By Professor Jose Ramos-Horta, Founder of the Dtp

DTP Manual

PREFACE

José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Laureate,

Founder and Patron of the Diplomacy Training Program, and Former President of Timor-Leste

It is with pleasure that I write to welcome you as participants of the Diplomacy Training Program’s Human Rights and Development Program.

In 1989,I established The Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) with colleagues and friends in the human rights movement in Australia and the region. It broke new ground then in focusing on developing the capacity of human rights defenders in the Asia-Pacific region in a very practical way.

In 2017, DTP remains a unique program with its participatory approach to human rights training, combined with its realistic introduction to the complexities of international politics that impact upon the international human rights movement – and the efforts of human rights defenders on the ground.

When I established DTP with the support and involvement of Emeritus Professor Garth Nettheim, the world and the region were quite different. The Berlin Wall had just collapsed and there was an air of euphoria that followed – a real hope that the work for human rights for all would no longer be denied by the old divisions of the Cold War.

Autocratic regimes in S.Korea and the Philippines had been successfully challenged and replaced with democracy. Still the dream of democracy in Indonesia and independence for East Timor was, for many people like myself, a distant hope.

It was in that context that DTP worked with partners in the region, developing understanding of human rightsand building the skills and capacities of advocates.

Now there are over 2800 alumni of DTP programs. The links and relationships that human rights defenders build up spending time together over the course of the training program are long-lasting – they provide a real opportunity to build mutual understanding and solidarity.

Today the region is much changed.

The universality and indivisibility of all human rights were re-affirmed in the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, effectively ending the debate on cultural relativism. All the Governments in the region, including my own, have now ratified human rights treaties.

Indeed,my nation of TimorLeste has ratified most of the core international human rights agreements. Indonesia is a democracy and Timor Leste has become a proud member of the community of nations – even providing humanitarian aid to others affected by war and disaster in a spirit of solidarity.

Some of our dreams and our hopes have become reality, and with this change has come new challenges, including making human rights, the rule of law and democracy the basis, the solid foundation of the future of Timor Leste and the region. These are not abstract concepts or western imported values. They have a real practical meaning in our daily lives. A system of government that is based on the rule of law and respect for human rights ensures accountability, transparency and good governance.

These values are especially important to the challenge of ensuring security – for countries and for people. First and foremost real security must come from laws that protect the citizens, uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Our external security should come from an active diplomatic engagement with our neighbours, fostering diplomatic, economic and cultural ties – building relationships between people on all levels.

We must all work to promote cultures of peace and tolerance where there is ethnic and religious violence. We must strive and appeal for dialogue among the various ethnic groups and religions. All members of society must embark on this process of dialogue to promote tolerance, reconciliation, a culture of peace and democracy. This is the only way towards real peace and security in our world.

The work of the DTP is as important today as when I established it in 1989. The challenge of reaffirming human dignity, of providing hope to those that sometimes have little else to sustain themselves, is just as urgent.

You have been selected to participate because of your experience and potential, and with this opportunity comes responsibility. I wish you a productive time on this course, andwish you luck and success in your efforts to promote and protect human rights in this region we share together.

José Ramos-Horta.

27th Annual Human Rights & People’s Diplomacy Training Program Timor-Leste