N-PEACE March in East Timor

Marchers en route to Peace Park

By Brian Lee

Hundreds of youth and women’s organizations gathered in downtown Dili to march for peace on March 29th. The event was part of the N-Peace campaign on Women, Peace, and Security supported by UNDP and AusAID under the N-Peace initiative through partnership with Search for Common Ground Timor-Leste (SFCG-TL), UNFPA, and the N-Peace Network.  It was hailed as a success by organizers, participants, and onlookers alike.

Singing and Dancing at the Peace Park

Although organizers had initially hoped for about 300 participants, it is estimated that between 500-600 youth from various universities in Timor Dili, women’s groups, and religious institutions participated. The one-kilometer march, ending at Peace Park and accompanied by singing, dancing, and speeches, was intended to promote peaceful and cooperative relations among Timorese people.

Just weeks away from the second round of 2012 presidential elections, the march could not have come at a more critical time. In 2006 and 2007, pre- and post-election violence plunged East Timor into turmoil.

Ironically, the event was not without conflict.  Agitators in the crowd jeered at participants, trying to provoke marchers into a fight. But participants stayed true to their message,  and the march remained peaceful to the end.

Participants at the event with the banner “Young Women are the principle guiders for peace”

The event was led by the 2011 N-Peace award winner, Mrs. Filomena dos Reis (better known as “Mana Mena”). Mana Mena is a longtime peace advocate and champion of women’s rights, and the women’s organization “REDE FETO of Women’s Networks.”

Mana Mena noted that this march was part of year-long focus on maintaining peace and stability throughout the second round of the presidential election, which will take place on 16 April 2012, as well as the general elections of 2012. The event was also organized to promote N-PEACE in East Timor and N-Peace nominations for 2012.

Mana Mena further noted that the event focused on youth participation because “youth can become the guardians of peace and stability” for East Timor.  Currently, youth make up almost half of the Timorese population. Unemployment here is among the highest in the world, and youth were the primary actors in carrying out the 2006-2007 acts of violence.

After the event, many young people thanked Mana Mena for organizing the march, saying they had never seen so many youth gathered together for peace. One of them said that “[we] have changed our hearts and minds. Now we see that we should respect ourselves and other people.”

A message of peace delivered by religious participants

Other notable event participants included Jose De Sousa, SFCG-TL Country Director, and prominent parliamentarian Fernanda Borges, member of the UNFPA. The current President of East Timor, Mr. Ramos Horta, planned on attending, but was called away to one of the districts in a last-minute emergency.

Following this event, the East Timor N-Peace Network plans to conduct various activities including facilitating district and regional-level dialogues on key civic and political issues that include youth. There will be a specific focus on preventing any violence during the general and presidential elections by creating space for young people to identify and discuss their roles and platforms in the election processes.

Brian Lee is an Intern for the SFCG Asia Program in Dili, East Timor.