Timorization: Quo Vadis?

(Where is it going?)

By Snake

The Timorese people are inured by nature with the hardies of life. From the past nightmare of violence and deconstruction, the same people remain faced with another challenge from which depends their dream of a better life and at least comfort , and security from wants or other life inequities. Themselves is where theirs depend and not what others can do for them.

I have gone to places around the country,  in at least 60 percent by now.  I have seen some of their faces, how they live, how the kids play (if at all), and so many other questions that bring someone near them.  It’s so quiet in the villages as if time is  not moving if not slowly.  It suggests a typical  place on earth that has remained untouched by change or the kind of development  that our contemporary time  has never tread. It’s really hard though talking to them in a language they seem to little understand.

But one can see the look of innocence right between their eyes.  That kind of glow and energy  that envelop their humanity as if  courting all the power of “Eugene” (cartoon character with ultra-transcending powers) to rise from oblivion  but produces  a collage  of  reality and fantasy  which somehow  disturbs the water  that is beginning to develop a clearer and more distinct picture.

I’ve taken pictures and video shots suggestive of their nature, culture, customs and traditions,  basically the way people live,  their faith and so on but not sufficient  enough to cover all.  I begin to notice the contrast of people distinctly in terms of status particularly in Dili suburb.

Normally at early morning  and late afternoon, I see a kid or two walking in stride with their mother carrying on their head what looks to be a firewood for them to use.  It’s so touching that a lot of children not only here are being deprived of the natural environment of a child at play. Instead, we can see them heavily burdened with adult responsibilities that they can’t indispensably avoid.

One striking though is the  appearance of  a free-wheeling culture where one can see some people driving along in BMWs, Mercedes, Volvos, Japanese cars and other types. Some would pass at you like rally drivers or that of the formula ones.  I’m beginning to think of getting a life insurance as soon as I can at least  before getting hit by  some “professional drivers”  who only know  best how to accelerate on the gas and play with the steering wheel, and no stopping,  as if everyway  is a right of way or a freeway.

If a society has let this to happen with their children then it might be  that God himself didn’t want it to happen.  Primeval as it is  but poverty is killing humanity.

It  eats so much that precious time and energy  laboring  solely on the   residual needs of survival next to free air.  It precludes any surplus value for leisure or at least  the  time to laugh  and   smile at  their  mistakes.

It is  unnatural because poverty is an artificial creation  that runs counter to the advancement of any systemic dimensions. Its perennial nature gobbles up any fate left  and serves as a fodder by  people who capitalize on its misery and misfortune under  the color of messianic appeal.  This is one thing that society must resolve initially and concomitantly with any reconstruction effort.  Under the principle of deconstruction, it is easier though to rise from the rubble with  new beginning from almost a clean slate than the energy and time  that entail in  modifying any system previously erected which didn’t work in the first place.  In point,  this is the right moment where new ideas could take its desirable form.  But it must be away from the convenience of retrofitting only the obsolete.  By this,  if there should be a beginning, it must start  right.

One fundamental  that churns out  and assures    an activity to be sustainable is the capacity or capability of people to take part in its execution.  If and when  for instance an economic activity must prosper,  the people themselves must be empowered to participate in its fundamentals.  Employment for one which would provide the life-blood of the new economy.  Entrepreneurs must be also willing to take the risk of providing basic goods and services.  The wedding of business and job is  unquestionably significant  and welded because one partakes the misery of the other.

East Timor like in the Dili area, one doesn’t fail to notice the emerging business climate. As of yet, although it is hardly surviving, at least, a class of people have the courage to  place their bets  with double or nothing. But how long that this survival state can be overcome. Capital formation is  basically dependent on savings.  There must be savings. But could there be without the infrastructure  that takes in employment?  Come to think of it, I don’t believe that  these people are totally broke. Half is half but I strongly believe that  a majority of them  has one way or another  accumulated  some savings to stake in this beginning.

Government revenues may not be enough to accommodate all the needed employment to jump-start  the capitalist economy.   The prospects of oil revenues might just be the saving grace.  This newly independent nation is believed to have  a bounty of oil deposits which might just be more than enough to feed its people.  There are also traditional  sources of revenues which could be  developed to sustain high export earnings. Coffee beans, I can only mention a few.

But it must be a right start! 

This brings us to the issue of Timorization which should be  properly tailored to fit the seam of  the given society.  It can’t be denied that  the United Nations is doing a great job  assisting in every aspect the establishment of  the needed infrastructures  first in the area of administration that translates into other state acts (jure imperii) and processes  which serves as the cornerstone of the  post-struggle society.  But there are other ramifications that must be keenly addressed to. Little by little, things are taking shape in the political, economic and social orders. One thing we can agree with is that  this transition is not fast enough in order to transform the dream  into a reality, while  it remains to hurt   the people who by observation and empirical confirmations are left untouched while nothing seems to guess what they really want.

It brings us to  look into the supra-structure that  holds the given society altogether.  It’s that binding factor, the cohesive social fabric that  wields loyalty and obedience among these people.  Freedom, that’s for sure and religion, too!  I consider both as interlocutory essentials that  produce undesirable outcomes if not  placed in their proper perspective.  For one,  freedom can be self-defeating if it gives one the wrong choice of  enjoying by  doing nothing that translates to no less than laziness.  Religion is another which  either reinforces a fatalistic following or  a positive conviction on the Golden Rule of helping others.  Brother,  I can say this straight in the eye, that God only help(s) those who help themselves.  Though it may be  a great consolation as it is said, blessed are the poor for they will seek the kingdom of God.

But I do believe in the power of prayer!

May they always believe in what they can do best for these people.

May there be unity of efforts to transform them to be useful citizens of their future.

May they  maintain their strong faith to build a better nation for posterity sake.

May they not be lured by any bold  inequity  but  to stand with fervor and without abandoning to  serve their own people

May they  move forward to nothing of self-interest and ambitions  but  purely of personal conviction to lead them thus  gaining an equally sovereign stature  to which they can be proud of in the family of nations.

And to all, that  no one shall lay waste again on this nation!

By these, only God knows where is it going!