Activism and Aid

Timor-Leste's independence was forged at a time when international developmental theory had rejected top-down approaches and recognised the importance of participatory approaches in informing developmental strategies. When the United Nations and a multitude of bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental organisations arrived in Timor-Leste in 1999, it was hoped that the international intervention would at last produce a development success story.

Independence also brought with it the realisation that dreams for an independent Timor-Leste varied, often according to their generation. Three generations of Timorese—the political elite, a younger generation of independence activists known as the gerasaun foun, and today's youth of independent Timor-Leste—each bring their own experiences and face different challenges in Timor-Leste. Today, stark contrasts between the values of customary life and those of the modernising world place both community leaders and young Timorese at a crossroads.

The experiences of the Timorese are unique, but this book reflects a broader analysis of how aid-influenced processes of development can work in greater harmony with the people to realise their own visions of the future of the nation.