[Easttimorstudies] Conference Paper: Toward a New Timor-Leste: the Shared Responsibility of Religious Institutions

[Jennifer Drysdale]

 From Mayra Walsh - mayrakwalsh at yahoo.com.au

Dear East Timor Studies Group,

I thought you may be interested in this conference
paper by Pat Walsh... http://cres.anu.edu.au/~jenster/WalshPaper.doc

Cheers,
Mayra


Toward a New Timor-Leste: the Shared Responsibility of
Religious Institutions

Timor-Leste Inter-Faith Conference
Baucau 21 June 2006

Pat Walsh

This conference is occurring at a time of great
challenge for Timor-Leste and its institutions,
including the faith community. The world's newest
state has stumbled badly as it tries to get on its
feet. Described as a grave crisis by President Xanana
Gusmao in his recent address to Parliament, the
situation is a tragic mix of fundamental humanitarian,
communal, economic, institutional, legal and political
issues. The failure of political leadership and the
breakdown of the system and civic values has also
triggered a serious loss of self-confidence. What is
the shared responsibility of religious institutions to
the people and State of Timor-Leste at this critical juncture?