Our guest speakers were Eddy Pinto and Amina Paraujo from Timor Leste.  Both were facilitators at our first Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) in TL six years ago.  Eddy then became our RYLA director in TL and currently acts as the coordinator of RYLA, RYPEN and Community Service groups in all of TL  Amina has been studying in Darwin at University and has just completed her Bachelor of Human Science and Community Service Degree.

 
For over 400 years Timor was a colony of Portugal, however the Portugese did nothing to develop the country or educate the people. To them Timor was just a source of wood, spices and a stopping point for trade in Asia.
 
On 28 November, TL was granted independence from Portugal’s colonial rule. However this was short lived as Indonesia, with the support of the US and Australia invaded TL seven days later. This led to 24 years of brutal rule by the Indonesian Army and Militia.  UN reports suggest that between 350,000 and 400,000 men, women and children were massacred in that period.  Throughout this period there was a strong resistance movement of freedom fighters led mainly by then youth of the country that fought the Indonesians.
 
In 1999 after the release of video images of some of the massacres reached Australia, the then government of PM John Howard with the support of the UN, acted and bought pressure on the Indonesians to withdraw.  As they withdrew the Indonesians went on a rampage killing people indiscriminately and burning house and buildings.  Some of these burnt out buildings can be still seen today.  Eddy and Amina who at this time were only 10 and 12 years of age told how they all fled to the mountains to escape the destruction.  There, they were cared for by nuns and priests in the seminaries.  Amina spoke of the joy and relief when Australian helicopters dropped food, tents and equipment and watched as the Australians escorted the Indonesians from TL.
 
In 2002, TL was granted independence.  Today TL with a population of 1.4 million is still one of the poorest countries in the world.  Coffee along with some oil and gas are its main exports.
 
To date under Eddy’s stewardship, we have trained over 500 RYLArians and 600 RYPENians.  We are expanding the RYPEN program, with the help of teachers, to schools throughout TL.  Four RYLA alumni are standing for parliament at the next election.  This year under the program we have funded 21 internships with major NGO’s giving them much needed work experience.  The other alumni have all gone on and become involved in community groups teaching English to young children, planting trees, organising clean up days and providing entertainment for the youth of TL. All alumni speak of how the training they have received has helped them get jobs, scholarships and training ahead of their peers.
 
Eddy and Amina were introduced by Angelo and thanked by Des.
 
[Thanks to Angelo Raveane for this write-up]