ASIA/ EAST TIMOR - The country needs peace and harmony in the context of important elections: Catholic Church launches programme of education to reconciliation for young people

Dili (Agenzia Fides) - The urgency is reconciliation at home in East Timor and abroad in relations with West Timor still a province of Indonesia. With this awareness the local Church in East Timor has launched a new programme of education to reconciliation aimed especially at young people, a greater part of the nation's population.
The Bishops' Commission for Justice and Peace, led by Fr Martinho Germano Da Silva has organised a series of meetings for young people of the country's two dioceses Dili and Baucau to offer an experience of communion, sharing, discussion, valuable opportunity to share feelings, ideals, dreams and to ask for and offer forgiveness for offences and failings.
The meetings will promote authentic reconciliation based on the Gospel, in order to restore an atmosphere of harmony and fraternity, build healthy relationships based on reciprocal trust, the foundation for a society of justice and brotherhood.

In East Timor, already marked by civil war after independence from Indonesia, there was serious unrest and disorder in April 2006, and clashes with police involving also part of the population, generating social revolts and leaving many displaced families. About 65,000 people still live in camps around Dili.
This year the young nation faces two major electoral events: elections for the president of East Timor and for a Parliament. The presidential vote held 8 and 9 April resulted in a second round on 8 May between Nobel for Peace Josè Ramos-Horta and Francisco Guterres. The vote to elect the president will be followed by elections in the Summer for representatives in Parliament including a prime minister and an executive to govern the country in the nest few years. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 26/4/2007 righe 26 parole 261)