[TimorLesteStudies] Brussels event: Timor-Leste after ten years of independence

[Bu Wilson]

Timor-Leste after ten years of independence

Register for this event
Programme
 13:30 – 14:00
Registration
14:00 – 14:10

Introduction by the Chair
 Dr. Manuel Schmitz, Senior Lecturer at the Chair in International Relations and Foreign Policy, Political Science Department, University of Trier
 14:10 – 14:30
 Keynote Address by

Dr. Michael Leach, Associate Professor in Politics and Public Policy, Swinburne University of Technology

14:30 – 15:30

Discussion and Q&A

Timor-Leste after ten years of independence

Timor-Leste, or East Timor, gained formal independence in May 2002 after centuries of Portuguese colonization, decades of Indonesian occupation and years under United Nations administration. Subsequent to independence, the country was hailed by the West as Asia’s newest democracy and as a success of Western supported nation-building. It became the darling of the international donor community. The EU and its Member States have been among the major aid donors, providing roughly half of foreign assistance since 1999.

The honeymoon period ended in 2006 with the outbreak of violence between different communal groups. The attempted assassinations of the President and the Prime Minister in 2008 further damaged Timor-Leste’s reputation and many (Western) observers asked if the poster child had turned into a problem child. But Timor-Leste has not become a failed state. Instead, it has achieved high economic growth and its democratic system has been consolidated in recent years. Today, Timor-Leste is seen by some again as a model of success. Nevertheless, the comeback kid still faces tremendous challenges. Timor-Leste remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. Against this background, the seminar will ask where the country stands today in its nation-building process. What are the major challenges for its future progress? What are the strengths to build on?

To register for this event, please confirm your participation through our online registration form by Thursday 13 December.

When
 14 December 2012 14:00 through 15:30

Location

European Institute for Asian Studies
Rue de la loi 67
Brussels, B-1040
Belgium



--
Dr Bu V.E. Wilson


T: Vanuatu +678 598 2646 (mobile); +678 22626 (landline)
T: Australia +61 (0) 407 087 086
T: Timor-Leste +670 770 22887
E: buvewilson at gmail.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.anu.edu.au/pipermail/easttimorstudies/attachments/20121211/31880dd2/attachment-0001.html