Category: Centro Nacional Chega

Truth commissions building states: Lessons from Africa

February 7, 2024

In 2023, McGill-Queen’s University Press released a major contribution to the study of truth and reconciliation. Truth Commissions and State Building discusses the role of truth commissions in constructing stable, democratic countries in often fragile contexts. Below is the text of a talk at the book launch, held at McMaster University, by David Webster.  Truth… More Truth commissions building states: Lessons from Africa

Australia’s new truth commission: The East Timor experience

June 15, 2021

The Australian state of Victoria, in May 2021, announced a truth commission. Here, Pat Walsh connects Indigenous-linked truth commissions to that of Timor-Leste.  By Pat Walsh Victoria’s just announced Yoo-rrook commission on truth and justice for our First Peoples rightly looks to a similar model in Canada. It also had a clear Indigenous focus and… More Australia’s new truth commission: The East Timor experience

Reconciliation as a process, not a project

December 10, 2019

A former truth commissioner from Timor-Leste and the director of the Centro Nacional Chega! (CNC) – the follow-up body to the Timor-Leste truth commission (CAVR) – spoke in October 2019 at Bishop’s University and the University of Sherbrooke. A summary of their presentations at Bishop’s follows. By Tomas Pelz Father Jovito de Araujo, a former… More Reconciliation as a process, not a project

International Workshop: Challenges of reconciliation: lessons learned from Timor-Leste

October 16, 2019

Challenges of reconciliation: lessons learned from Timor-Leste International Workshop Bishop’s University, 23 October 2019   Welcome! The ‘Challenges of reconciliation: lessons learned from Timor-Leste’ International Workshop aims to create, share and disseminate knowledge about the challenges of reconciliation processes. The workshop is designed as a collaborative research sharing between academics, Canadian and Timorese advocates of… More International Workshop: Challenges of reconciliation: lessons learned from Timor-Leste

Vérité et Réconciliation en Asie du Sud-Est: quelles leçons pour le Canada ?

February 1, 2019

Vérité et Réconciliation en Asie du Sud-Est: quelles leçons pour le Canada ? Un monument à la mémoire des victimes de la guerre du Timor-Leste. Le Canada a beaucoup à apprendre de deux Commissions de vérité et réconciliation (CVR) qui se sont tenues en Asie, et non seulement des leçons à enseigner aux autres. Auteur… More Vérité et Réconciliation en Asie du Sud-Est: quelles leçons pour le Canada ?

Memorializing Dili, Timor-Leste

November 12, 2018

The right to food; the right to health. Images of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as it gets ready to turn 70. Centro Nacional Chega, the Timor-Leste centre for truth & reconciliation, Dili, Timor-Leste. pic.twitter.com/sYhjUeKHBE — David Webster (@dwebsterbu) October 30, 2018 Instead of mega-monuments glorifying the past, a photo exhibit explains a complex… More Memorializing Dili, Timor-Leste

Unfinished business: Timor-Leste truth commission recommendations to the international community

October 22, 2018

In 2005, the Timor-Leste Commission on Truth, Reception and Reconciliation issued its report, Chega! (Enough!). It listed dozens of recommendations to the Timorese government and Timorese society, many of which are in the process of being carried out. There were also ten recommendations to the international community, which addressed research, dissemination of information, and actions… More Unfinished business: Timor-Leste truth commission recommendations to the international community

Growing Flowers in a Prison: Timor-Leste’s new hub of post-conflict best practice

March 12, 2018

By Pat Walsh Some may feel that ‘growing flowers in a prison’ is counter-intuitive or that the idea of growing delicate flowers in the confines of a concrete box is doomed to failure. The title appealed to me, however, for a few reasons. First, I am on what I call ‘gardening leave’ from Timor-Leste and… More Growing Flowers in a Prison: Timor-Leste’s new hub of post-conflict best practice