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<TITLE>East Timor speakers at World at a Crossroads conference Sydney 10-12 April 2009</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>East Timor Studies list subscribers may be interested in the two speakers coming from Timor Leste for the <I>World At A Crossroads: Fighting for socialism in the 21st Century </I>conference,<BR>
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Easter 2009, April 10-12, Sydney<BR>
Venue: Sydney Girls High School<BR>
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For the first time in Australia - </B></SPAN><B><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>Mericio Juvinal Dos Reis (Akara)<BR>
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Mericio Juvinal Dos Reis (Akara) is currently Executive Director of the Luta Hamutuk Institute - a Timorese organization working to “The realization of “Ukun Rasik An” [self-reliance] in the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste as a manifestation of the nation’s commitment to economic justice and develop people’s participation in national development in accordance to democratic values, equality and transparency.”<BR>
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>From 2002-2005 he was a researcher at La’o Hamutuk, The East Timor Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis. La’o Hamutuk monitors, analyzes, and reports on the principal international institutions present in East Timor as they relate to the physical, economic, and social reconstruction and development of the country.<BR>
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>From 1999-2002, Mericio Akara was a Vice President of Timor Socialist Party, but he resigned from the position and from party membership in 2003. Before 1999 he spent 8 years in Jakarta-Indonesia as a student and as a pro independent activist. He joined the pro-independence movement with other comrades from Timor Leste and with activists from Indonesia such PRD, SPRIM, LMND and FORTILOS to struggle for the liberation of Timor Leste.<BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><B>Tomas Freitas<BR>
</B></SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Australians interested in Timor Leste and Timor Sea oil and gas campaign might have heard Tomas speak before. This Timorese activist was involved with the Luta Hamutuk Institute in Dili, Timor Leste and is now based for a short time in Australia furthering his studies. He participated in the campaign for the just division of oil and gas resources between Australia and East Timor in the Timor Sea and continues to maintain links with his homeland and activist politics. <BR>
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For information and conference registration, please go to the website: <a href="http://www.worldatacrossroads.org">http://www.worldatacrossroads.org</a> or email dsp@dsp.org.au or sydney.resistance@gmail.com, or phone (02) 9690 1230. <BR>
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Vannessa Hearman<BR>
School of Historical Studies<BR>
University of Melbourne<BR>
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Tel: +61 3 8344 5972<BR>
Office: Room 350, Level 3<BR>
John Medley Building <BR>
VIC 3010 Australia<BR>
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