Four former political prisoners in East Timor have learned new office and financial management skills to help them help others who suffered torture during the country's long history of foreign occupation. They received their training from the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), which works with more than 40 organizations, mostly local NGOs and government departments, to assist survivors of torture and the families of victims of torture.

The four trainees are member of the Association of Ex-Political Prisoners (ASSEPOL). With their new skills, they plan to open and run ASSEPOL's new office at Comarca, the former prison in Balide, Dili. They will also manage the building after its current occupant, the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation, finishes its work at the end of this year. All four have finished a five-week course that included training in office administration, office equipment use, and time management. Two of the four have completed additional training in financial management and job orientation.

The ASSEPOL training courses were part of ICMC'c recently completed, 21-month program funded by USAID. The program developed a network of community specialists from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government offices to address the needs of victims and survivors of torture. Working in 8 of East Timor's 13 districts, ICMC:

• designed and delivered specialized training courses to local partners and government officials
• set up a referral service for counseling and clinical services and provided technical assistance for clinical cases
• organized training and consultation meetings for participating groups across the country
• implemented a small grants program for partner NGOs and community groups.

Through ICMC's program, survivors of torture and the families of victims of torture have access to better support services, communities across East Timor have a better understanding of the impact of torture and how to recover from it, and government agencies, including the Ministry of Health and the Vulnerable Persons Unit of the police, are actively involved in program activities.

USAID is continuing its partnership with ICMC in a new, 18-month program to expand support to survivors of torture and the families of victims of torture in East Timor. The program facilitates recovery and reconciliation, strengthens communities and NGOs, and encourages participation in the civic life of the new nation.