Empowering respected village leaders
Supporting a grassroots process to legitimize and position a completely new association of village councils
A dichotomy exists between Timor-Leste's heavily centralized state and its largely rural population. While local villages, or sucos, have historically had a place in the hierarchy, the role and legitimacy of this structure has changed dramatically in recent years. Viewed almost as a small kingdom with a chief appointed to maintain local law and order during the Portuguese colonial era, a suco was incorporated into the government administration during Indonesian times. Today, however, the contemporary suco, while locally elected, is not an official part of the government structure despite having important administrative and representative functions and serving as the primary link between citizens and line agencies. We're working closely with over 150 suco councils to strengthen their ability to deliver services, such as protecting water sources and managing community-owned lands, while introducing concepts of inter-suco cooperation and inter-sectoral planning. As a result, we are witnessing suco councils independently undertake grassroots processes to establish their own official association at the district level. By combining efforts among sucos, The Asia Foundation is working to build an environment of greater accountability, transparency, and participation where citizens gain greater control over their own resources and development.