Year: 2015
Type: book
Abstract: The Timor-Leste Update was designed with a number of complementary objectives in mind.Firstly, it was intended to contribute to Australia's developing knowledge of and engagement with a close regional neighbour by providing a public forum to discuss recent developments and plans.The Update also aimed to sustain and strengthen relationships between government agencies, civil society organisations and research institutions working on Timor-Leste, while helping to build the profile and capacity of East Timorese researchers and policy analysts.Highlights of the two-day event included an opening address on Timor-Leste's 'path to prosperity' by His Excellency, Agio Pereira, Minister of State and of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, entitled 'The Challenges of Nation State Building'.His remarks were underscored by a presentation from Mr Fidelis Magalhaes, Presidential Chief of Staff, Presidency of the Republic of Timor-Leste, who spoke on the topic 'Timor-Leste, Past, Present and Future; Why History Matters'.Their considered remarks provided the platform for a series of presentations by Timorese and Australian speakers around three framing topics:• trends in economic development • stability • active citizenship.The lively discussions that accompanied the presentations, the high level of interest shown in the proceedings, and strong audience attendance from the academy and government, all pointed to both the success of the Update and support for a continued forum of this kind that facilitates shared understandings and critical debates between the two nations.It is hoped that the Timor-Leste Update will become a biennial event. Key themesA number of broad themes ran through the presentations at the Update.They reflect Timor-Leste's remarkable politico-historical journey to independence and the subsequent gradual progress in defining values and building the structural, political and institutional foundations of the newly independent nation.We have identified five key themes, each of which is discussed in detail below:1. achievements and challenges 2. legacies of the past and future prospects 3. theories of the liberal democratic state versus the realpolitik of state-building and participatory democracy 4. national and sub-national governance 5. policy intent and policy action: bold visions, modest progress.
Source: ANU Press eBooks
Authors: Sue Ingram, Lia Kent, Andrew McWilliam
Institutions: Centro de Estudos Sociais, University of Coimbra
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2128579899