Newsletter UNESCO Timor-Leste # 1

8/8/2019 Newsletter UNESCO Timor-Leste # 1

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Page 2Volume 1, No. 1, Oct-Dec 2010

UNESCO Priorities in Timor-Leste

Celebrating Cultural and

Linguistic Diversity in Timor-LesteParliament!and!the!head!of!the!!!!!!!!!!

Parliamentary!Commission!F!on!!!!!!

Education.!Both!speakers!presented!

and!discussed!the!importance!of!the!

use!of!mother!tongue!in!education!as!

a!tool!to!fight!!illiteracy!and!celebrate!

cultural!diversity.

The!second!part!of!the!events!were!

open"air

!concerts

!in

!the

!evening

!which

!featured!Timorese!musicians!such!as!!

Tony!Pereira,!Le"Zaival,!Felicia!and!Boy!

Carvalho!Clemens.!!The!events,!which!

celebrated!the!International!Year!for!

the!Rapprochement!of!Cultures,!!!!!

provided!a!unique!occasion!to!reaffirm!

the!key!ideas!underpinning!UNESCOs!!

commitment,!based!on!the!paradigm!

of!a!plural!humanity!where!cultural!

diversity!and!intercultural!dialogue!are!

mutually!reinforcing!and!whose!!!!!!

implications!drive

!all

!UNESCOs

!!!!!!!

programmes!in!the!fields!of!education,!

natural!sciences,!social!and!human!

sciences,!culture,!and!communication!

and!information.!

Dr!Carol!Benson!and!Mr!Virgilio!Marcal!

discussing!the!importance!of!mother!!!!!

language!!in!education.!

Boy!Clemens!performing!before!an!!

enthusiastic!audience!in!Manatuto.!

Kirsty!Sword!Gusmao,!Chair!of!Timor"Leste!

National!Commission!for!UNESCO,!giving!her!

welcome!speech!in!Dili.!

With!as!goal!to!promote!Cultural!and!Lin"

guistic!Diversity!and!celebrate!Peace!and!

Tolerance!in!Timor"Leste,!UNESCO!is!!

organizing!a!series!of!cultural!events!

throughout!the!country.!!!

The!first!two!events!were!organized!in!!!!!!!!!!!

respectively!Dili!and!Manatuto!during!the!

month!of!November!2010.!!!The!events!!!!!

consisted!out

!of

!two

!components.

!A

!seminar

!was!organized!with!the!title!Mother!Tongues!

and!Education!in!Timor"Leste.!The!UNESCO!!!!!

Universal!Declaration!on!Cultural!Diversity!

touches!upon!the!importance!of!languages!

for!the!promotion!of!cultural!diversity.!The!

seminars!were!officially!opened!by!Ms!Kirsty!

Sword!Gusmao,!the!Chair!of!Timor"Lestes!

National!Commission!for!UNESCO.!!Key"note!

speakers!at!the!seminars!included!Dr!Carol!

Benson,!Language!in!Education!Specialist,!

from!the!University!of!Stockholm,!Sweden!

and!Mr

!Virgilio

!Marcal,

!!Member

!of

!


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Ensuring Education for All


UNESCO!launched!in!November!2010!its!Capacity!Building!for!Education"for"All!project!in!Timor"Leste!(CapEFA"TL),!!

zeroing!in!on!enhancing!the!institutional!capacity!of!the!National!Directorate!for!Adult!Education!and!Non"formal!!!!!

Education!in!planning,!implementing!and!monitoring!and!evaluating!evidence"based!literacy!policy!initiatives!and!!!!

effective!monitoring!of!literacy!and!equivalency!education!programmes.!

!

The!CapEFA"TL!project,!jointly!implemented!with!the!National!Directorate!for!

Adult!Education!and!Non"formal!Education!of!the!Ministry!of!Education!(MoE)!in!

cooperation!with!other!development!partners,!i.e.,!World!Bank!and!UNICEF,!

among!others,!will!run!for!two!years.!!Recognizing!the!nexus!between!literacy!

and!equivalency!education!and!national!development,!UNESCOs!CAP!EFA!TL!will!

aim!to!assist!the!government!of!Timor"Leste!in!realizing!the!goal!of!completely!

eradicating!illiteracy!in!all!age!groups!of!the!population.!!

!

An!Inception!Report!meeting!will!be!conducted!on!17"18!January!2011!in!order!

to!agree!on!the!overall!strategy!and!implementation!plan!of!UNESCO!in!!!!!!!!!!

undertaking!the!CapEFA"TL,!while!generating!support!and!!cooperation!amongst!!!

stakeholders!in

!literacy

!policy

!initiatives

!and

!!equivalency

!education.

!The

!!!!!!!!!Inception!Report!meeting!will!be!followed!by!a!series!of!Focus!Group!Discussions!

with!coordinators!of!non"formal!education!at!the!national,!regional,!district!and!

sub"district!levels!in!order!to!validate!the!actual!competency!needs!of!the!!!!!!

National!Directorate!in!evidence"based!literacy!policy!initiatives!and!equivalency!

education.!

!

Using!the!objectives!of!the!MoE!on!recurrent!education!in!the!National!Strategic!Plan!in!Education,!2010!!2015!as!point!of!

reference,!the!gaps!and!challenges!in!the!non"formal!education!structure!and!management!were!identified.!Initially,!the!

specific!objectives!of!the!Capacity!Building!Framework!and!Strategies!under!the!CAP!EFA!TL!are!as!follows:!

!

!" To!enhance!the!capacity!of!the!MoE,!through!the!National!Directorate,!in!managing!literacy!and!equivalency!!!!!!!

education!programmes,

!zeroing

!in

!on

!(i)

!policy

!and

!planning;

!(ii)

!management

!development;

!and

!(iii)

!monitoring

!

and!evaluation!system;!!

!" To!increase!access!and!completion,!with!focus!on!adults!who!have!not!gone!to!basic!education!and!out"of"school!

youth,!particularly!girls,!through!the!establishment!and!institutionalization!of!Community!Learning!Centers!and!!

constructing!additional!classrooms!for!literacy!and!recurrent!education,!including!enhancing!community!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mobilization;!and!

!" To!improve!the!quality!of!recurrent!education!through!teacher!development,!equivalency!education!curricular!!!!

development!and!improved!teaching!and!learning!materials.!

UNESCOs!Consultant!on!CAP!EFA!TL!interviewing!

the!Department!Heads!of!the!National!Directorate!

for!Adult!Education!and!Non"formal!Education.!

UNESCO!is!the!only!UN!Agency!to!have!a!

global!network!of!national!cooperating!

bodies!known!as!National!Commissions!for!

UNESCO.!Acting!as!an!agency!of!!!!!!!!!!!!!

consultation,!liaison!and!information,!and!!

mobilizing!and!coordinating!partnerships!

with!the!civil!society,!the!National!!!!!!!!

Commission!of!Timor"Leste!makes!also!

substantial!contributions!in!the!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

advancement!of!UNESCOs!objectives!and!

in!the!implementation!of!its!programmes.!

Timor-Leste National Commission for UNESCO

Meeting!of!Timor"Leste!National!!

Commission!for!UNESCO!

Timor"Lestes!National!Commission!for!

UNESCO,!established!in!2009,!is!part!of!

the!overall!constitutional!architecture!of!

UNESCO,!and!operates,!on!a!permanent!

basis,!for!the!purpose!of!associating!

Timor"Lestes!governmental!and!!!!!!!!

non"governmental!bodies!in!education,!!!!!

sciences,!culture!and!communication!

with!the!work!of!the!Organization.!!

!


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Culture to Combat HIV/AIDS


To!mark!the!World!AIDS!Day!(WAD),!on!the!1st!of!December!2010,!UNESCO!provided!awards!to!students!from!senior!

high!schools!for!designing!posters!on!this!years!WAD!theme.!!

UNESCO!has!a!strong!commitment!to!the!inherent!value!of!cultural!

diversity.!The!UNESCO!Universal!Declaration!on!Cultural!Diversity!

touches!upon!the!importance!of!languages!for!the!promotion!of!!!!!!

cultural!diversity.!UNESCO!assists!Timor"Leste!in!promoting!the!!!!!!!

important!use!of!mother!tongue!in!education!as!a!tool!to!fight!against!

illiteracy!and!celebrate!cultural!diversity.!

LANGUAGE MATTERS!

The!award!

winning!

poster!

NATCOM!Chair,!Ms!Kirsty!Sword!Gusmao,!

handing!out!the!award!to!the!winner!

Mr!Apolonario!Magno,!the!Director"General!of!the!

Ministry!of!Education,!handing!out!educational!!!!

materials!to!winners!

To!raise!the!awareness!on!HIV/AIDS!

amongst!youth,

!students

!of

!senior

!

high!schools!in!Timor"Leste!were!!!

invited!by!UNESCO!to!design!posters!

on!the!theme!of!WAD.!A!jury!!!!!!!!!!!

consisting!of!distinguished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

personalities!!working!on!HIV/AIDS!in!

Timor"Leste!appraised!and!selected!

five!award!!winning!posters!amongst!

the!many!submissions.!The!choice!of!

the!jury!took!into!account!the!artistic!

value,!the!creativity,!and!the!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

information!on!the!poster.!

!

The!five!winning!students!were!each!

given!a!prize!and!certificate!during!

the!award!event,!which!also!!!!!!!

showcased!the!submitted!posters!in!

an!exhibition.!In!her!opening!remarks!

of!the!event,!Ms!Kirsty!Sword!!

Gusmao,!the!Chair!of!Timor"Lestes!

UNESCO!National!Commission,!!!!!

underlined!the!importance!of!!

engaging!youth!in!addressing!the!

challenges!of!HIV/AIDS!in!Timor"

Leste.!As

!the

!representative

!of

!the

!

Ministry!of!Education,!the!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Director"General,!Mr!Apolonario!

Magno,!highlighted!that!Education!

constitutes!a!crucial!component!in!

preventing!the!spread!of!HIV/AIDS.!!

!

The!above!statements!were!very!

much!in!line!with!the!message!from!

Irina!Bokova,!UNESCO!Director"

General,!on!the!occasion!of!World!

AIDS!Day,!stating!that!Education!is!

the!key

!to

!success

!and

!that

!young

!

people!should!be!at!the!heart!of!

measures!for!HIV!prevention.!HIV!

infection!rates!are!halved!among!

those!who!finish!primary!school,!

while!targeted!HIV!and!AIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

prevention!education!builds!!!!!!!!!

knowledge!and!positive!attitudes!

among!young!people.!

!

Though!Timor"Leste!is!still!regarded!

as!a!low!prevalence!country,!the!

rapid!increase

!in

!HIV

!figures

!shows

!

that!there!is!a!strong!need!for!more!

awareness!amongst!youth.!The!!

objective!of!the!UNESCO!event!is!to!

increase!the!students!knowledge!on!

how!to!prevent!HIV!infections.!It!is!

crucial!for!students!to!understand!

that!it!is!better!to!prevent!the!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

infection!than!to!rely!on!the!hope!

for!a!cure!that!does!not!yet!exist.!!


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UNESCO Helps Timor-Leste to Link to the World


The National University ofTimor-Leste (UNTL) inaugurateda satellite connection to theSchool on Internet Asia (SOI)project on 9th December, 2010.

The!inauguration!ceremony!at!

UNTL!was!attended!online!

through!the!internet!connection!

by!UNESCO!Office,!Jakarta,!!!!!!

CONNECT"Asia!partners,!and!SOI!

member!universities!in!several!

Asian!countries!including!!!!!!!!!!

Indonesia,!Malaysia,!the!Philip"

pines,!Japan!and!Bangladesh.!!

!

Timor"Leste,!the!youngest!and!

one!

of!

the!

lesser!

developed!!!

countries!in!the!Asia"Pacific!!!!!!

region!has!a!strong!need!to!!!!!

improve!the!capacity!of!its!local!!!

human!resources,!including!in!the!

higher!education!sector.!To!!!!!

respond!to!Timor"Lestes!need,!

UNESCO!and!CONNECT"Asia!!!

partners!(www.connect"asia.org)!!

coordinated!ICT!networks!in!Asia!

to!share!knowledge!and!expertise!

with!UNTL!in!developing!and!!!!

disseminating!

e"

learning!!!!!!!!!!

materials!and!tools.!!

!

After!a!year!of!preparation,!!!!!!

system!installation!and!training,!

UNTL!was!linked!up!to!the!!!!!!!

Regional!Information!and!!!!!!!

Communication!Technology!!!!

network!via!SOI.!

Science to Celebrate UN Day!

As!its!contribution!to!celebrating!the!UN!Day,!UNESCO!!

participated!in!the!UN!exhibition!with!a!!Science!Laboratory!

for!children.!As!this!year's!UN!Day!focused!on!the!UN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Millennium!Development!Goals!(MDG),!UNESCO!wanted!to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

highlight!the!importance!of!Science!in!achieving!the!MDG!

targets.!The!Science!Lab!promoted!sciences!and!mathematics!

outside!the!class!room,!by!using!a!fun!and!practical!approach!

to!teaching!sciences.!!

The!inauguration!ceremony,!which!

was!moderated!by!Mr!Koen!Meyers,!

the!Chief!of!the!UNESCO!Dili!Antenna!

Office.!!Mr!Thomas!Xavier,!the!!!

representative!of

!UNTL

!who

!opened

!

the!ceremony,!emphasized!the!!!!!

importance!of!UNTL!to!connect!with!

the!National!Research!and!Education!

Networks!in!the!region.!Later!on,!

Prof.!Jun!Murai!from!the!Keio!!!!!!!!

University!and!WIDE!project!!!!!!!!!!

underlined!a!wide!variety!of!!!!!!!!!!!

opportunities!for!UNTL!to!participate!

in!exciting!lectures!with!students!

from!SOI!Asia!partners.!Prof.!Basuki!

from!Institut!Teknologi!Bandung!!!

represented!Indonesian

!Higher

!!!!

Education!and!Research!Network!

(INHERENT)!and!encouraged!UNTL!to!

actively!participate!in!the!online!

classes!provided!via!INHERENT.!The!

session!was!closed!by!Prof.!Hubert!

Gijzen,!the!director!of!UNESCO!!!!!

Jakarta,!who!underlined!the!!!!!!!!!!

importance!of!SOI!for!Timor"Leste!

development!path,!including!the!

achievements!of!the!MDGs.!

!

After!the

!opening

!session,

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Prof.!Achmad!Husni!Thamrin,!SOI!

Asia,!moderated!the!students!!!!!

presentations!and!discussions!on!the!

role!of!ICT!in!national!and!regional!

development.!

Children!conducting!experiments!in!UNESCOs!science!lab!

The!opening!ceremony!of!SOI!at!UNTL!

Students!of!five!universities!in!Asia!discussing!the!role!of!

ICT!in!development. !

!UNTL!representatives!communicating!with!five!!

Universities!in!the!Asian!region!


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We!also!held!a!training!day!for!the!!!

Commissioners!during!which!they!!!!!

developed!a!work!plan!for!the!coming!

year.!Where!else!in!the!world!does!the!

Chair!bake!the!refreshments!for!such!

days?!Perhaps

!this

!is

!one

!of

!the

!reasons

!

the!Commissioners!are!so!committed!to!

UNESCOs!work!.!

!

Away!from!the!office,!I!had!other!!!!!!!

special!visits.!!The!Alola!Foundation!for!

womens!support,!the!DARE!museum,!

the!launch!of!a!new!media!centre,!a!

project!to!which!UNESCO!has!!!!!!!!!!!!!

contributed,!are!among!happy!!!!!!!!!

memories.!!!

The Privilege of Building Capacitiesby Dr. Edna Tait, Education Commissioner for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO

Dr.Edna!Tait,!!

Education!Commissioner!for!

the!New!Zealand!!

National!Commission,!!!

discussing!with!!

commissioners!of!the!Timor"

Leste!National!Commission.!

For!more!information!on!UNESCO!activities!in!

Timor"Leste,!please!contact:!

UNESCO!DILI!ANTENNA!OFFICE!

UN!Agency

!House,

!Rua

!Caicoli,

!Dili,

!Timor

"Leste

!

Tel.:!(670)!33322863,!Fax:!(670)!3322864!

Email:[email protected]!

Website:!www.unesco.org,!!

TIMOR"LESTE!NATIONAL!COMMISSION!FOR!UNESCO!

Ministry!of!Education,!VilaVerde,!Dili,!Timor!Leste.!

Tel.:!(670)!3339663,!Cellular:!(670)!77774063!

Email:[email protected]!!

I!was!privileged!to!be!funded!by!the!

New!Zealand!National!Commission!to!

spend!a!little!time!with!the!Timor"

Leste!National!Commission.!How!do!I!

capture!in!a!few!words!that!time?!!The!

prestige!and

!leadership

!of

!the

!Chair,

!

Mana!Kirsty!Sword"Gusmao!is!inspira"

tional.!!The!smiling!dedication!of!the!

volunteer!staff!Jacinta!Barreto,!Suzy!da!

Costa!and!Joana!Amarel!ensures!time!

with!them!is!a!joy.!!The!special!support!

of!Koen!Meyers,!leading!the!UNESCO!

antenna!office!in!Dili,!is!a!model!of!

what!is!possible!when!good!people!

come!together!for!a!shared!vision.!!

They!have!so!few!resources!and!yet!

they!pursue!UNESCOs!goals!with!!!!!

energy!and!enthusiasm.!!These!are!

extraordinary!people,!individually!and!

as!a!group.!For!these!reasons,!I!was!

privileged!to!share!some!of!their!time!

and!work.!

!

What!did!we!do?!!We!began!a!library;!

we!developed!a!filing!system;!we!!!!

organised!trial!job!descriptions;!we!

worked!on!project!planning;!we!!!!!!!

reorganised!the!contents!of!cupboards!

and!shelves;!we!developed!methods!

for!handling!emails;!generally,!we!set!

up!National!Commission!systems.!

However,!the!trip!to!see!the!challenges!

of!rural!and!remote!life!in!Timor"Leste!

was!humbling.!!Such!poor!roading,!such!

limited!communications,!such!!poverty!

!and!yet!in!a!settlement!we!visited!

that!had

!only

!a!few

!chickens

!and

!a!dog,

!

we!saw!such!pride!in!the!maintenance!

of!traditional!life!skills!and!practices.!!

Timor"Leste!has!much!work!ahead!to!

develop!its!national!infrastructure!but!in!

its!people!it!already!has!a!strong!and!

independent!nation.!!It!was!a!privilege!

to!walk!briefly!on!their!land,!to!share!

sadness!about!their!past!struggles!and!

take!pleasure!in!their!future!dreams.

New!Chief!of!Office!appointed!in!UNESCO!Dili!Antenna!Office!

As!of!December!2010,!Mr!Koen!Meyers!has!been!appointed!as!the!Chief!of!UNESCO!Dili!Antenna!Office.!Koen,!who!holds!a!

Masters!in!Fine!Arts,!has!been!working!with!UNESCO!for!the!last!twelve!years!in!Southeast!Asia!on!issues!related!to!environ"

mental!and!social!sciences,!disaster!risk!reduction,!indigenous!peoples!and!culture.!!

Documents

Newsletter UNESCO Timor-Leste # 1