Gusmao told the meeting in a pre-videotaped message aired Monday. ''We are practically starting from zero in all areas,'' hesaid. ''Let us not be captivated by the methodologies of solvingsocial emergency problems with which we are lately preoccupied. Organized under the CNRT, the Melbourne meeting is the secondof a series of international consultations on East Timor's future. The first, held in Algarve, Portugal in October 1998, saw thecreation of working groups for areas including health, education,women, economic development and other sectors. Solidarity groups, international experts, World Bank and otherdonor officials are also attending the conference. Organisers say the meeting will try to formulate a concretepolicy blueprint for everything from the status of women to masscommunications, and the provision of infrastructure in anindependent East Timor.
Decolonization is a two-step process.
The second stage is more complex. This involves theredefinition of the self from colonized to free, from victim tovictor. He said there is a need, after 23 years of civil war, to bringnot just peace but restore ''some measure of prosperity'' to EastTimor. This conference is an attempt to include all East Timoresepeople regardless of their political affiliation,'' said MilenaPirez, a London-based expert on gender. The problem is that it is verydifficult to think about our future without stability.