Speakers at the workshop included a member of Parliament, an advisor
to the Public Defender's Office, and the head of the National
Directorate of Land and Property (DLP), the government office
responsible for land matters. Much of the discussion focused on
the important role played by the DLP in mediating land disputes.
In the second workshop, a Timorese union representative, a member
of Parliament, and a representative from the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) presented sessions on labor dispute resolution
mechanisms, ILO conventions on women workers, and basic workers'
rights and workplace safety.
At both sessions, the question and answer periods generated lively
discussions. Participants praised the workshop organizers for
providing detailed information on government laws and policies,
and on dispute resolution mechanisms, noting that this was the
first time such information had been presented to them. Participants
at the land law workshop requested additional workshops at the
community level to help them disseminate the information.
USAID supports the University of San Francisco's community legal
education workshops through its partnership with The Asia Foundation's
Access to Justice Program. The workshops improve citizens' knowledge
of East Timor's laws and its justice system and improve access
to viable dispute resolution mechanisms.

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