East Timor From Independence to Dependency (2006-2007 with the support of Lagardere Foundation)

In May 2002 East Timor celebrated its independence in a contagious exaltation –an emancipation won in the blood and the terror of the pro Indonesian autonomist supporters machetes.

Over the following years, the process of building a coherent national identity proved difficult, challenges being jeopardized by the greater impoverishment of one of the poorest countries in the world.

In 2006, the murderous violence between Easterners and Westerners spread unrest among the population. The gravity of the situation forced the return of an International armed force under a UN mandate.

The 2007 Presidential elections took place in a volatile and explosive atmosphere. In spite of all though, the distressed East Timorese population massively elected Jose Ramos Horta, co-recipient of the Peace Nobel Prize in 1996.