On 6 May 2020, MIAS welcomed Kirsty Sword Gusmao AO, former First Lady of Timor-Leste, for a roundtable discussion with our members.
Dr Sword Gusmao, currently Chair of the Alola Foundation, which she founded in 2001 prior to her tenure as First Lady, discussed with our members her journey from tertiary studies in Victoria to work in the United Kingdom, and then to her role as an activist in East Timor. It was here she worked with resistance forces and other activists to expose violence in the region and provide support to key leaders.
The roundtable also included discussion of Dr Sword Gusmao’s current work on education in East Timor and the massive disparities suffered due to socio-economic differences. This also placed an onus on the importance of native language, something which is currently being worked on in East Timor. Overall discussion on conditions in East Timor occurred, with Dr Sword Gusmao providing all members insight into what East Timor was like and encouraging everyone to visit after the COVID-19 pandemic.
MIAS is grateful to Dr Sword Gusmao for speaking with our members and we hope we can work together in the near future.