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Program Support Notes

Grades 9 - 10
In Focus
East Timor - A Case 34mins

Study in International
Aid
Teacher Notes by Simon Garner B.Ed.

Produced by Video Education Australasia

Commissioning Editor Christine Henderson B.Sc.
Ph.D. Dip.Ed.
Executive Producer Mark McAuliffe Dip.Art (Film &
TV) Dip.Ed. B.Ed. Ph.D.

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Suitable for:

Asian Studies

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 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

For Teachers:
Brief Summary of Program
This program takes a look at international aid in East Timor. The country’s history, including the
recent occupation by Indonesia, and ultimate UN-sanctioned referendum and independence, has left it
bereft of an economy, and a very poorly developed social and physical infrastructure. It is totally
dependent on international aid as it struggles to rebuild.
It covers the history of East Timor, from the Portuguese arrival in the mid-17th century, through to
Indonesia’s invasion in 1975 and the declaration of independence and election of Xanana Gusmao as
president in 2002.
Today, many international organizations are active there. Touching on several different areas of
involvement, the program profiles a range of NGO’s, and the Australian Government’s participation in
one of its projects over there, through AusAID.
The NGO’s are:
- Oxfam Community Aid Abroad, its project management company, IDSS – who, together with
AusAID are participating in a water and sanitation project in Viqueque
- the Catholic church’s Salesian order and its work in education in Fatumaca and Fuiloro
- the Kiwanis, who together with a number of groups and individuals, established a dairy farm in
Fuiloro, which provides a daily cup of milk to 800 primary school children in the region.

A brief history and outline of objectives, mission statements and global involvement of each is given,
followed by a rundown of their work in each of the examples covered.

The involvement of a Victorian school, Christian College Geelong, who has supported the Kiwanis’
milk project and is now looking to establish educational links and teacher exchanges in Viqueque – is
also presented.

The program was shot in East Timor in 2003, exactly one year after independence. It includes
interviews with local people working on projects there.

Other Points for Consideration

Including the involvement of the school in this program aims to demonstrate an example of how a
relatively small organization with limited resources can contribute to international aid.

DVD Timeline
00:00 Start
0017 Introduction
0053 A Troubled History
05:53 Summary
06:49 Viqueque
15:20 Summary
16:05 Fatumaca – Education
17:42 Salesian Objectives
21:28 Salesian Mission in Australia
23:24 Summary
24:02 Fuiloro
31:40 Summary
33:00 Credits
33:28 End.

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 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

Some Useful Websites

*At the time of printing these Teacher Notes, these websites were found, after a number of separate
visits, to be both accessible and appropriate for the subject material. Teachers are advised to
thoroughly check any website listed here before passing its details on to students.

www.gov.east-timor.org/
Government of East Timor website - lots of information about the country, and links to all government
department pages.

www.easttimor.com
Site with lots of current information and news on matters affecting East Timor.

www.un.org/peace/etimor/etimor.htm
A range of information about the UN setup in East Timor between the 1999 uprising and the 2002 vote
for independence

www.etan.org
East Timor Action Network website - a good deal of information and resources, including some
political viewpoints about East Timor and the international community.

www.hrw.org/campaigns/timor
Human Rights Watch website - a range of human-rights related articles relevant to East Timor, from
1999 - 2002.

www.asiaobserver.com/East%20Timor.htm
Asia Observer website - latest news from various sources on East Timor.

www.caa.org.au/world/asia/east_timor/
Oxfam Community Aid Abroad's website - information on its involvement in East Timor, with many
links to aspects of the organization’s work there, and in other parts of the world.

www.idss.com.au
International Development Support Services website.

www.kiwanis.com.au
Website of Kiwanis Australia.

www.ausaid.gov.au
Website of AusAID

www.salesianmissions.org
Salesians website - detailing the order's missions around the world, including East Timor and Australia

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 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

For Students:
Suggested Activities Before Viewing

1. For the following international aid organizations:

- Oxfam Community Aid Abroad
- International Development Support Services (IDSS)
- The Salesian Order (Catholic Church)
- Kiwanis

Investigate when they began, and their aims and objectives.

2. Why was there an uprising in East Timor when the referendum for independence was held?
Investigate the political reasons behind the opposition to East Timor breaking away from
Indonesia.

© Copyright Video Education America

 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

Suggested Activities While Viewing

1. When did the Portuguese first visit East Timor? ________________________________________

2. The Portuguese ruled East Timor for hundreds of years. How was it that traditional East Timorese
life was maintained during this time?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. What national issues confronted Indonesia around the time it invaded East Timor?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. How many islands make up the Indonesian archipelago?__________________________________

5. From which part of Indonesia did the predominant culture come? __________________________

6. What was FRETLIN, and in what ways was it active during Indonesian rule of East Timor?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

7. How many East Timorese are estimated to have lost their lives for political reasons during
Indonesian rule? _________________________________________________________________

8. When the referendum for independence was held, what percentage of voters turned out, and what
was the result of the referendum?

_______________________________________________________________________________

9. What are some of the massive challenges facing East Timor as it rebuilds?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

10. How much funding has been put towards the water and sanitation program in Viqueque?

_______________________________________________________________________________

11. Who runs AusAID, and what is AusAID's objective?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

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 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

12. What is the relationship between Oxfam Community Aid Abroad and IDSS?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

13. What is Oxfam's mission?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

14. Why was IDSS started in 1983?

_______________________________________________________________________________

15. What are some of the challenges faced by the establishment of projects like the water and
sanitation project in Viqueque, as outlined by Anor Sihombing?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

16. List the five guiding values of IDSS.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

17. Who is responsible for collecting the bulk of water for domestic use in East Timor?

_______________________________________________________________________________

18. What difference does Anor Sihombing notice in East Timorese society since the 1999 uprising?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

19. How does this impact on the establishment of projects like the one in Viqueque?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

20. When previous wells were built in the Viqueque region, pumps were used. What was the problem
with these?

_______________________________________________________________________________

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 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

21. What is now used instead?

_______________________________________________________________________________

22. What does Anor Sihombing say are the benefits of the Viqueque water and sanitation program?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

23. What percentage of East Timor's population is Catholic?__________________________________

24. How many schools do the Salesians operate in East Timor, and how many children come into
contact with their work in schools in East Timor?

_______________________________________________________________________________

25. What are the Salesians' objectives?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

26. Why did the Fatumaca school change from being an agricultural college to a technical college?

_______________________________________________________________________________

27. Describe how the official language used in East Timorese education has changed over the past few
decades.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

28. In what ways are the opportunities limited beyond secondary school in East Timor?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

29. What are some typical reasons for 40 per cent of East Timorese children not attending school?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

30. How is the Salesian work in East Timor funded?

_______________________________________________________________________________

31. What does Br Marcal Lopes say is needed to rebuild education in East Timor?

_______________________________________________________________________________

32. When and where was Kiwanis formed, and how widespread is the organization globally?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

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 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

33. Outline the Kiwanis' mission.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

34. How was the Fuiloro milk project funded?

_______________________________________________________________________________

35. What benefits does Fr Manuel Ximenes say the milk project has had for the children in Fuiloro?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

36. How will training students at the agricultural college benefit East Timor in the longer term?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

37. What does Fr Manuel Ximenes say is needed to build the East Timorese economy?

_______________________________________________________________________________

38. Aid to people in need does not need to come from international organizations. How has Christian
College Geelong become involved in East Timor?

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

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 In Focus - East Timor: A Case Study in International Aid

Suggested Activities After Viewing

1. Investigate the role the United Nations played in firstly brokering the agreement for an East
Timorese referendum in 1999, and then Australia's role in leading the peacekeeping force there
after the uprising.

2. Oxfam Community Aid Abroad and Oxfam International are active in various parts of East Timor.
Investigate other projects in that country, and/or other parts of the world in which these
organizations are involved.

3. AusAID is funding the water and sanitation program in Viqueque. Into what other areas else is
AusAID putting money to help East Timor rebuild.

4. Investigate AusAID - how is it structured? What is its budget? In which parts of the world is
Australian Government aid funding directed? What are some of the projects and programs to
which it is contributing?

5. What is the Timor Gap treaty? Why does it stand to provide the country with much needed
revenue for its rebuilding? What part is Australia playing? Where does progress stand on the
proposed project?

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