Thank you from Lospalos!
Art as Participation: forum participants painted two large murals on day 2; the one pictured here is filled with images that represent the things participants feel are important to their communities. The other mural is filled with words that represent how they feel about life, development, the future, culture, politics etc. A highlight of the forum, the Art as Participation session was facilitated by the free art school, Arte Moris.
The Power of Community: Forum in Review
The Participation is Power Forum ran over two days from the 11th to 12th July. It was attended by more than 250 people, with participants, speakers and students coming from remote communities in the Lautem area and further afield in East Timor, Australia and Indonesia.
The forum was the first of its kind in Lospalos and the first time such a large and diverse event has been run in a rural community in Timor-Leste. The event was a space where rural communities, NGOs and local government representatives came together to discuss development, share ideas and listen to a range of presentations from grassroots communities, international NGOs and high level government officials.
The lead time to get the event off the ground was minimal as were resources but the event demonstrated what communities can do when collaboration is the central principle. Seventy odd local high school students directed the event, supported by staff and volunteers from lead organisations CTKDS, Café Maubere and Verupupuk. Nine community development students from the National University came down from Dili for two weeks to support their younger brothers and sisters. The key organiser and mobiliser, Maleve de Oliveira, took a hands-off leadership approach to give the students the confidence and freedom to explore their capacity in a doing- as-learning fashion. Considering their youth and inexperience, the student group did an incredible job. Like any major event where there are hundreds of last-minute tasks of course left to the very last minute, there were glitches in the event delivery but with help from CTKDS members and friends, things were held together and the event provided a moving experience for all who attended.
The Program:
The forum consisted of formal and informal presentations and activities by a range of local and international organisations and individuals. The first day’s proceedings were opened by the District Administrator’s (local government) representative, Mr Julio Cantu who later on in the day Mr Cantu spoke about the development plan for Lautem. Well-known local artist Osme Gonsalves presented inspired poetry followed by an electric performance by members of the rock band Galaxy. Iliwatu Danabere from Arte Moris discussed the role of art in social change. A lengthy discussion about education followed the presentation by a representative from the Ministry of Education with some tricky questions from forum attendees. The day closed with a short but very sweet acoustic performance by Galaxy.
The forum’s second day was a day of international collaboration. The proceedings opened with resistance fighter Albina Freitas speaking on youth participation past and present, followed by emotive poetry from Osme Gonsalves and a rhythmic drumming set by members of the Galaxy. John Hunter from Australian Volunteers International spoke about their global volunteer programs, with a focus on East Timor and Indonesia. Darrylin Galanos from Australian-based volunteer organisation ETWA was up next. ETWA has been working to support CTKDS members since 2008. Darrylin’s eloquent presentation highlighted some of the obstacles between local and international organisations working across oceans and cultures. Barbara Godfrey from Friends of Lospalos read a letter from the Mayor of Mornington Peninsula and presented the story of Friends of Lospalos. Iliwatu then took to the stage calling for forum attendees to help make develop some community art with the famous artists from Arte Moris. After another delicious lunch, Andre from Naterra gave a detailed presentation about permaculture and sustainable agriculture. Debra Salvagno followed with a presentation on the impact of economic development on local culture, using her experience with an Aboriginal project in Australia. Representatives from the Oaktree Foundation then presented on social movements using the internet. The forum then shifted to representatives from UNTL, who shared student’s perspectives on the right way to do community development in Timor-Leste. This was followed by Elsa Oliveira from CTKDS who spoke about the benefits of Cooperatives to poverty alleviation and preservation of local culture.
The formal proceedings finished with a question session with forum participants. A representative from the District Administrator’s office then formally closed the forum, commenting on the uniqueness of the event, particularly the cooperation between women and the youth. Galaxy then delivered a electrifying performance which went well into the night, bringing the celebrations to a close.
The forum was a success both for participants and stakeholders, involving local volunteers of all ages and genders. Varied voices both local and international were heard and many prosperous new relationships were formed. The forum helped to build stronger relationships between geographically isolated communities, greater confidence in the youth and confirmed the benefits and power of participation and collaboration.
We wish to express recognition and appreciation to the following individuals and organisations:
Our Presenters
Mr Julio Cantu from the District Administrator’s office, Maleve de Oliveira from Verupupk and Cafe Maubere, the representative from Ministry of Education, Iliwatu Danabere and artists from Arte Moris, Osme Gonsalves and the Galaxy Band, Albina Freitas, Darrylin Gallanos from ETWA, John Hunter from AVI, Barbara Godfrey from Friends of Lospalos, Andre from Naterra, Nela and Caitlin from the Oaktree Foundation, Elsa de Oliveira and Debra Salvagno from CTKDS and Pasqal from the National University of Timor-Leste.
Our Sponsors
East Timor Women Australia
Friends of Lospalos
Australian Volunteers International
Oaktree Foundation
Our Friends
Mana Dulce and her sister for taking last minute control of the kitchen, CTKDS members for their contributions to catering, Juvenal for his assistance with transport and keeping our spirits high and Galaxy for their assistance with sound.
Inan (mother) joven (youth) cooperation
An afternoon shot from Day One
Timorese and Australian Community Development students. These guys were key volunteers for the event.
Freedom is participation in power.”
— Cicero
A word on our sponsors
The forum is made possible due to massive amounts of cooperation and the help of the following organisations:
Australian Volunteers International (AVI)
AVI is Australia’s leading volunteer sending agency, supporting local orgsanisations in developing countries and sharing skills and connecting businesses and communities.
East Timor Women Australia (ETWA)
ETWA is a Melbourne-based volunteer run organisation supporting women in Timor-Leste. ETWA is CTKDS’s key partner organisation.
Mornington Shire Friends of Lospalos (FoLP)
FoLP is a partnership between Victorian Local Government, Mornington Shire Region and the Sub-district of Lospalos. Their work aims to support community initiatives in the Lospalos area of Timor-leste.
Borderlands is a social research cooperative, specializing in community development theory and practice. Borderlands partners with a range of organisations to support best practice in community development.
Not too young to organise
Volunteer youth meeting at the CTKDS office.
Conference in Los Palos in July, 2011.
Community Development continues to be implemented from the top-down, offering few lasting benefits to rural communities. This forum aims to explore the issues and mechanisms that will enable communities to work collectively towards culturally appropriate, sustainable and equitable development in Lautem and beyond. With a focus on key themes and an informal, action-research based facilitation approach, we will explore, communicate and develop the necessary actions and skills to allow communities to participate in and ultimately control the power processes of local development.
http://participationispower.tumblr.com/onlinereg
