Local Governance in Timor-Leste ─ Lessons in Postcolonial State-Building

"Across many parts of the postcolonial world, it is everyday reality for people to cross regularly between state-based and customary governance, institutions and norms. This book examines this in the context of the villages of Timor-Leste, and the state-building efforts that have been conducted by the Timorese government and international development agencies since the vote for independence in 1999. Drawing on 2 years of ethnographic fieldwork in the remote, rural areas of Timor-Leste, the book provides a critical analysis of the challenges that communities face when navigating coexisting customary and state-based structures and norms in a context where customary law continues to be the central guiding force. It also explores the various creative ways inwhich local leaders and community members make sense of their local governance environment. It then draws on these insights to provide a more nuanced, contextualised account of the impact of institutional interventions, state-building and democratisationwithin these villages. While set in the context of state- and nation-building efforts conducted by international and Timorese political leaders following Timor-Leste's vote for independence, the book also provides a broader critique about the issues involved in the postcolonial state adequately meeting the needs of its citizens"--

Deborah Cummins has lived and worked in Timor-Leste since 2008, and is a consultant and trainer on issues including women’s political participation, governance, decentralisation, and community development. She can be found at www.community2community.com.