Nobel Peace Prize winner and Foreign Minister of East Timor, Dr Jose Ramos-Horta, will speak about the challenges facing his country and about Australia’s relationship with its close neighbour at a Sydney dinner in April.

East Timor reaches its second birthday as a nation on May 20 and in the midst of celebrating its achievements, it also faces big challenges as a small democratic nation in the global economy, coming to terms with neighbouring Indonesia and asserting its rights to Timor Gap oil reserves.

The dinner, to be held on Friday April 30, is raising money for food projects in East Timor. In 1999, over 30% of the country’s homes, crops, livestock and tools were destroyed by pro-Indonesia militia groups – in some areas everything was lost – and five years later, East Timor still struggles to feed its people. Recent drought has only worsened the problem.

The dinner will raise money for locally-run community garden projects, which will make villages self-sufficient. Money raised will also help train farmers in sustainable agriculture.

His Excellency, Dr Ramos-Horta is a guest of forceten, an education and fundraising agency which supports Caritas Australia and Christian World Service. Dr Ramos-Horta won the Nobel Peace Prize with Bishop Carlos Belo, for his long years of campaigning on the international stage for justice for East Timor under 24 years of Indonesian occupation.

Photos: East Timor at the crossroads. (Robertson, 2003), Boy with Slingshot (Robertson, 2003)

If you would like to know more about the dinner and/or interview Dr Ramos-Horta, please contact Ms Amanda Jackson, 02 9299 2215, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.