Source : CDPM - Commission for the Rights 
		of the Maubere People
Date : 10 December 1997
Dateline : Lisbon
Subject : NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE SETS UP
		 TIMOR PEACE & DEMOCRACY FOUNDATION
 
(Including outline of Jose Ramos Horta's address at the 
Foundation's inaugural ceremony)

	The splendour of Lisbon's Sao Bento Palace (in which 
Portugal's Parliament building is located) was the setting on 9 
December for the launch of the "Monsignor Martinho da Costa Lopes 
Foundation for Peace and Democracy". 

	A host of leading Portuguese political figures, foreign 
diplomats (including the Brazilian Ambassador), academics, Church 
dignitaries, Timorese leaders, many members of Lisbon's Timorese 
refugee community, representatives of solidarity organisations and 
the press, witnessed Timorese leader Jose Ramos Horta, co-winner 
of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, honour his promise to set up a 
Foundation with his share of the monetary award that goes with the 
international distinction.

	Former President of Portugal, Mario Soares, and current 
President, Jorge Sampaio, both addressed the gathering, expressing 
their wholehearted support for the Foundation and their belief 
that it would make a positive contribution to the promotion of 
peace and democracy in East Timor.

	In his address, Jose Ramos Horta first explained the reason 
why the Foundation had been called after Monsignor Martinho da 
Costa Lopes.  He felt it was his "moral duty to honour the memory 
of a son of East Timor, a priest, and fighter for peace and 
freedom who, in life, had been respected and loved by his people, 
whom he had served generously".  This acknowledgement of Msgr. 
Martinho da Costa Lopes, he said, was also a way of paying tribute 
to the Timorese Church as a whole - "a Church which, even when the 
going had been rough, had always stood by its people, in times of 
peace as well as in times of war."   In line with the "spirit of 
unity" which Martinho da Costa Lopes upheld (as does Mnsgr. Carlos 
Ximenes Belo today), representatives of all the Timorese political 
tendencies would have a place on the Foundation's Board of 
Trustees, he said.

	Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio would, said Ramos Horta, 
be the Foundation's Patron, while the Duke of Braganza (uncrowned 
heir to the Portuguese thrown) had agreed to be Chairman of the 
Board of Directors.  The 15-person Board of Trustees would be 
Chaired by former President Mario Soares, and would include the 
Duke of Braganza, former Foreign Minister Durao Barroso, and a 
variety of personalities from Portuguese and Timorese political, 
academic, religious, and solidarity circles.  The Foundation would 
have the backing of a thirty-five member International Advisory 
Board, consisting of prominent international figures from a range 
of political, religious, academic and other walks of life.

	Ramos Horta outlined the main aims of the Foundation as being 
the defence and dissemination of the democratic ideal and the 
study of cultural, social, economic and political phenomena of the 
peoples of East Timor and the Asia Pacific region.  He also 
referred to the main activities which the Foundation would 
undertake, as described in the Foundation's Statutes:

a) to organise, promote or sponsor conferences, seminars, debates, 
etc., and public events on subjects of particular political, 
economic, cultural and/or social relevance;
b) promote training schemes on political, economic-social and 
technical-vocational subjects;
c) finance the activities of public and private sector bodies 
whose work involves the promotion of the democratic ideal and 
provision of assistance to Timorese nationalists in East Timor and 
abroad;
d) organise, promote or sponsor publishing initiatives which were 
in line with the Foundation's aims;
e) provide Timorese with study grants with a view enhancing their 
academic and technical-vocational qualifications;
f) organise, promote or sponsor any kind of initiative considered 
necessary or useful to the pursuit of the Foundation's aims;
g) promote co-operation between Portugal and East Timor, and 
between East Timor and all other Portuguese-speaking countries and 
territories;
h) defend and promote East Timor's admittance to the Community of 
Portuguese-Speaking Countries - the CPLP;
i) promote and support national and international initiatives 
which aim to promote understanding of the Timorese situation, and 
which contribute to activities involving mutual solidarity and 
cultural exchange;
j) organise, or sponsor and support initiatives involving research 
studies on East Timor and its people, or on the sub-region of 
Southeast Asia and South Pacific;
l) promote or support the setting up of one or more bibliographic 
and iconographic documentation centres on East Timor and the sub-
region;
m) promote and support the training of human resources in 
Portuguese-speaking countries and the Asia-Pacific sub-region in 
specialised subjects relating to East Timor;
n) undertake solidarity work with Timorese abroad to enhance their 
social integration, and support the initiatives of Timorese 
groups, representative of different political, social, cultural, 
technical and economic areas, with a view to benefiting the 
various exile communities.

	Referring again to the Statutes, Ramos Horta outlined the 
Foundation's specific activities as being:

1. The promotion of, and support for the East Timorese people's 
struggle through all appropriate non-violent means, and all 
initiatives which are conducive to the exercise of their right to 
political, cultural and social self-determination, in accordance 
with International Law.

2. Making an active contribution to the preparation of Timorese 
for the administration of the future State of East Timor;

	On the subject of finance for the Foundation, Ramos Horta 
said that, at present, the only capital available was his share of 
the Nobel Peace Prize (80,000,000 Escudos).  However, for 
operating and carrying out the projects envisaged, a further 
320,000,000 Escudos would be needed, to be distributed among the 
following strategic areas:

1.  International Intervention

	The Foundation needed funding, he said, to support a group of 
Timorese diplomats, working full-time in Portugal, Australia, US 
and in the EU.

	Among other initiatives, the Foundation was planning to hold 
a Seminar in mid-1998 in Portugal for Nobel Peace Prize winners, 
other Nobel laureates from areas such as Literature, Economics, 
Medicine, Science, etc., and internationally renowned figures.  
The Seminar would address the East Timor issue and the subject of 
self-determination and human rights in the world generally.

	The budget forecast for diplomatic activity had been put at 
180,000,000 Escudos p.a.

2.  Training Courses in Human Rights, Democracy, the UN structure, 
etc.

	Ramos Horta explained that the Foundation would organise 
intensive training courses in Human Rights and Democracy, as a way 
to promote the culture of tolerance, democracy and peace.  The 
target group would be the Timorese exile community, namely in 
Australia and Portugal.  Two courses per year - one in Australia 
and the other in Portugal - would take place, both in summertime.

	The expected budget for the courses would be around 
15,000,000 Escudos.

3.  Scientific Research

	This area would sponsor small projects such as those 
providing incentives to Timorese cultural groups, various 
publications, and post-doctoral research.

	The first book to be published by the Foundation, Ramos Horta 
announced, would be the biography of Monsignor Martinho da Costa 
Lopes, which would be available (in both Portuguese and English 
versions) within the next few months. 

The budget was expected to be 80,000,000 Escudos.

4.  Administration and Finance Dept.

	This department would deal with the day to day running and 
management of the Foundation, with a budget of 50,000,000 Escudos.  
An independent external accounting firm would hired, to ensure 
that the Foundation's accounts were meticulously accurate.  

	None of the Foundation's executives would be remunerated.  
(...)

	They were, he said, fully aware of the need to proceed with 
moderation, caution and maximum rigour in the management of the 
funds entrusted to them.

	Ramos Horta thanked Lisbon City Council for all its past 
support, which had included providing the Nobel Prize laureate 
with an office, and referred to the fact that the Foundation would 
now need more spacious premises.  He also took the opportunity to 
thank the many other City Council's for their various forms of 
support.

	The Nobel Prize winner concluded his address by referring to 
the fact that, 22 years after the invasion of East Timor, the 
launch of the Foundation was yet another initiative that served to 
demonstrate his people's solid determination to continue the 
battle on all fronts.  Developing the cultural front, study and 
research into Timorese historic values, and training of human 
resources were among priority tasks in laying the foundations for 
the future Free Timor.

(...)