Suai Media Space

Alberto Barros who worked as the financial administrator for the Covalima Community Centre (Suai) for four years has been appointed as Acting Coordinator while Simao Barreto  is recovering from a stroke he incurred in January. Alberto is a very experienced community development worker who recently spent 6 months in Port Phillip studying English. Whilst he was in Australia he worked closely with Friends of Suai, representing his community at events here and meeting many from the East Timor network and partners in Australia. Alberto has the full confidence of Friends of Suai Committee to take up this role in Simao’s absence and will do a great job with the help of the Board of Commissioners and Suai leadership.

Pat Jessen Friends of Suai Co-ordinator Port Phillip

It is with deep sadness that we have to report Simao da Silva Barreto who has been the Coordinator at Centro Communidade Covalima (Covalima Community Centre-(Suai)  since 2006 and the Commission Chairperson at the Centre in 2005 had a stroke in January. The stroke has taken Simao’s power of speech and limited his mobility. He is undergoing physiotherapy in Dili and we all wish him a full recovery.

Simao has implemented many programs and projects at CCC funded by Friends of Suai and is an important community leader who also is Chairperson of the local community radio station Radio Taroman, a secondary-school teacher and tireless worker.

When Simao came to Australia in 2006 he told Friends of Suai the story of his great uncle who was killed by the Japanese in WW2. His great uncle was killed because he was found by the Japanese to have Australian coins in his pocket. He told me that his older brother said ”you must learn English and go to Australia and tell this story.” Well indeed he did tell this us this story and ensured that the friendship that began in WW2 has continued between our communities. He has also taught many others English as well in his role as a school teacher.  I trust that he will be back home together with his family soon and his future will be bright. 

This beautiful photograph of Simao shows him at his happiest and best hamming it up as if he is meeting a stranger for Friends of Suai committee member and English teacher Desleigh, last year. Simao stayed with Desleigh in Port Phillip in 2007.

Pat Jessen Coordinator Friends of Suai Port Phillip.

Fact or Fiction? Entertainment or real threat? Make up your own mind – read this story posted by The Lost Boy yesterday speculating about the presence of so-called ninjas in Cova Lima threatening the lives of the local people or whether the leadership is in cahoots with the police to create a case for placing armed police in the area in the run up to municipal elections.

The Lost Boy: “When I first heard that there was a band of “ninjas” terrorizing folks in Timor-Leste, I have to admit I chuckled a little. But laughs aside, there is something odd going on. Obviously we’re not talking about real ninjas, but just guys with masks who have been dubbed ninjas by the media“  more …

In 2010 we are celebrating ten years of friendship between Suai and Port Phillip. See the Beginnings of the Friendship and History of Friendship that began in 2000 but is grounded in a relationship begun in WW2.

Events planned in Port Phillip in 2010 include a colourful Bookazine on the 10 year friendship to capture the dynamics and development in a decade since the Ballot and the great friendship that has ensued.

A Friends of Suai Exhibition at the Town Hall Gallery starts 26 May 2010 to reflect on Friendship. The exhibition, which will show the depth of the history of friendship between the two communities will include water colours painted in East Timor, artefacts and letters by George Milsom. Milsom who was in 2/2nd Independent Company in East Timor in WW2 is the father of local artist Liz Milsom.  An installation titled: ‘An Imagined Conversation: from Rocks to Social Networks’ is planned by Jen Hughes, local filmmaker and a selection of photographs by the youth of Suai from a 2009 workshop conducted by former St Kilda resident Richard Jones will be mounted.

In the pipeline too, is a Tour to parts of East Timor including Suai linked to International Rotary. The aim is to match skills with small projects where the visiting tourist can share with local people.

The gossip is Intrepid Tours will return to East Timor in 2010. We are also hoping that Australia’s Circus Oz will visit Suai in September 2010. Thanks to Paul Stewart of Dili Allstars fame for including Suai in the plan! We heard today that plans are on track for the Tour with a bit more fundraising to go.

Watch this Space for more news on celebrating 10 years of friendship.

Well 2010 is here, it’s the tenth anniversary of the Friends of Suai (FoS) friendship. We are planning a number of special events this year to celebrate friendship.

The first municipal elections will be held in 2 stages across the country in 2010. There are high expectations that decentralization will assist development in the rural areas. City of Port Phillip is keen to encourage development of local government to Cova Lima district.

Bill Armstrong, Chairperson of the Friends of Suai Community Steering Committee and I will travel to Suai in February to meet with counterparts and community leaders. We will be seeking feedback on both the good and challenging aspects of the friendship. We will be engaging in preliminary planning with local leadership for strategic directions into the future to be brought back to be considered by Port Phillip Council.

Pat Jessen Co-ordinator

Dear Friends

Lots of activity in 2009 culminated in great new partnerships with InfoXchange Australia Technology for Social Justice who is delivering a Green PC Enterprise in Suai in partnership with the Suai Community Centre & FoS.  International Womens’ Development Agency (IWDA) is funding a Women’s program at the Suai Community Centre with a focus on rural livelihoods.

Two library technicians are being trained for the new library at the Suai Secondary School & funded by FoS donors and Rotary Club of Balwyn.

There is still no day power in Suai town ship and little elsewhere in the district apart where there is solar power. It’s hard to live and do business without electricity. The roads are still bad and even worse in the two wet seasons with communications still patchy, but there is hope for new infrastructure in the coming year.

The dawn of oil and gas development in Suai holds a promise of work for local people and many are up-skilling to be in line for expected new jobs in the future.

Pat Jessen

The following slideshow contains eleven paintings of landscapes from the bright and lush representations of ‘Collection of Flowers to the most bleak in ‘Untitled’ ‘Think about the Future’and ‘Boat of Life’.

Perhaps the most interesting are ‘East Timor‘ and ‘Habelun ho Lafaek‘ that provide interesting global and mythological perspectives on the island of East Timor. (see cultural notes on crocodile myth) Once again we find women in the landscape and just one man who could be Xanana in ‘Director Liberty’ overlooking a devastated landscape covered with bodies and guns while a young man holds up the Timorese flag. Other interesting landscape works are in the Bundoora Exhibition and Paintings on Tais.

Click on the thumbnails to view portrait work by artists and medium.

See full screen slideshow:click small square right-hand side at the bottom.