[TimorLesteStudies] Masters Thesis: Development in the shadows : how the World Bank and the Frente Clandestina almost built a new government in Timor-Leste

[Bu Wilson]

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Totilo, Matthew Alan. 2009. Development in the shadows : how the World Bank  and the Frente Clandestina almost built a new government in Timor-Leste. Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban  Studies and Planning

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Abstract

The failures of post-violent conflict  development projects have so far outweighed the successes. In response,  international aid organizations have deepened and broadened their  dedication to state-building projects across all aspects of  institution-building, to include economic, social and political. I chose  to examine the implications of this commitment by looking at  Timor-Leste's first local governance project and studying the  relationship between its two main actors: the World Bank and the  National Council of Timorese Resistance. While largely panned as a  failure by NGOs, donor organizations and the government of Timor-Leste  itself, this project brought the traditional local leadership closer to  having a true role in governance than similar efforts by any other actor  working in Timor-Leste. A historical analysis of the application of  traditional Timorese relationships with outsiders reveals parallel  stories of similar partnerships. When in Timor, local leaders described  to me an interesting story in the Frente Clandestina, the resistance  movement that formed the core of Timor-Leste's proto-government  structure. Counterintuitively, this organization was built on a  foundation of weak relationships and distrust in order to function as an  effective military logistical operation fighting an occupation  government. This challenges the literature on social capital, social  cohesion and trust which inadequately describes its relevance to recent  events. |
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Available at 
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/50109



Bu V.E. Wilson
Regulatory Institutions Network  RegNet  | The Australian National University | Canberra ACT 0200 | AUSTRALIA | Mob: +61  0 407 087 086
 http://regnet.anu.edu.au



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