East Timor Community and Local Governance Project

closed

The Community Empowerment and Local Governance Project aims to strengthen local level social capital to build institutions that reduce poverty and support inclusive patterns of growth. The project consists of three components: a) Community Grants will support development proposals that are produced by villagers for the public good of their communities. Through district level technical specialists and local level facilitators it will provide village men and women with the information, opportunity, and freedom of choice that they need to make informed, responsible, proposals and decisions. b) Cultural heritage will support core activities as follows: i) A small grants program managed by a non-profit Timorese cultural heritage trust will support community-based cultural development programs. ii) The development of a national heritage and performance center will include a small vocational school, rotating displays, and a series of gallery and performance spaces where international and Timorese artists can perform. c) Civil Society Support Fund will aid the development of regional and local Timorese civil society groups who play an important role in galvanizing the communities to work together on reconstruction, thus contribute to the project's objective to build social capital and ensure inclusive patterns of growth.