Lessons from Timor

Poverty is a scourge that must be eradicated; it is the responsibility of us all to see that it happens;

Human Rights, particularly women’s and children’s are universal and must be upheld despite protestations by men (in the name of culture) to the contrary;

Women’s Rights are fundamentally dependent on them being able to choose when, where and with whom they have sex, being able to control their fertility and how many children they want with access to contraception, all of which can be achieved with reproductive and sexual health education for boys and girls at a young age with an emphasis on equal responsibility for having sex and its consequences without interference by the church;

Problems in the family, community and nation cannot be solved by violence; words must replace brute force;

Justice must be pursued and obtained in order for individuals and societies to respect and have faith in democracy and the rule of law, and just as importantly to give people the opportunity to heal past traumas;

We are intrinsically part of the environment and dependent on it for physical and spiritual sustenance and therefore we must protect it;

We are not the only animals on this planet and must accord all living beings due respect;

In order to achieve democracy, governments must communicate in a language understood by all of its citizens;

Evidence based universal education (as opposed to anecdotal observations and the continuation of harmful and irrational beliefs and customs) is crucial in order that all of the above can be achieved.

Category: Timor-Leste (East Timor)