The recent outbreak of violence in East Timor has left at least 30 people dead and thousands homeless, leading to the return of international peacekeepers. As the international community prepares again to increase its presence in East Timor, the failure to succeed in certain areas, mirrored in many other nation building missions, should be examined:

• Was the UN withdrawal from East Timor premature?
• Was the government well prepared/ready to face the challenges?
• Did the failure to reintegrate former combatants help spark the riots?
• Did the international community understand the divide in the society?
• What are some of the lessons learned from East Timor's descent?

Speakers

• Sukehiro Hasegawa (via phone)
  Special Representative of the Secretary General | UN Office in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL)
• Jose Luis Guterres
  East Timorese ambassador to the United States and United Nations
• Patricia Delaney
  Fulbright Scholar at UNOTIL (2005-2006)
• Daniel P. Serwer, Moderator
  Vice President | U.S. Institute of Peace

Archived Audio

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