Activism and Aid: Young Citizens' Experiences of Development and Democracy in Timor-Leste

Timor-Lestes independence was forged at a time international developmental theory had rejected top down approaches and recognised the importance of participatory approaches informing developmental strategies. When the arrival of the United Nations and a multitude of bilateral and multilateral and non-government organisations arrived in Timor-Leste in 1999 it was hoped that the international intervention would at last produce a development success story. Independence also brought the realisation that dreams for an independent Timor-Leste varied, often according to their generation. Three generations of Timorese: the political elite, a younger generation of independence activists (gerasaun foun) and todays youth of independent Timor-Leste, each bring their own experiences and face different challenges in Timor-Leste. Today stark contrasts between the values of customary life and those of the modernising world place both community leaders and young Timorese at a crossroads. The experiences of the Timorese are unique, but this book reflects a broader analysis about how aid influenced processes of development can work in greater harmony with the people to realise their own visions of the future of the nation.

About Ann Wigglesworth