Symbolic: Timor Leste Damaged yet Hopeful Tomorrow
TIMOR LESTE: While today Timor-Leste is proud of being rated as the strongest democracy in Southeast Asia, yet as it prepares to receive Pope Francis, tensions between activists and the authorities are rising.
It was a nation torn limb from limb. Yet even back in 2008, it was living with hope of a new tomorrow. I was working on the creation and building of a just-peace in Timor Leste in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Immediately prior to my visit in 2008, rebel soldiers of the Timor Leste Defence Force invaded the home of the President and shot and seriously wounded President José Ramos-Horta. Much of Dili had been arsoned. Many people had been killed and most had been compromised because of the identity based conflict. I selected some key courageous people and we trained them as peacebuilders, healing much of hurt in the process and creating in them a strengthened resolve to create a just peace. Thirteen years on I have been reflecting on those years and the wonderful outcomes. But a most poignant moment (among others) for me was when I retreated to this beach after a tension filled day. I "received" this image through my camera lens and thoughts flooded my mind.
My Reflection written in 2008:
"An acacia tree grew near the waterfront. During its early life it was sheltered by a building against which it grew. But then a long period of violence overwhelmed the community and the building was destroyed. But the tree continued to grow. Now it became the feed for the goats that roamed, and the lower foliage was eaten. The children now played on the beach and the acacia became a plaything. Children often climbed and sat on its lower branches. An occasional desperate fuelwood collector removed some of its dead wood. But the tree continued tenaciously, an ugly, distorted thing on the waterfront.
"Then after a thunderstorm, the sunset painted a pink and purple backdrop across the western sky. And the ugly, deformed tree framed the sunset for those who would see, creating a picture of glory. After the storm, even the ugly may contribute to glory, so let us envision hope. Those who have eyes to see, let them see.
"There are real signs of hope for Timor Leste especially in regard to the recent conflict between Lorosae and Loromonu allegiances. It appears to me that both sides now bear an underlying sense of shame and therefore would prefer to create peace than go onto new fighting.
"It was during one of my interviews with a young gun runner who had aided the Loromonu rebels that I realised there was a sign of hope. With the failure of the Loromonu attempt to take the President and others hostage resulting in the death of the Loromonu leader and the attempt on the life of President Ramos-Horta, Loromonu people feel the deep humiliation and shame not only of failure but that it led to the attempted assassination.
For the Lorosae people their shame arose from the slaughter of 9 Police by the pro-Lorosae army on 25 May 2006.
"That President Ramos-Horta returns to Dili with a martyr’s status reinforces this hope, especially as he together with the Prime Minister, is known to have turned away from militancy towards peaceful ways of building a democratic society."
Then after a thunderstorm, the sunset painted a pink and purple backdrop across the western sky. And the ugly, deformed tree framed the sunset for those who would see, creating a picture of glory. After the storm, even the ugly may contribute to glory, so let us envision hope. Those who have eyes to see, let them see.
"There are real signs of hope for Timor Leste especially in regard to the recent conflict between Lorosae and Loromonu allegiances. It appears to me that both sides now bear an underlying sense of shame and therefore would prefer to create peace than go onto new fighting.
"It was during one of my interviews with a young gun runner who had aided the Loromonu rebels that I realised there was a sign of hope. With the failure of the Loromonu attempt to take the President and others hostage resulting in the death of the Loromonu leader and the attempt on the life of President Ramos-Horta, Loromonu people feel the deep humiliation and shame not only of failure but that it led to the attempted assassination.
"For the Lorosae people their shame arose from the slaughter of 9 Police by the pro-Lorosae army on 25 May 2006.
That President Ramos-Horta returns to Dili with a martyr’s status reinforces this hope, especially as he together with the Prime Minister, is known to have turned away from militancy towards peaceful ways of building a democratic society." Ian
Symbolic: Timor Leste Damaged yet Hopeful Tomorrow
TIMOR LESTE: While today Timor-Leste is proud of being rated as the strongest democracy in Southeast Asia, yet as it prepares to receive Pope Francis, tensions between activists and the authorities are rising.
It was a nation torn limb from limb. Yet even back in 2008, it was living with hope of a new tomorrow. I was working on the creation and building of a just-peace in Timor Leste in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Immediately prior to my visit in 2008, rebel soldiers of the Timor Leste Defence Force invaded the home of the President and shot and seriously wounded President José Ramos-Horta. Much of Dili had been arsoned. Many people had been killed and most had been compromised because of the identity based conflict. I selected some key courageous people and we trained them as peacebuilders, healing much of hurt in the process and creating in them a strengthened resolve to create a just peace. Thirteen years on I have been reflecting on those years and the wonderful outcomes. But a most poignant moment (among others) for me was when I retreated to this beach after a tension filled day. I "received" this image through my camera lens and thoughts flooded my mind.
My Reflection written in 2008:
"An acacia tree grew near the waterfront. During its early life it was sheltered by a building against which it grew. But then a long period of violence overwhelmed the community and the building was destroyed. But the tree continued to grow. Now it became the feed for the goats that roamed, and the lower foliage was eaten. The children now played on the beach and the acacia became a plaything. Children often climbed and sat on its lower branches. An occasional desperate fuelwood collector removed some of its dead wood. But the tree continued tenaciously, an ugly, distorted thing on the waterfront.
"Then after a thunderstorm, the sunset painted a pink and purple backdrop across the western sky. And the ugly, deformed tree framed the sunset for those who would see, creating a picture of glory. After the storm, even the ugly may contribute to glory, so let us envision hope. Those who have eyes to see, let them see.
"There are real signs of hope for Timor Leste especially in regard to the recent conflict between Lorosae and Loromonu allegiances. It appears to me that both sides now bear an underlying sense of shame and therefore would prefer to create peace than go onto new fighting.
"It was during one of my interviews with a young gun runner who had aided the Loromonu rebels that I realised there was a sign of hope. With the failure of the Loromonu attempt to take the President and others hostage resulting in the death of the Loromonu leader and the attempt on the life of President Ramos-Horta, Loromonu people feel the deep humiliation and shame not only of failure but that it led to the attempted assassination.
For the Lorosae people their shame arose from the slaughter of 9 Police by the pro-Lorosae army on 25 May 2006.
"That President Ramos-Horta returns to Dili with a martyr’s status reinforces this hope, especially as he together with the Prime Minister, is known to have turned away from militancy towards peaceful ways of building a democratic society."
Then after a thunderstorm, the sunset painted a pink and purple backdrop across the western sky. And the ugly, deformed tree framed the sunset for those who would see, creating a picture of glory. After the storm, even the ugly may contribute to glory, so let us envision hope. Those who have eyes to see, let them see.
"There are real signs of hope for Timor Leste especially in regard to the recent conflict between Lorosae and Loromonu allegiances. It appears to me that both sides now bear an underlying sense of shame and therefore would prefer to create peace than go onto new fighting.
"It was during one of my interviews with a young gun runner who had aided the Loromonu rebels that I realised there was a sign of hope. With the failure of the Loromonu attempt to take the President and others hostage resulting in the death of the Loromonu leader and the attempt on the life of President Ramos-Horta, Loromonu people feel the deep humiliation and shame not only of failure but that it led to the attempted assassination.
"For the Lorosae people their shame arose from the slaughter of 9 Police by the pro-Lorosae army on 25 May 2006.
That President Ramos-Horta returns to Dili with a martyr’s status reinforces this hope, especially as he together with the Prime Minister, is known to have turned away from militancy towards peaceful ways of building a democratic society." Ian