Forum
Nacional ONG Timor Lorosa'e
The
East Timor National NGO Forum
Kaikoli Street, Dili-East Timor telephone 322772/ etngocentre@hotmail.com
East Timor Donors’ Conference, Canberra
NGO Comment on Administrative Transition
Thankyou for the opportunity to make a few points on the administrative transition.
The first point NGOs want to make is that it is essential that from now on East Timorese must have ownership of the development – they must be in the decision-making positions.
For this to happen, there has to be a strong focus now on capacity-building. This means international staff must move into advisory positions with objectives and job descriptions related to capacity-building. There should be performance indicators established and monitored to ensure capacity-building is happening.
Capacity building is not just training individuals. It requires building policies and procedures, and the development of a culture of transparency, accountability, and effectiveness, including training on gender awareness for public services.
The East Timor Government will be a small administration. It will need to work with NGOs and civil society in its various roles in policy formation, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Just as government has to develop capacity to work with the private sector , it has to develop skills and mechanisms to work with the community sector, or civil society. We particularly encourage donors to support NGOs in their monitoring role, to contribute towards accountable, transparent and effective government.
We are concerned that key indicators of success at present appear to be disbursements, and we want the process measured in terms of impact, rather than spending.
Finally I would like to indicate that NGOs can assist in the capacity-building process. National and international NGOs can make a contribution both to building community capacity and the capacity of government.
The next six months need to be very clear and well-planned.
Arsenio Bano
Added June 14 see
also
Arsenio Bano is the Executive Director
of the East Timor NGO Forum, the coordination
and information body for local and international NGOs working in East Timor.
He is 27 years old, and had begun a degree in Management in Indonesia.
He is currently also the Chair of FSFO, an NGO in the enclave of Oecussi,
Arsenio’s home District, and Managing Director of Tolas, a human rights
newspaper in East Timor. Arsenio was one of a group of students who
jumped over the wall into the US embassy in Jakarta some years ago to draw
attention to the dire situation in East Timor. He was sent to Portugal.
From there he went to London where he worked as Campaign and Research Assistant
for the Human Rights organisation TAPOL.
He was also a member of the British Campaign for East Timor. He returned
to East Timor on 6 October 1999, and worked during the emergency period
with the student NGO Renatil, and the CNRT. He is
a strong advocate for civil society organisations, and a skilled networker.
He speaks Bicaeno (the language of Oecusse), Tetum, Portugese, English
and Bahasa Indonesian.
East
Timor National NGO Forum / Forum Nacional ONG Timor Lorosa'e
Updated June 14
Umbrella agency for East Timorese Non-Government
Organisations (NGOs)
VISION: To contribute to the building
of a pluralist, democratic, just and sustainable East Timor through the
development of a strong, independent and responsible civil society committed
to upholding and making real in the daily life of the community, both village
and urban, the full range of human rights so that all East Timorese, particularly
the poor and disadvantaged, can enjoy the fruits of liberation and development
in an East Timor forever free.
MISSION: To realise its vision
by promoting a culture of learning, cooperation, partnership with the community
and respect for human rights and good practice amongst East Timorese NGOs
and between them and other development actors, both domestic and international,
and by serving as a collective, independent voice for the rights and needs
of the community.
VALUES AND PRINCIPLES: a rights
approach to development; inclusiveness, participation; accountability;
gender balance; respect for the environment; non-party political; non-sectarian;
good governance; volunteerism.
Kaikoli Street, Dili-East Timor
Telephone +670(390)322772
E-mail: etngocentre@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/etngoforum/index.html
Jun 7 ETNGO Forum: Donors Meeting must
be for Rural People: http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/01junrural.htm
Jun 13 ETNGO Forum: The voice of Civil
Society calls the Donors: http://www.pcug.org.au/~wildwood/01jundonors.htm
See also:
BD: Capacity Building & 'Timorisation' - A collection of recent statements, reports, articles and news
BD: Financing Reconstruction in East Timor - A collection of recent reports and articles