Library Talk: 

• Paulie Stewart's All the Rage

• The Timorese community's 50-year journey Lao Rai (Walk the Land)

What: The second of this year's Library Talks on the remarkable story of Timor-Leste

When: 6 - 8 pm, Thursday 9 October 

Where: Glenroy Library, Glenroy Community Hub, 50 Wheatsheaf Road, Glenroy

Free event with light refreshments

Please register here

Guest speaker: Paulie Stewart on his autobiographical story All the Rage:       50 years on from the Balibo 5 murders, a story of solidarity with Timor-Leste reflecting on life's adventures, misadventures, knocks and triumphs.

La'o Rai (Walk the Land):  Photographic exhibition and personal stories from 50 years of Timorese community life in Victoria.

Friends of Aileu annual Trivia Quiz fundraiser for the Aileu scholarship program

When: 7 - 10 pm, Thursday 20 November

Where: Coburg Town Hall, 90 Bell St, Coburg

MC: Rusty Berther

Tickets: $65 / $35 concession

Bookings open now

Finger food and non-alcoholic drinks provided (you may BYO additional food/drinks)

Don't miss the fun and excitement of the annual trivia quiz.

Trivia Prizes / Silent Auction / Live Auction

Over the 4 years to 2024, this event has raised over $40,000, which has been used to pay the tuition fees of 30 young people undertaking post-secondary studies, of whom

• 1 has graduated with a Master degree
• 12 have graduated with a Bachelor degree 
• 6 have graduated with a Diploma.

Do you know a Young East-Timorese Person interested in travelling to Timor-Leste?

Friends of Aileu and Friends of Baucau are teaming up to give three young East-Timorese Australians (18–35 years old) the chance to travel to Timor-Leste and be part of Permatil Global's 1st International PermaYouth Convergence!

The 12-day study tour facilitated by Future Collective will include time in:

• Dili, and in Aileu with Aileu Resource and Training Centre's Kadalak Dame garden
• The remote village of Atekru on Atauro Island, at the NaTerra environmental training centre
• Fatuqueru village, rural Ermera, for the PermaYouth Convergence.

This 6-day Convergence, co-hosted with Permaculture Timor-Leste (Permatil) and the PermaYouth Association of Timor-Leste, will focus on developing environmental and leadership skills around the theme: Planting Water, Growing Communities.

To enquire about the Young Leader Awards contact: friendsofbaucau@gmail.com 

And while the three awards are available for young East-Timorese Australians, the trip itself is open to anyone interested in joining.

Please contact us if you are interested in joining this trip of a lifetime.

Friendship across the Timor Sea, 25 years and still going strong

The friendship relationship has been renewed with the signing of a new Friendship Agreement: Hume, Merri-bek, Aileu (2025-2030):

• In Merri-bek by Mayor Cr Helen Davidson and Friends of Aileu Community Committee Co-Chair Cr Adam Pulford
• In the Aileu by Municipal President Mr Joao Bosco dos Santos, Friendship Commision Secretary Mr Jose Valente and Hume Mayor and Community Committee Co-Chair Cr Jarrod Bell
• In Dili by Minister for State Administration Mr Tomas do Rosario Cabral, in the presence of Mr Joao, Cr Bell, Richard Brown and Quida Pereira, Director Uma Ita Nian Clinic

Reinforcing our friendship relationship

The members of the Friends of Aileu delegation, Hume Mayor Cr Jarrod Bell, Community Committee Member Richard Brown, Oral Health Promotion Working Group Member Dr John Rogers and Project Officer Chris Adams, were enthusiastically received during their visit to Aileu from 7 to 9 July.

They met and discussed priorities for the friendship relationship and partnership opportunities with:

• The Municipal President and staff, including SEFOPE and the Agriculture, Health and Education departments, visiting Kose Nehan oral health project schools in rural Cotabaru and Daisoli
• Members of the Aileu Friendship Commission, scholarship students and alumni and the national and Catholic scouting organisations
• Partners organisations including the Aileu PermaYouth Group, Aileu Municipal Youth Centre, Aileu Resource and Training Centre (ARTC), Uma Ita Nian (UIN) Clinic and Maryknoll Sisters.

The progress being made by the people of Aileu, in the local government, non-government and community sectors, was very evident in terms of improved physical infrastructure and services, and in the fields of economic and social development. 

Many challenges remain, and the high value placed on the continuation of our friendship and support was frequently mentioned.

Building Stronger Friendships: Empowering Communities Through Partnership

Some 80 Australian friends of Timor-Leste, around 50 Timorese partner organisation representatives and over 100 other municipal authority and government staff, came together in Dili on 10 & 11 July to share perspectives, experiences and learnings from their unique friendship relationships, which operate at the levels of either Municipality, Administrative Post, village, community or school.

The Friends of Aileu delegations, joined by the Aileu Municipal President and staff, partner organisation representatives Quida Pereira (UIN), Jose Valente (Friendship Commission), Natalia Ximenes (ARTC) and Pedro Pereira (Youth Centre), and Kose Nehan project Dental Nurse Ana Tilman, participated actively in the Friendship Conference.

The Conference was organised by the Ministry of State Administration and the Australia Timor-Leste Friendship Network (AusTimorFN), with invaluable support from the Australian Embassy in Dili and the DFAT-funded Partisipa local government development project team, ably lead by Aileu Anan Association President Abilio de Araujo.

Keynote speakers include President Jose Ramos Horta, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, President Council of Ministers Agio Pereira, Minister Tomas Cabral and Australian Ambassador Caitlin Wilson.

Others presenting included Youth & Diversity Ambassador Kay Olok Sword Gusmao, INDMO's Isabel da Lima and musician educator activists Ego Lemos and Izu Pereira.

Conference participants were energised by insightful presentations from a range of friendship groups and their partners, lively exchanges during discussion sessions and memorable cultural activities. 

A report of the Conference Proceedings, including the Dili Declaration signed by the Minister, the Municipal Presidents, AusTimor FN and Friendship Group representatives, was prepared by the Partisipa team.

AusTimor FN held an on-line post-conference forum on 27 August, where Friendship Group representatives shared ideas from the Conference and the visits to their partner communities. 

The forum participants committed themselves to meet again soon to build on these experiences, and to explore ways to work more collaboratively.  Future directions include a renewed focus on shared issues and challenges for Australian and Timor-Leste communities, stronger engagement with our local communities, especially with younger people, and creative approaches to more sustainable fundraising and partnerships.

Friends of Aileu will play an active role in addressing these challenges and opportunities, on its own and collectively. 

We welcome contributions from Council staff, members our local communities and other interested people and organisations.

For more information, or to be involved in helping chart new directions for AusTimorFN and its Friendship Group members, please email the Project Officer.

The Oral health promotion project: Kose Nehan - Where to from now?

Over the past 12 months, Friends of Aileu's Oral Health Promotion Working Group has been meeting regularly with the Project Officer to review the school-based Kose Nehan (Toothbrushing) pilot project and to develop a project plan to support local efforts to improve oral health in Aileu and elsewhere in Timor-Leste.

Community Committee member and Working Group chair Glenyys Romanes, and members Natalie Savin, Dr John Rogers, Dr Jamie Roberston, Dr Sandra Frans and Dr Jinal Prajapati, bring together strong expertise in oral health, public health and community development.

John Rogers and Project Officer Chris Adams spent the week after the Friendship Conference (14 to 18 July) visiting dental clinics in Aileu, Balibo, Maubara and Dili as part of an information gathering exercise.

They met with the Ministry of Health's Manager Oral Health Mr Victorino Araujo, Dental Association of Timor-Leste (ADETIL) President Dr Nina Soares, Alola Foundation CEO Maria Imaculada Guterres and Health Program Manager Mr Jose. and Mrs Dillyana Ximenes and staff of Maluk Timor, an Australia supported NGO, with a focus on health system development.

Following consideration of the report of this information gathering exercise, the Working group agreed to support Dr Sandra Frans making a further 2-week visit to Timor-Leste in October, to gain a deeper understanding of oral health issues and to further explore project directions and partnership opportunities.

Friends of Aileu is seeking donations of funds or in-kind (time and expertise, equipment and materials) from oral health professionals, community health organisations and other interested community members, and appreciates the support of the Balibo House Trust in managing donations.

For more information, or to be involved in this exciting project, please email the Project Officer.

Friends of Aileu awarded the Order of Timor-Leste medal

Friends of Aileu was one of 26 Friendship Groups honoured to receive the Order of Timor-Leste medal from President Jose Ramos Horta in Melbourne on 12 August, in recognition of their many years of friendship with the people of Timor-Leste.

Hume Mayor Cr Jarrod Bell accepted the award on behalf of the Friends of Aileu.

Also present at the award ceremony were Merri-bek Cr Adam Pulford, Community Committee members Anne Jungwirth, Glenyys Romanes and Richard Brown and Project Officer Chris Adams.

Congratulations and thanks to our 2 Councils, all Friends of Aileu Community Committee members, partner organisations, donors and community supporters, and to the 6 Australian Volunteers who spent time in Aileu, for their contributions to the friendship relationship over the past 25 years.

Timorese Association in Victoria: Honouring the Past - Shaping the Future

Over 400 hundred members of the Timorese community and friends came together at Collingwood Town Hall on 30 August to celebrate 50 years of the community's life in Victoria.

Guests of honour included Timor-Leste Vice Prime Minister Francisco Kalbuadi Lay and Australian Ambassador to Timor-Leste Caitlin Wilson.

Guests were treated to a delicious Timorese buffet-style meal and music, song and dance from Timor-Leste and Australian performers, including the Melbourne Timorese Choir and young cultural dance groups.

The event was also the launch of the La'o Rai (Walk the Land) photographic exhibition of the Timorese community's 50-year journey in Victoria.

Library Talk with Pat Walsh and Carla Chung

On Thursday 24 July, community members gathered at Broadmeadows Library to hear a thoughtful discussion by Pat Walsh on the Timor-Leste Truth Commission Report Chega! and its current relevance today. 

We were also joined by Carla Chung, who shared timely insights on the PALM scheme and the experiences of Timorese workers in Australia. Carla invited attendees to build relationships with East-Timorese workers in Australia and support them navigate the ongoing challenges of the program, as well as advocate for better conditions. 

The event closed with beautiful live music from Chico Lakadou (Chico and Xavi dos Santos). 

Thank you to the Broadmeadows Library team and Hume City Council for their generous support, and to Mayor Cr Jarrod Bell and Cr Karen Sherry for attending and engaging in these important discussions.

Film Screening and Panel Discussion with Pacific Climate Warriors and PermaQueer

On Thursday 29 August, we hosted a film screening and panel discussion at the Merlynston Progress Hall. 

The film screening of Anote's Ark was both a devastating portrayal of the cultural loss facing the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati, as well as a story of resistance. 

Following the screening we were joined by a very insightful discussion with Taulogomai from Pacific Climate Warriors and Sticks from PermaQueer on decolonising climate action and the critical role of young people in climate justice. 

The event raised $1,460 towards supporting a young East-Timorese Australian to attend the PermaYouth Convergence in Timor-Leste in October. 

Merri-bek City Council - Friends of Aileu is registered as a fundraiser with Consumer Affairs Victoria.

Make an online donation

You may now donate on-line to Friends of Aileu, and support the community development work of our partners in Aileu, via the Give Now platform managed by the not-for-profit social enterprise ourcommunity.com.au

You can read more about the Wild Timor Coffee story here and, if you're in the vicinity, drop by the Wild Timor Coffee Cafe at 282 Sydney Road, Coburg, which also serves a delicious and ever evolving menu.

Purchase Wild Timor Coffee

When you purchase Wild Timor Coffee from Friends of Aileu, 50% of the purchase price goes towards supporting the community development activities of our partners in Aileu.

Caffeinate for a good cause with delicious, ethical, iconic single-origin Wild Timor Coffee.

From crop to cup, these coffee beans are grown organically under ancient shade trees in the rural village of Belumhato, Aileu, ethically purchased direct from the growers and freshly roasted in Melbourne.

You can purchase freshly roasted whole beans or ground coffee from:

• The Customer Service Counter at the Merri-bek Civic Centre, Coburg
• The East Timor Project Team, in Merri-bek's Community Wellbeing Department and Hume's Community Capacity Building Team.

You may contact us by email to order your coffee in advance.

About the Friends of Aileu Community Committee and how you can be involved

In the video to the left, Anne Jungwirth and Chico Dos Santos, volunteer members of the Friends of Aileu Community Committee, share some thoughts on what our friendship relationship with Aileu means to them.

To find out more, including how you can be involved, you may contact the Project Officer.