General

International Aid

Help East Timor

APHEDA APPEAL - 1800 888 674

Dear Supporter,
The civil conflict in East Timor has caused people from many areas of the capital, Dili, to flee their homes. People remember the trauma of the occupation and also the terrible destruction wrought by the pro-Indonesian militia in the wake of the independence referendum in 1999.

Although troops from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Portugal have answered the invitation of the elected government to assist in restoring order, many homes have been burned, and 50,000 people have taken shelter in churches and schools and central infrastructure buildings in Dili, and 50,000 have moved to districts outside the capital. Thousands of people therefore need clean water, temporary shelter, food and health care. The government and international NGOs have been meeting to coordinate support to these camps.

Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA has had an office in Dili since 1999, and though our Australian volunteers have been temporarily withdrawn, our local staff are assisting in the relief efforts in Dili, for example, in one of the nearby shelters where hundreds of women and children have taken shelter in a convent.

Over the coming weeks we will consult with our local partner organisations in community radio, in the trade unions, in the skills-training community groups, in the university library, in print media, in the Nurses' Association, on restoring any physical infrastructures that have sustained damage, and assist them in peace-building strategies.

This conflict has been very traumatic for East Timorese people, and rebuilding confidence for people to participate in democratic civil society will be a long-term process. Central to this is building strong democratic and representative organisations, such as trade unions, and the continued development of an independent mass media, that can keep people informed of decision-making by elected representatives.

Situations of civil conflict, such as East Timor or Solomon Islands, arise not just because of governance concerns, but because of the terrible suffering and alienation caused by mass unemployment. Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA has prioritized skills training so young women and men can get jobs or establish production cooperatives.

We ask that organisations and individuals that may wish to assist, to donate funds we can use so our staff in Dili can provide relief to displaced people in the coming weeks, and to assist local organisations in rebuilding a peaceful, free and productive society in East Timor over the coming months.

If you wish to make a contribution, please ring Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA:

1800 888 674 (in Australia, 8.00 to 18.00 Eastern Standard Time M-F) or email office@apheda.org.au

Candice Feuerring
Marketing & Fundraising Officer
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA
Ph: 02 9264 9343
Fax: 02 9261 1118
Email: cfeuerring@apheda.org.au
www.apheda.org.au

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© 2001 Community & Public Sector Union - State Public Services Federation (CPSU-SPSF) - National Office

http://www.cpsu-spsf.asn.au/latest_news/general/20060531_Timor.html
Last Modified: 31 May 2006