Set up of O Mundo Perdido Timor Leste in Bibliotech in Aileu, Etc.

Transcription

1 Set up of O Mundo Perdido Timor Leste in Bibliotech in Aileu, Etc. Monash University Staff: Professor Patricia Vickers Rich, Dr Corrie Williams Tasks accomplished while in Timor Leste from August 2010: 1. Attended as Invitees the "Friends" of many communities Conference in Maubisse, highlands of TL from August in order to present programs that are underway in Timor Leste supported by Monash University (specifically the Monash Science Centre which has been working in TL since 2006). This conference attempted, on a continuing basis, to coordinate activities in TL by many groups that have become "Friends" of many towns in the districts of TL and have been doing this for more than 10 years. The Monash Science Centre works closely with the City of Moreland, which is connected with the highland town of Aileu. Vickers Rich serves on a coordinating committee based in the cities of Moreland and Hume here in Melbourne who work on maximizing the delivery of community enhancement by these many community groups here in Victoria to their sister towns in TL. 2. Refurbished the district exhibition "O Mundo Perdido Timor Leste. A Geologic History of Timor" which the MSC put in place one year ago (see MSC Annual Report for 2009). The exhibition has been moved by the local community into a more high profile place in Aileu, the public library, and the exhibition needed a refurbish. Dr Corrie Williams and Patricia Vickers Rich, along with volunteers Steven Thompson and Karis Cooper repainted the room in which the exhibition now sits, installed 14 new information panels (in three languages Tetun, Portuguese, and English) repainted the exhibition furniture (which was locally crafted) and replace all labels for specimens, as well as added new specimens from both Timor and Austraklia. In addition we provided the librarian (Senora Diamantina) with a teaching module for the local teachers and their dedicated explainers some professional development in how to use the exhibition. The City of Moreland, Friends of Aileu group as well as AVI (Australian Volunteers International) representative to Aileu, Paul Coglan, assisted. This took place from August. 3. On the 24th of August Patricia Vickers Rich met staff from the Alola Foundation, Kirsty Sword Gusmao, a number of personnel from schools and NGO s, explainers for the O Mundo Perdido Exhibition now housed in the Offices of the President in Dili, the logistics manager at that venue to insure better access. This exhibition was funded by ConocoPhillips and transported to Timor by the Australian Defence Force and launched in It will serve as the centrepiece of the National Museum when the building for this is completed. ConocoPhillips provided considerable funding to emplace this world class exhibition. Patricia Vickers Rich also met with Jose Ramos Horta to discuss better access as well as make plans for further regional exhibitions and further programs in science and technology education for youth in TL. She also delivered the invitation to Ramos Horta to present the premier Richard Larkins lecture to be given on the 19th of October an invitation which he graciously accepted. 4. On the 30th of August we travelled to Baudau to have discussions with Marist Brother Padre Palomo and Jenni Kenealy to finalize the plans for setting up another regional exhibition in Baucau for use of the schools in this area. Pd Palomo is the head of a most effective group in the Baucau region coordinating science teaching, and along with the group here in Melbourne "Friends of Baucau. The material for this exhibition is already in place in Dili, transported to TL by the Australian Defence Force 2 years ago. We had previously on this trip met with the head of PD Toll, who will provide the transport of this material from Dili to Baucau when Dr Williams and I return late in the year. 5. On the 29th of August we met with Joaquim de Brito, the coordinator of the Timor Leste Pavillion at the

2 Shanghai Expo and lay out plans for the Monash Science Centre to present a "science in TL" activity in Shanghai in late September. This will be a great venue for showcasing ConocoPhillips supported Monash University and University of Western Australia activities in Timor together with the TL Ministry of Education and UNESCO. Report on the Friends Conference in Maubisse (Strengthening Friendship: People to People: Haforsa Relasaun Amizade: Husi Povo ba Povo, Maubisse, Timor Leste, 27 & 28 August 2010) The Australia Timor Leste Friendship movement has committed itself to continuing the Friendship process for the next ten years. At the end of the first ten years of the Australia Timor Leste Friendship movement, each of the Friendship groups attending the Strengthening Friendship; People to People conference held in Maubisse over August, recommitted themselves to a further ten years of Friendship with the people of Timor Leste. The Australian Friends of Timor Leste at the conference also unanimously voted in favor of the Australia Timor Leste Friendship Network (AusTimorFN) establishing a website in cooperation with State Administration to share information between Friends in Timor Leste and Friends in Australia. The conference brought together more than 100 people from Friendship groups in Australia and Timor Leste for what was Timor Leste s largest international conference outside Dili. Addressing the conference, the President of Timor Leste, HE Jose Ramos Horta, highlighted the role played by the Friendship movement in underpinning relations between Timor Leste and Australia. President Ramos Horta said: No country in the world has committed more than Australia to Timor Leste. My hope, he continued, is for each suco in Timor Leste to be adopted by a council in Australia. I want each school in Australia to adopt a school in Timor Leste. Opening the conference, the Timor Leste Minister for State Administration, Snr Archangelo Leite, said he warmly supported the Friendship movement and wanted to see it continue to develop and to progress. He said that governments come and go, but that friendship continued. The Australian Ambassador to Timor Leste, HE Peter Heyward, told the conference that the Friendship movement was a true symbol of the closeness of Australia and Timor Leste. He said that the people to people relationships provided an underlying substance to more formal bilateral relations. The conference addressed a number of themes, with the individual Friendship groups identifying the long term commitment of both Australian and Timor Leste friends to the movement as being their greatest strength, followed by the successes of their many local projects. Communication, including language, telephone, internet and sometimes road access, continued to be the biggest challenge to the movement. In his closing remarks, the Director of State Administration, Snr Abilio Caetano, referred to brothers and sisters coming together in love, peace and solidarity. He said that the challenges to the Friendship movement were in the process of being overcome. The Convenor of AusTimorFN, Rae Kingsbury, offered her warm thanks to the participants to the conference, saying that the Friendship movement was owned by those people who comprised it. Rae Kingsbury, Convenor Australia Timor Leste Friendship Network (AusTimorFN)

3 Costing: Flights Melbourne to Darwin return AUD $ Accommodation Darwin, Dili, Aileu AUD $ and Maubisse Food AUD $ Production of information panels AUD $ Hardware AUD $ Staff travel costs (taxi, transfers and AUD $ medical vaccinations) Total AUD $

4 Installation of the Geology exhibition in Aileu 25 and 26 August 2010

5

6

7

8 Photos from the Meeting in Maubisse 27 and 28 August 2010