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East Timor Update January 2001
APHEDA - Union Aid Abroad's two staff
in East Timor, Ramona Mitussis and Jim Mellor are leaving East Timor after
completing their one-year assignments there. A huge thank you to Ramona
and Jim for an enormous effort in establishing the APHEDA office and program
and capacity building in four sectors. Ramona plans to work in Perth with
the AEU while Jim hopes for a well earned rest.
Welcome also to Chris Batchelor who from
February will be the new East Timor Co-ordinator and Graeme Hooper, the
new Development Officer. Welcome also to Jacqui Davison,
the new Project Officer for East Timor, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Jacqui will be with APHEDA - Union Aid Abroad for one year while another
Project Officer, Cecily Michaels, is on maternity leave.
The current educational and vocational
work in East Timor includes:
-
A vocational training project that includes
support to the rebuilding of parts of the Becora Technical School and rural
district carpentry workshops. The overall program is supported by the Australian
building industry, initiated by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and
Energy Union, and Australian construction companies and related superannuation
funds with additional support from the Independent Education Union for
tools, equipment and local staff allowances. This project also includes
vocational training through district carpentry workshops in Maliana. This
project is being helped by a volunteer, Jim Harrington.
-
Recently APHEDA placed an English language
teacher through support from the Australian Education Union and the Adult
Multicultural Education Services from Victoria working with the national
East Timorese women's network, REDE, based in Dili.
-
literacy development in the rural districts
with women and decommissioned Falantil soldiers working with the national
women's youth and student organisation, GFFTL.
-
APHEDA recently placed a librarian to work
at the University of East Timor to help train librarians and redevelop
the library facilities as well as a library support program including the
provision of books and computers.
-
Working through Independent Education Union
who are co-ordinating with the NSW and Victorian Departments of Education
to assist with policy and planning support for strengthening the capacity
of the East Timorese primary, secondary and vocational schools.
-
APHEDA's partner in labour issues, the Labour
Advocacy Institute for East Timor has acquired a new office location which
means that further training and support work will now be able to proceed.
Following a request for a legal adviser on labour code issues, Eliza Bergin,
an Industrial Relations lawyer from Melbourne will work with LAIFET for
four months with assistance from several Australian trade unions and labour
law firms.
-
In the health field APHEDA has supported the
East Timor Nurses Association developing links with nurses and health workers
in the Northern Territory and across the Pacific through conferences recently
in Gove and Brisbane with the support of the Australian Nurses Federation
who are helping establish the ETNA office.
-
APHEDA is also developing a Media Resource
Centre with the assistance of the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
and with funds obtained from the
Melbourne-based Free Timor Coalition and the provision of a mobile
media unit for use in rural districts funded by the Victorian Government.
APHEDA:
Trade Union Aid Abroad Linking Australian
workers to the world
APHEDA: Australian People for Health Education
and Development Abroad
APHEDA is the overseas humanitarian aid
agency of the ACTU. APHEDA's work focuses on: technical and vocational
training in developing countries in particular with refugees and marginalised
peoples; development education within the union movement and wider community.
APHEDA Operates In: East Timor, South
Africa, Middle East, South East Asia, Cambodia Vietnam, Philippines, Burma,
Pacific
(Kanaky & Bougainville Refugees)
ETimor Project
Officer - Jacquie Davidson
Telephone: * From within Australia
& from mobile in ETimor: (02) 9264-9343 * From landline
in ETimor: 001 61 2 9264-9343 * From other countries outside
Australia: +61 2 9264-9343
Email: apheda@labor.net.au
Homepage: http://www.apheda.org.au
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