Campaign Overview QuickIndex

• East Timor: a new beginning
• Timor-Leste remains one of the poorest nations on earth
• Need for Basic Communications
• Who is Behind the Campaign?
• What will the Campaign Achieve?
• What is Needed?
• Giving Possibilities?

For much of 2006 and into 2007, the world  watched anxiously as the young nation of Timor-Leste (East Timor) struggled through a major crisis of law and order and governance.  This period of uncertainty and great stress at all levels of society, reached a climax with the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.  That these elections were mostly peaceful speaks volumes for the spirit of the Timorese who, even after years of struggle and perhaps disappointment with the first years of independence, still turned out in their thousands to vote and thus express their hopes for a better future.

The events of recent years, however, have demonstrated clearly that Timor-Leste will need capacity building assistance from the international community for many years, if not a generation.  Many observers are now saying that the international community did not do enough and pulled out far too quickly.

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• 40% of the population is deemed to be poor (unable to attain a minimum standard of living) and this poverty is concentrated in rural areas
• 63% of the population earn less than $2 per day
• 70% of people over the age of thirty and 25% of 6-18 year olds have never attended school
• One in five children born die before they reach their 5th birthday (this is nearly three times worse than the rate for East Asia and the Pacific)
• Only 1 in 4 births is attended by a health worker
• Only 11% of people in rural areas have access to electricity
• Some 480 villages, where some 32% of the population live, have never had a sustainable telecommunications system

(Source:  Timor-Leste:  Poverty in a New Nation:  Analysis for Action, dated May 2003)

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This invitation to support the CET Campaign, and the related education, health and telecommunications projects, is made by PALMS Australia ACN 001 882 337, an Australian, non-government, international aid agency.

PALMS Australia has over 40 years of experience in providing assistance to overseas partner communities through a large range of development projects undertaken by skilled and experienced volunteers.  PALMS has 9 skilled volunteers in various placements in Timor–Leste.

Under PALMS, a CET Campaign Committee is established.  This Committee is comprised entirely of volunteers and includes extensive telecommunications, business and cross-cultural expertise.  Committee members are spread from Melbourne to North Queensland and have been working together towards the Connect East Timor vision for over eight years.  All members have made significant contributions in terms of time and effort and/or donated funds towards the Campaign.  Details of the Committee members can be found on our website.

PALMS has the capacity (and the supporting governance structure) to transparently manage the fund raising aspects of the campaign and its project group CET has the professional capacity to oversight the implementation of the projects on the ground in Timor-Leste.

Access to basic telecommunications services would significantly improve all types of services for people living in rural and remote areas, particularly in the delivery of health and education services for children.

Services that can be delivered over a basic village radio system include:

• Basic emergency calls: many women currently die in childbirth because help reaches them too late
• Medical advice and support to enable more experienced health workers, to assist/direct procedures being carried out at village level
• Better coordination of government business and services at the sub-District and village level
• Training for health and educational workers
• ‘School of the air’ services to assist with delivery of school programs in remote villages where there is no teacher (currently these children frequently walk many kilometers each day or board: away from their families during the week, or simply don’t go to school)
• Support for commercial activities in rural areas
• Better coordination of family and community activities and services at local level, simple but very important things like making arrangements for celebrations etc.

Please note that, since May 2005, many of these have been successfully proven through Demonstration and Pilot Projects in the sub-Districts of Atabae (2005) and Lacluta and Balibo (both 2007).  Also since 2007, and with the help of the ACT Government, a similar network has been operating successfully for the Dili District Administrator. (See Newsletters Page of this website for specific reports).

A great advantage of the proven CET radio technology for the villages of Timor-Leste is that it is very simple and doesn’t require high levels of literacy – people can learn how to use the system effectively within an hour or so.  

It is important to note that this technology is unrivalled in its cost effectiveness:  for only an average of AUD4.00 per person per year access to reliable communications is provided into each village.  By way of contrast, mobile phones cost more than ten times that amount to purchase the handset, and then there are very high call charges.  Not surprisingly, only very few people in Timor-Leste can overcome this high price barrier.

Cash and in-kind gifts are needed for a two- way, Very High Frequency (VHF) radio system to be installed in about 480 villages and 66 sub-District towns with telephony interconnection to the national network. There will be very low continuing costs to maintain the system, and very low recurrent funds needed for operation.

There is a need  for USD5M to install, commission and support up to 480 village radio systems.
Why not reach out… a ‘fair go’ for the kids in the villages?

Your support is very important to assist CET achieve its goals and improve the situation for the courageous and long suffering people of Timor–Leste, and especially to improve the lot of the children in rural and remote areas.

Its important as a matter of justice that we, who are so dependent on communications technologies (many households have mobile phones, fixed lines, internet access and Pay TV) and take these for granted, consider the pressing needs of Timor–Leste to have even a basic communications service for its people.

To contribute to the development of Timor–Leste through basic telecommunications directly assists your security.  We all live in more uncertain times surrounded by what has been described as an ‘arc of instability’ with several neighbouring nations needing direct intervention to avoid becoming failed states.

As can be very clearly seen now, rebuilding Timor-Leste after the massive destruction that was inflicted upon it, is unfinished business.  This important project has so far not been able to rely on national governments or the global telecommunications industry to achieve its objectives.

This community based campaign will only succeed if “people are prepared to give to people”, and generously.  Above all, it as an investment in the future for the children of Timor-Leste.  You can make a difference…

You might like to give a cash or in kind donation to the Campaign and be part of this exciting and very important initiative.  It’s easy:

• You may like to spread your gift over 2-3 years, tailored to your circumstances
• All contributions will be acknowledged
• Your contribution is not contractual: you may increase, decrease or delete payments should unexpected factors confront you
• Gifts to the Campaign are tax deductible in Australia

There are a range of options available:

• The equipment (radio, battery solar panel, antenna and ancillaries) cost per village is AUD 2500: you may wish to contribute to the equipment cost for one or more villages based on this amount
• The project and support costs per village to deploy the radio equipment, connect it to other villages, and the national telephone system, and support it with spares and trained technicians for a period of three years is AUD 5800 per village: you may wish to contribute to the total project and support costs for one or more villages based on this amount.
• Alternatively, you may wish to give a set amount and leave it to the Campaign how best to employ it.

If you would like to obtain a more detailed report about the benefits, costs and implementation requirements for a rural radio communications project in Timor-Leste, please contact the Campaign Office.