The Mayor's Column
You are invited to the launch of Mosman’s Friendship Relationship with Maubara in East Timor, and the annual Andrew McNaughtan Memorial Lecture to be delivered by Kirsty Sword-Gusmao, Timor Leste Goodwill Ambassador for Education, Chair of the Alola Foundation and wife of Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Her topic is Timor Leste 2007, The Pursuit of Freedom with Meaning.
Dr. Andrew McNaughtan was an amazing person, a Mosman boy born and bred, who took his medical skills and passion for humanity to East Timor. His untimely death in 2003 made a huge impact on those who knew and admired him.
Council resolved in May 2007 to form a Friendship Relationship with an area in East Timor and in line with protocol the Consul General for Timor-Leste, Abel Guterras, suggested Maubara, a beautiful northern coastal area in the district of Liquica, about 40kms from Dili. Maubara was the scene of a dreadful massacre in April 1999, when pro-Indonesian forces killed at least 200 people, most shockingly many of whom had fled to the local Catholic Church. Most buildings were destroyed or badly damaged and many children left orphans. There is an orphanage with about 40 children who are in urgent need of a safe building. A heartening number of Mosman residents have connections to East Timor and have expressed support for this agreement in the hope that we can help rebuild this nation, our closest neighbour, which has suffered so much.
The event will be emceed by ABC reporter Liz Jackson, joint winner of the Gold Walkley Award for Journalism 2006 for the ABC Four Corners programme Stoking the Fires, an account of the political upheaval and violence in East Timor in 2006.
The Sydney Timorese Cultural Dance Group will welcome you and performances by Sonia Bennet and Loosely Woven acoustic ensemble and famous singer Ego Lemos will delight you.
Entry by donation to the Alola Foundation and the Andrew McNaughtan Scholarship. This event takes place at 7.00pm on Monday 26 November at the Mosman Returned Services Club.
Cr Denise Wilton, Mayor of Mosman
