Soon after the UN, World Bank, and other such institutions arrived in East Timor, it became clear they had trouble responding to the East Timorese people s needs and ideas. To help bridge this gap, international supporters of self-determination have launched a project to monitor and encourage genuine East Timorese participation in these organizations activities. In early May, ETAN s Joseph Nevins and Pamela Sexton got things started in Dili, hiring initial East Timorese staff and consulting with numerous East Timorese groups to develop a clear mission and executive board. LH hosts biweekly meetings with interested East Timorese NGOs there are many, with high expectations for the project and has published two issues of the La o Hamutuk Bulletin in English and Tetum. Every step of the way, it collaborates with East Timor s people and NGOs, setting the example of a joint East Timorese-international project responsive to the vox populi.
Most observers say so far it has been neither.
Local people are often excluded from decisions about the future of their own country, while international organizations run the show. If the reconstruction of East Timor is to succeed, East Timorese must have the final say. This does not mean disregarding the aid of international groups, but rather giving decision-making power to those who have to live with the consequences. The local newspaper Timor Post credited La o Hamutuk for raising the issue and stimulating the UN to act. As this project develops, it will need the support of activists and development experts around the world, and an email listserv has been set up to facilitate this.