Moris (Living Arts) - Free and Non-Profit Art School. Dili, East Timor.
Founded in February 2003, Arte Moris is East Timor’s first Fine Arts School. The original students live and work on campus and are now senior students involved in running the school with co-founders Luca and Gabriella Gansser, who together with visiting international artists, provide classes for over 100 junior students from age 12 upwards.
www.artemoris.tp

Bibi Bulak (Crazy Goats) – Performing Arts Troupe
Founded in 2000 by international and Timorese Performing Artists and based at Arte Moris cultural centre, Dili. Bibi Bulak are “nurturing a uniquely East Timorese Arts culture in the world's newest nation. Bibi Bulak creates work that is made by and for East Timorese in the lingua franca Tetun. Bibi Bulak bring art, entertainment and public education to the people directly, regularly touring performances and music, and producing nationally aired & distributed radio dramas & films.”
www.myspace.com/bibibulak

Apheda
The overseas humanitarian aid agency of the ACTU, running a large range of community programs in East Timor. www.apheda.org.au

Tempo Semanal (Weekly Times) -
New voice of independent media in East Timor.
Tempo Semanal is East Timor’s first independent weekly newspaper. Established and run by Timorese journalist Jose Belo, Tempo Semanal is building a reputation for truly independent reporting and hard-hitting stories. Tempo Semanal has refused all offers of political donations to avoid compromising their journalistic independence, and in recent years have really struggled financially to keep the paper afloat. Fairfax (owners of the Sydney Morning Herald) have stepped into the gap with a program whereby Fairfax journalists in Australia are donating a portion of their pay to Tempo Semanal to support the production and distribution of the paper throughout Timor’s districts. Fairfax has also donated equipment such as digital cameras, computers and a motorbike. Fairfax will extend their programs to include support and training for other media in East Timor. Check out the program on Apheda’s website