This week IOM and its local NGO partner BELUN, sponsored by the
Columbia University Centre for Internal Conflict Resolution,
initiated a forum for dialogue called “Come and Share Your
Thoughts Together” for internally displaced persons (IDPs)
and communities of the village of Hera, 20km outside Dili.

Facilitated by church leaders and experienced BELUN conflict
mediators, the forum included representatives of the seven
IOM-managed camps in Hera, the six surrounding Hera communities,
and government officials from the Ministries of Labour and
Community Re-insertion, Education, and State Administration. A
representative from UNPOL, the international police force, was also
present to listen to the security needs of the community.

Drawing upon their past field experience in camp management and
community conflict assessments, IOM and BELUN organized the
community dialogue as part of its support to the Government-led
strategy for return and reintegration of the displaced population,
termed “Simu Malu.” Working in collaboration with Hera
community leaders and IDP camp managers, the dialogue focused on
starting the Government-outlined process of reviving community
relationships and rebuilding trust levels between those affected by
the conflict.

Since April 2006, the political crisis in Timor-Leste has caused
more than 150,000 residents of the capital Dili to flee to the
safety of makeshift camps around the capital or to the homes of
relatives in rural areas. As improvements have been made in
re-establishing law and order with the presence of international
troops and police, sporadic violence against IDP camps and within
communities continues to slow the return of the IDPs to their
homes.

Hera has remained a tense environment for IDPs and communities
throughout the last four months of the conflict. Frequent gang
violence and security threats have prolonged the displacement of
approximately 8,000 villagers, while disrupting daily activities
and the economic livelihood of the entire community.

Despite the tension between villagers, extensive consultation
between IOM and BELUN with IDPs and their host communities revealed
the willingness of the community to meet collectively to discuss
their current situation. Working with the Government, IOM and
BELUN’s initiative allowed male and female community leaders
and representatives to use the mediated forum to voice concerns
related to return, and to raise questions with Government leaders
about its future support to the return and reintegration
process.

The forum yielded positive results as participants developed a
list of action steps for future discussion by all sides of the
conflict. Some these included holding weekly dialogues between all
community leaders, IDPs and local government officials; working
with international police to create better mechanisms for security
and incident reporting and continued collaboration with the
Government, IOM and other organizations to support education,
agriculture, and other needs identified within the communities.

“The dialogue in Hera is a successful starting point to
the longer-term process of return and reintegration. But we
recognize that communities like Hera will continue to need support
from the Government and international agencies to maintain regular
and frequent dialogue in rebuilding mechanisms for communication
and in searching for sustainable solutions to the conflict,”
says IOM Chief of Mission Luiz Vieira.

For more information, please contact:

Angela Sherwood

IOM Dili

Tel.+670 723 1576

E-mail: "mailto:asherwood@iom.int">asherwood@iom.int