The President of East Timor, Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, has described the Victorian Local Governance Association’s (VLGA) East Timor Friendship Program as ‘magnificent’. Delivering the keynote address at the Association’s ‘Working Together for East Timor’ Conference and Expo on 5 April, President Gusmão said the program provided a ‘sound and healthy basis’ for the future relationship between East Timor and Australia.
“I believe that the development of relationships between communities and person to person based interaction will lead to a better mutual knowledge that is naturally transformed into mutual respect,” Xanana Gusmão said.“We will all benefit from such a relationship, from greater understanding, because then peace will be a reality in East Timor.”
President Gusmão said he would initiate a national debate on local governance to highlight the importance of establishing a new Local Government structure in East Timor. He urged Councils and communities wishing to assist East Timor to listen to the needs of East Timorese organisations, to avoid duplication of effort.
President Gusmão was invited to Melbourne by the VLGA East Timor Working Group. He was accompanied by his wife, Kirsty Sword Gusmão, who spoke at the Conference on women’s development and education. She invited conference participants to become involved in a Friendship Schools program, which the Alola Foundation is launching to link Australian and East Timorese schools.
“The purpose of the project is not only to mobilise much needed material assistance for schools in East Timor, but to raise awareness in the Australian community about conditions in East Timor through meaningful community to community relationships,” Kirsty Sword Gusmão said.
The Working Together for East Timor Conference, held at the Darebin Arts and Entertainment Centre, brought together more than 200 people from all over Australia. It was preceded by a Civic Reception for the President and his wife, which was hosted by the City of Darebin.
Other speakers at the Conference echoed President Gusmão’s support for the role of Australian Local Governments and their communities in assisting East Timor. Project Director with development consultants International Development Support Services, Christopher Dureau, said East Timor needed help to gain an understanding of the principles of good governance.
“The friendship associations established across Australia can be an effective vehicle for Timorese to better understand issues relating to governance in Local Government administration,” Christopher Dureau said.
City of Darebin Councillor, Rae Perry, who was instrumental in establishing the Friendship Program, said the friendships had a common set of values.
“They are East Timorese led; they offer sustainable assistance; they are ten year commitments; and they have shared values of mutual respect and trust,” Rae Perry said.
Councillor Perry said the Friendship Program complemented the Local Government Act requirement for Councils to be responsible for ‘peace, order and good government’. The following priority areas were identified for future action in East Timor.
- Infrastructure development.
- Promoting awareness of East Timor’s needs.
- Education for development.
- Women’s health.
- Community education on gender based violence.
- Youth employment.
- Communications.
Conference participants made a resolution to call on the Prime Minister to grant permanent residency to East Timorese people living in Australia.
VLGA East Timor Working Group Chair, Judith Couacaud Graley, said the support shown for the new nation of Timor-Leste was inspirational.
“It gives me great heart that the friendship between our countries will continue, with each of us benefiting greatly from the experience,” she said.
The VLGA also held an Expo, with displays by 40 organisations involved in East Timor, including ten Local Government and community groups involved in Friendship Relationships. The Expo included a photographic display on East Timor by Bendigo documentary photographer, Lara McKinley, and an exhibition of East Timorese woven tais collected by Sara Niner.
The Conference and Expo was generously supported by the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Victorian Department of Human Services, the Municipal Association of Victoria, the Australia East Timor Association, the Cities of Darebin, Ballarat, Boroondara, Greater Geelong, Hume, Moonee Valley, Moreland, Port Phillip and Yarra, the Shire of Mornington Peninsula and the Institute of Public Administration Australia (Victoria).
