On January 16th, a lecture was given by the East Timor-Leste Embassy.
East Timor-Leste is a country where Blue Peco have been deeply involved in the fair trade activities.
Our guest lecturer, Mr. Filomeno ALEIXO da Cruz, is an Ambassador from the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and he spoke to our students about "The Future of East Timor, the First Independent Country of the 21st Century".
During the lecture, students listened seriously to the Ambassador as he spoke to them about East Timor’s struggles throughout history and how they have made efforts on reconstruction and growth.
During the lecture, our students attentively listened to Ambassador Cruz as he talked about East Timor’s struggles for independence, reconstruction, aims for the future and their relationship with the international community.
The second half of the lecture was question, answer, and discussion time. The Ambassador answered each of our student’s questions one at a time. The students were able to deepen their understanding of East Timor because they participated in this stimulating lecture.
【Student’s voices】
◆ The idea that borders are not to divide countries but to connect them was a great concept. Until now, I thought that borders are for distinguishing where a country is exactly, but now I feel it just a word and that East Timor can teach us valuable lessons from their fight for independence.
◆ I knew a little about East Timor from the Blue Peco activities, but I was glad that I found out about the new relationships they have with Japan. The story about their national flag and that East Timorese people will always have hope will remain in my heart forever.
◆ Although East Timor is a poor country and they may need some support, it is also a fine country and I think that everyone is living normally. In addition, I felt that the idea that a "border is not a division of countries but a point of contact which connects a country to another country" was a wonderful idea.
