Timorese Youth Express Dreams For a “New Timor” at Launch of USAID’S Peacebuilding Campaign

LOS PALOS--Thousands of young people attended the launch of USAID’s peacebuilding campaign on April 20th. The campaign, dubbed "Dreaming Timor-Leste," was launched during the annual Easter youth gathering here, the first such event to be held after the crisis broke out a year ago.

“I am truly inspired to see so many young people gathered together in the name of peace. It gives me so much hope for your country. I hope that this year’s event can usher in a long-lasting period of peace in Timor-Leste,” USAID’s senior program officer Brian Frantz welcomed the audience to the “Dreaming Timor-Leste” cultural night.

USAID sponsored a peace concert and “dream graffiti” contest in which representatives from 11 out of 13 districts participated. The contest offered participants a chance to express their hopes and dreams for their future and country. The resulting images conveyed the youths’ hopes for peace, national unity, and for a “new Timor”—an idea they conveyed through different images such as a Timorese man and woman in traditional clothes carrying Timor Leste’s map towards the sun; a human figure breaking the chains representing the challenges that the country faces; and the familiar crocodile-shaped country breaking out of its eggshell.

One of the contestants, Eugenio des Neves, 22, from Aileu, won the crowd’s heart with his explanation of his team’s output: “There are four items on our graffiti: the circle means peace for everybody, peace for all! If there is peace in Lospalos and Maliana, but no peace in Dili, it won't mean anything for Timor. The cross is the symbol of unity-- because of the cross, we are all gathered in Lospalos today. The candle is a light to guide us, and the dove is the symbol of God’s presence. Our dream for Timor is Peace!”

Budding artists representing Manatuto, Dili and Suai took the top three prizes for the “dream graffiti” activity, with youths from Aileu and Viqueque finishing as fourth and fifth placers, respectively.

“What you dream for the future of your country can happen. At one time, independence must have seemed an impossible dream, but it came true. What is your dream (now) for Timor-Leste? That is the theme of “Dreaming Timor-Leste,” the peacebuilding campaign USAID is supporting,” Frantz said.#

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