JUSTICE BRIEFING NOTE 56005 POOR for the June 2010 Volume 5 | Issue 2 1 T his briefing note examines intergenerational aspects Key Findings of community involvement, trust,2 and authority, and dispute participation/resolution in Timor-Leste, using Young Timorese household heads/spouses are access- findings from the justice module included in an extension of ing information more often and through a wider variety the 2007 Timor-Leste Survey of Living Standards (TLSLS2) of sources than older generations. Radio and television and a review of relevant social-science literature.3 It is hoped dominate as sources of news. Despite higher literacy that this report will be a valuable resource for civil servants, rates amongst youth, print media is not widely used. civil society organizations, and donor agencies working with youth in Timor-Leste. The extension survey (TLSLSx) re- 1 Justice for the Poor (J4P) is a World Bank program that focuses on mainstream- visited a nationally representative subsample of the TLSLS2 ing justice considerations and conflict management into development processes. In between April and October 2008.4 The respondent for the jus- Timor-Leste, J4P began in July of 2008 with the generous support of AusAID. 2 A note on terminology: throughout this report, terms such as "disputes," "conflict," tice module was randomly selected to be the household head and "trust" are used. These terms should be understood as referring to relationships or his/her spouse, and topics included (1) access to informa- between individuals and/or households, and not broader relationships between tion and decision making; (2) opinions and knowledge of the groups (that is, regional, ethnic, and so on). 3 TLSLSx is a supplement to the living-standards survey implemented by the government law; (3) trust and local institutions; and (4) dispute resolution. of Timor-Leste's National Statistics Directorate and the World Bank in 2007. Additional Findings from this survey have been summarized in three data and publications on the TLSLS can be found on the Timor-Leste National Statistics Directorate Web page at http://dne.mof.gov.tl/TLSLS/AboutTLSLS/index.htm. short briefing papers focusing on youth perspectives, land and 4 For additional information related to the survey module, including a breakdown of conflict, and community trust and decision making.5 respondents by region and district, residence (urban or rural), gender, age, and other categories, please see "Justice Module of the Timor-Leste Survey of Living Standards Extension: An Overview" available at http://go.worldbank.org/ZRKELPETD0. The TLSLSx revisited 1,716 household heads or spous- 5 All Justice for the Poor Timor-Leste reports can be accessed at www.worldbank. es across Timor-Leste's 13 districts.6 Fifteen percent7 of org/justiceforthepoor. 6 these respondents fall within the definition of youth (16­30 It should be emphasized that this report presents findings related to youth heads of household and their spouses, and these views are not necessarily representative years of age), compared with the TLSLS2 estimate of youth of youth as a whole. The views and experiences of youth heads of household are (16­30-year-olds) comprising 23 percent8 of the total popu- more likely to be consistent with those of older household heads than to the wider youth population. Youth household heads (particularly women) are also on average lation.9 The report begins by providing a brief context of in- less educated than other youth. Throughout this report, references to findings about tergenerational differences in Timor-Leste, before continuing "youth" should be understood as youth household heads. 7 with a discussion of (i) access to information and community Ninety-five percent Confidence Interval (C.I.) (13.1­16.8). 8 Ninety-five percent C.I. (22.6­23.6). involvement; (ii) youth, trust, and authority; and (iii) disputes 9 Nationally, 24 percent of youth are heads of household/spouses (18 percent in urban and dispute resolution. Throughout, the authors pay particular areas, and 27 percent in rural). Thirty-four percent of female youth were household heads/spouses nationally (25 percent urban, 39 percent rural) vs. 14 percent of male attention to differences between elder and youth household youth (12 percent in urban areas, 16 percent in rural). These statistics indicated that heads/spouses, and between male and female youth. young women marry earlier, and tend to marry older men. This report was written by Pamela Dale (Consultant, J4P-TL), Kristen Himelein (World Bank, Development Economics Research Group), Denis Nikitin (Consultant, World Bank South Asia Human Development), and Angie Bexley (Anthropologist, Australia National University). Kristen Himelein, Geraldo Moniz da Silva (Consultant, J4P-TL), and the staff of the government of Timor-Leste's National Statistics Directorate partici- pated extensively in the planning and implementation of the research. Lene Ostergaard (Coordinator, J4P-TL), Matthew Stephens (TTL, J4P-TL), David Butterworth (Consultant, J4P-TL), Manohar Sharma (Sr Poverty Specialist, EASPR), and Peter Lanjouw (Research Manager, DECPI) pro- vided useful comments on drafts of this report. THE WORLD BANK Timorese youth household heads' level of participa- the population.13 Fed by population growth of 3.3 percent tion in community life is consistent with that of el- per year, the Timorese population (currently 1.1 million) is ders. Approximately half of youth heads of house- expected to triple--and in some scenarios, quadruple--by hold/spouses have participated in a community 2050.14 Growth will be concentrated primarily in urban ar- meeting in the past year, and 64 percent spoke at the eas, due to both high birth rates and urban migration, and last meeting they attended. However, young men are the urban population is expected to reach that of rural areas much more likely to speak at community meetings by 2040, surpassing it soon thereafter.15 While urban areas than young women. Attendance at community meet- generally offer better access to education, health, and other ings is strongly associated with a sense of involve- services, unemployment remains a serious risk, as youth are ment in the life of the community. joining an economy where nonfarm opportunities are rare. Most (92 percent) Timorese household heads/spouses At present, approximately 16,000 Timorese youth enter the in all age groups feel safe in their community, and 92 job market each year; by 2025, this is estimated to increase percent believe that their property is safe. While Ti- to 20,000 annually.16 By contrast, just 400 jobs are created morese household heads/spouses hold a high level of annually in the formal sector.17 Barring substantial growth trust in people in their own and neighboring commu- in nonfarm job opportunities, Timor-Leste's unemployment nities, young women are significantly less likely (72 rate, currently 33 percent for Timorese between 25 and 34,18 percent) to describe those in neighboring communities may increase considerably in the coming decade. as trustworthy than young men (92 percent). Both formal/state and traditional authorities play an Youth bulges are often associated with an increase in vio- important role in community life in Timor-Leste. Most lence,19 particularly when combined with high unemployment disputes are resolved by traditional authorities (adat and urban migration. In Timor-Leste, these forces have con- bodies or chefes suco/aldeia), but choice of dispute- tributed to the deterioration of formal and informal social con- resolution venues is dependent on the type of dispute. trols, economic and social exclusion, exposure to unproductive Satisfaction with dispute-resolution bodies is high and criminal activities, and a sense of political and cultural across all age groups, though respondents reported that marginalization amongst youth.20 Timorese youth were widely many formal dispute-resolution fora (that is, courts, implicated in political violence surrounding the 2007 par- judges) were not available in their community. Youth liamentary elections, as well as violence targeting internally heads of household/spouses are more likely than elders to use state dispute-resolution institutions, and are also 10 more likely to express satisfaction with these bodies. In Timorese society, "youth" is understood sociohistorically rather than solely bio- logically. For the sake of this report, youth is defined as those 30 and younger, consis- tent with the definition in Timor-Leste's National Youth Policy. The survey targeted household heads (that is, the primary individual responsible for household welfare and decision making), and the youth surveyed in this report self-identified as such. The Context for Intergenerational 11 The literacy rate (ability to both read and write a letter) for those 30 and under Differences in Timor-Leste is twice that of the older generation (TLSLSx), and 64 percent of youth household heads/spouses have attained at least some postprimary education, a 40 percentage point jump over their older peers (TLSLSx). The differences are most apparent Youth in Timor-Leste have come of age in a period of change. among women; young women heads of household/spouses are four times more likely The transition from youth to adulthood has kept step with than older women to have achieved at least some postprimary education (TLSLSx). 12 World Bank, "Policy Note on Population Growth and its Implications in Timor- the nation's evolution from occupied territory to independent Leste," Human Development Sector Reports, East Asia and Pacific Region (Wash- state, and with the gradual shift from centralized control to ington, DC: World Bank, 2008), http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTTIMOR- democratic decision making. Today's youth (those 30 years LESTE/Data%20and%20Reference/21988255/PopulationGrowth2008English. pdf. Accessed June 2010. of age and under10) share a unique educational and linguistic 13 Timor-Leste, Directorate of National Statistics, Final Statistical Abstract: Timor- heritage, and many of their attitudes and values about trust, Leste Survey of Living Standards 2007 (Dili, Timor-Leste: Directorate of National Statistics, 2008), http://202.72.106.130/TLSLS/Publication/finalstatisticalabstract. community, and authority were formed during the latter years pdf. Accessed June 2010. of the clandestine independence movement and the recent 14 World Bank, "Policy Note on Population Growth." 15 transition period. Ibid. 16 Ibid. 17 UN Development Programme (UNDP), "The Millennium Development Goals, In the years since independence, Timorese youth have Timor-Leste 2009" (New York: UNDP, 2009), http://www.tl.undp.org/MDGs/ MDGs_File/UNDP_MDGReport_Final.pdf. Accessed June 2010. embraced new opportunities for mobility, educational attain- 18 Of TLSLS2 respondents between the ages of 25 and 34, 67.6 percent had reported ment,11 and participation in government, and in the process participation in the labor force in the seven days prior to the survey. Among youth have been exposed to new perspectives. But with the new op- 15­24, this figure dropped to 42.9 percent. See Timor-Leste, Directorate of National Statistics, Final Statistical Abstract. portunities available to young adults comes new challenges. 19 See for example: Henrik Urdal, "A Clash of Generations? Youth Bulges and Politi- Timor-Leste is an overwhelmingly youthful society; the me- cal Violence," International Studies Quarterly 50 (2006): 607­629. 20 World Bank, "Timor-Leste's Youth in Crisis: Situational Analysis and Poli- dian age is 16.1 years12--lower than all but three nations-- cy Options" (Washington, DC: World Bank, 2007), http://go.worldbank.org/ and children and youth under 24 account for 62 percent of Z70O4OM4Z0. Accessed June 2010. displaced persons and opportunistic violence during the 2006 Interestingly, youth respondents were considerably crisis.21 Gang and martial arts-group violence (largely, though less likely than older respondents to rely upon friends and not exclusively, involving young men) is an ongoing problem, neighbors for national news (11 percent vs. 20 percent26), particularly in Dili and other urban centers.22 While various particularly in rural areas. Print media plays a negligible government and nongovernmental organization (NGO) pro- role in access to news, due to a variety of factors includ- grams targeting youth empowerment, skills building, short- ing low literacy rates across generations, limited distribu- term employment, and conflict reduction have been introduced tion, cost, quality, and Timor-Leste's language complex- in Timor-Leste, the economic and demographic realities of the ity.27 These challenges and the media preferences of young nation continue to present a considerable challenge. adults are important for governments, donors, and NGOs to keep in mind when designing programs and messaging Changes in the social and political environment of Timor- targeting youth. Leste, both positive and negative, have created a Timorese youth perspective that is in many ways distinct from that of Community Involvement older segments of the population. As today's youth emerge as Youth household heads' rates of involvement in community a numerically dominant force, their values and views will in life are consistent with those of older generations. Approxi- turn come to define the direction of the nation in the medium mately half of all respondents indicated that they had attend- term. In the remainder of this report, we examine those val- ed a community meeting in the past year, and of these, 62 ues in more detail, and discuss the ways in which they con- percent28 had spoken during those meetings; differences in form to and differ from those of previous generations. attendance and participation between youth and elders were statistically insignificant. However, when disaggregating for gender, differences emerge. While young women attended Reaching Youth: Access to Information community meetings at a rate similar to that of young men and Community Involvement (52 percent and 49 percent, respectively), young female re- spondents were 13 percentage points less likely to have spo- Access to Information ken at the most recent meeting attended.29 Youth in Timor-Leste, both male and female, are accessing information more often and through a wider variety of media The survey data conflicts with mainstream analysis that than previous generations. Ninety percent of young survey re- youth are less engaged in their communities than elders. spondents indicated at least occasional access to radio, televi- While attendance and participation in community meetings sion, or print media, compared to 78 percent of those over 30 is not necessarily indicative of decision-making power, com- years of age.23 The differences in access are most pronounced munity meetings clearly play an important role in community in rural areas, where youth respondents are 13 percentage life. Though causality cannot be determined from these data, points more likely than elders to have access to media.24 nearly all individuals who had attended a community meet- Youth are also significantly more likely to have regular (three ing in the previous year felt that they were involved in com- or more days per week) access to the most common media munity decision making, while just 4 percent of those who source, radio (73 percent vs. 58 percent, respectively).25 had not attended such meetings felt involved.30 For youth and elder respondents alike, radio and televi- sion are the dominant sources of national news (see chart 1). 21 Ibid. 22 James Scambary, Hippolito Da Gama, and Joao Barreto, "A Survey of Gangs and Youth Groups in Dili, Timor-Leste" (Canberra: AusAID, 2006), http://www.etan. org/etanpdf/2006/Report_Youth_Gangs_in_Dili.pdf. Accessed June 2010. Chart 1: Sources of National News 23 Ninety-five percent C.I.s are (85.0­94.7) and (72.8­83.6), respectively. 24 This difference is statistically significant at the 1 percent level (t = 3.12). 25 This difference is statistically significant at the 1 percent level (t = 3.68). 26 60% This difference is statistically significant at the 10 percent confidence level (t = 1.93). 50% 27 While Tetum is the preferred language for both oral and written communication, it 40% is a developing language and lacks both standardization and a full vocabulary. Com- pounding this problem, most political leaders speak Portuguese (which is, along 30% with Tetum, Timor-Leste's official language) in formal settings, and journalists are largely Indonesian educated and lack Portuguese fluency. 20% 28 Ninety-five percent C.I. (55.6­67.7). 10% 29 The difference in attendance between young males and young females is not sta- tistically significant (t = 0.24). The difference between young males and young fe- 0% males who have spoken is also not significant (t = 0.99), though there are only 101 TV News Radio Friends/Neighbors Other observations in this subsample. 30 Overall Under 30 30+ The relevant question is: "Do you feel sufficiently involved in the community decision-making process?" Youth, Trust, and Authority Chart 2: Responsibility for Law and Order 100% Trust and Safety 80% Youth exposure to crimes and violence, and particularly youth involvement in gang activity, is a widespread concern 60% in Timor-Leste.31 Despite this, 92 percent32 of survey respon- 40% dents reported feeling safe or very safe in their neighbor- hoods.33 Similarly, 90 percent34 of respondents felt that their 20% belongings were safe. There was no statistically relevant dif- 0% ference among age groups or genders. Overall Men under 30 Women under 30 Police Community Both While generally survey respondents reported high levels of trust in people both in their own and other neighborhoods (82 percent and 81 percent, respectively), striking variations flict. Indeed, a significant source of instability in Timor-Leste emerged between young men and women.35 Ninety percent during 2006­07 was outbursts of communal violence involv- of young male respondents reported that either "everyone" ing male-dominated gangs and martial arts groups. Another or "most" of their neighbors are trustworthy, while just 72 enduring aspect of the 2006 conflict was turf wars between percent of young women respondents defined their neighbors eastern and western gangs over control of the major com- this way.36 Though this lower level of trust was not manifest- mercial centers and bus terminals, and the protection of gam- ed in feelings of risk to self or property, additional research bling rackets--a major source of employment, patronage, would be useful to determine the reasons behind this finding. and power. Authority and Decision Making Despite very visible incidences of violence and conflict in Past studies of Timor-Leste have highlighted the continued Timor-Leste, survey respondents reported that the overall level importance of traditional leaders in both ritual and daily of disputes in the country was lower than expected, with 30.5 life, and evidence from this survey shows continued support percent41 of households reporting a dispute directly involving for customary dispute resolution (see Disputes and Dispute a household member in the previous year.42 Those disputes Resolution below).37 Responses to questions on authority and decision making in Timor-Leste revealed mixed views on the roles of formal and informal authority structures. Overall, 55 31 See for example World Bank, "Timor-Leste's Youth in Crisis"; Small Arms Sur- percent of survey respondents indicated that police were pri- vey, "Groups, Gangs and Armed Violence in Timor-Leste," Timor-Leste Armed marily responsible for maintaining law and order, with the re- Violence Assessment Issue Brief 2 (Apr 2009), http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/ files/portal/spotlight/country/asia_pdf/asia-timor-leste-TLAVA-IB2-En.pdf. Ac- maining 45 percent viewing this as a community or a shared cessed June 2010; and Scambary et al., "A Survey of Gangs." responsibility.38 Small variations existed between generations 32 Ninety-five percent C.I. (88.2­93.9). 33 Question: "How safe do you or other members of your household feel with respect and ages (with men and older generations slightly more like- to physical threat/violence in your neighborhood?" ly to view law and order as a police responsibility), but the 34 Ninety-five percent C.I. (87.6­93.5). 35 most evident variation was between young men and young Question: "In general, how trustworthy are the neighbors in your community/ people from neighboring communities?" women. Three-quarters of male household heads under 30 36 This difference is statistically significant at the 5 percent level (t = 2.58). years of age placed this responsibility with the police, while 37 See for example Volker Boege et al., "On Hybrid Political Orders and Emerging States: State Formation in the Context of `Fragility,'" Berghof Handbook Dia- over half of young women household heads believed it to be logue No 8 (Berlin: Berghof Research Center for Constructive Conflict Manage- a community responsibility.39 ment, 2008), http://www.berghof-handbook.net/documents/publications/boege_ etal_handbook.pdf. Accessed June 2010. 38 Respondents were asked to select from two options: "The main responsibility Young women were also more likely than young men to for maintaining law and order in the community is with the police," or "The main believe that nonviolent disputes should be resolved within responsibility for maintaining law and order in the community is with the chefe de suco and the community itself " (emphasis in original). "Both" and "neither" were the community rather than the courts (48 percent of young possible but discouraged options. Means for each category with ninety-five per- women believed this vs. 36 percent of young men).40 cent C.I.s in parenthesis : police 54.6 percent (48.7­60.5), community 35.0 percent (28.1­41.9), and both/neither 9.9 percent (7.2­12.7). 39 The difference between young men and young women believing that the police hold the primary responsibility for law and order in the community is statistically Disputes and Dispute Resolution significant at the 1 percent level (t = 3.39). 40 The two options were: "It is better for nonviolent disputes to be resolved within the community," and "The formal court system is designed to be fair to all citi- Youth and Disputes zens, and is the best place to take nonviolent disputes." The C.I. for young men is In the literature on conflict, youth often appear as a volatile 18.9­51.9, and for young women 37.2­59.1. 41 Ninety-five percent C.I. (24.8­36.3). and destructive demographic, where disenfranchised young 42 The relevant question asked about disputes experienced by individuals or their people, especially males, are often the agents of violent con- households in the previous year. that were reported were generally related to land (27 percent) Conclusions and theft (23 percent), and were rarely violent, with only 8 percent43 resulting in physical injury. There was a widely held Youth in Timor-Leste have access to new ideas, information, perception among urban respondents (75 percent44) that youth and opportunities, and have been confronted by challenges were primarily responsible when violent conflict did occur.45 that are unique in comparison with those of previous gen- This view was shared by both youth and older respondents.46 erations. The distinctive experiences of young adults are of- Overall, male youth--those often perceived as both the most ten reflected in their outlooks; for example, youth heads of common perpetrators and victims of violence--were most household are often more likely than their older peers to en- likely to attribute violence principally to youth.47 However, gage with and trust officials of the formal state. However, dif- studies of youth crime during the 2006­07 crisis point to an ferences emerge between young men and young women, and insistence by many youth that they were not "instigators" of in several cases, such as differences in perspectives on the crime, but were acting on behalf of others,48 and many pres- trustworthiness of neighbors, gender appears to play a larger ent-day conflicts had their genesis long before any of the con- role than age in shaping respondents' perspectives. Yet one temporary political parties or gangs were formed.49 trend appears to transcend both age and gender: respondents displayed a high level of faith and satisfaction in traditional Dispute Pathways authorities and practices. The findings in this briefing paper As indicated in the section on authority and decision making, point to the continued importance of using a diverse range approximately equivalent numbers of respondents believed of media and methods for reaching different age groups and that dispute-resolution responsibility rested primarily with the genders in Timor-Leste, and for continuing to involve com- community as with the formal system. When asked about the munity-level authorities in efforts to promote change, share first institution to which respondents would turn in the case of information, and engage with Timorese youth. a hypothetical dispute, the nature of the dispute played a key role in respondent replies. For instance, in cases of violence against individuals,50 approximately half of all respondents would turn to the national police, with the remainder turn- ing to village chiefs or other traditional leaders. However, in property-boundary disputes within the village,51 more than 80 percent52 of respondents indicated that they would first take the dispute to their traditional leadership. Interestingly, the 43 variation in reported dispute-resolution fora generally cannot Ninety-five percent C.I. (4.4­11.8). 44 Ninety-five percent C.I. (60.8­90.0). be explained by gender, age, or residence (rural or urban). 45 When asked which age group was mainly involved in the violence, 75 percent (C.I. 60.8­90.0) of urban respondents responded "youth," and an additional 13 per- Satisfaction with Dispute-Resolution cent answered "youth and nonyouth." In rural areas, 34 percent of respondents re- ported that youth were primarily responsible, 37 percent said both youth and nony- Venues outh, and the remainder replied "nonyouth." 46 Unsurprisingly, there is wide variation in the types of insti- Seventy-nine percent of urban youth respondents and 75 percent of urban re- spondents over 30 years of age reported that youth were primarily responsible tutions available in communities across Timor-Leste. While for violence. nearly 100 percent of respondents of all ages reported the 47 Sixty-five percent of young male respondents indicated that youth were primarily responsible for violence, compared with 43 percent of young women, 43 percent of presence of adat leaders, chefes suco/aldeia, national police, men over 30 years of age, and 46 percent of women over 30. and subdistrict level government authorities, very few report- 48 Natalie Grove et al., "Like Stepping Stones in a River: Youth Perspectives on the ed that the Provedor's Office [the Ombudsman's Office for Crisis in Timor-Leste," Report Prepared for Plan Timor-Leste (Dili, Timor-Leste: Plan International, 2007), http://www.sphcm.med.unsw.edu.au/SPHCMWeb.nsf/ Human Rights and Justice] (22 percent), paralegals/lawyers/ resources/Timor-Leste_Final_Stepping_Stones.pdf/$file/Timor-Leste_Final_Step- legal aid (30 percent), or courts/judges (29 percent) were ping_Stones.pdf. Accessed June 2010. 49 Janet Gunter, "Communal Conflict in Viqueque and the `Charged' History of present.53 Even where respondents had limited experience `59,'" The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology 8 no. 1 (2007): 27­41. with a dispute-resolution venue, reported satisfaction was 50 The question asked where respondents would first take a dispute where "Your high. Among youth, for example, just 0.4 percent were dis- younger brother was beaten up by people from a neighboring village." 51 The question asked where respondents would first take a dispute where "Your satisfied with the performance of their chefe aldeia or suco, household is experiencing a property boundary dispute with another household." 1.5 percent with traditional leaders or adat authorities, and 52 Ninety-five percent C.I. (72.2­89.4). 53 These numbers represent the percentage of respondents who did not answer "not 11.7 percent with subdistrict government officials.54 It is im- available here" to the question "How satisfied are you with [institution]?" The portant to note that satisfaction is often based on respondents' prevalence of courts is very low in Timor-Leste--just four are available nation- impressions, rather than firsthand (or even secondhand) ex- wide--and the numbers are similarly low for other representatives of the formal legal system. Thus, respondents were most likely not stating that (for example) the perience. For example, while the majority of respondents re- Provedor's Office was available in their community specifically, but rather that they ported satisfaction with subdistrict government officials, just recognized that it was available to them. 54 C.I.s are: 0.4 percent (­0.4­1.2 percent), 1.5 percent (­0.4­3.3 percent), 11.7 per- 18 percent reported that they or someone in their household cent (6.0­17.4 percent). With the exception of a very small difference in satisfaction had had a personal experience with this office. in chefes, no differences in satisfaction between youth and nonyouth were found. Women, state law and land in peri-urban settlements on Mapping Indigenous Communal Lands: A Review of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands by Rebecca Monson, Vol- the Literature from a Cambodian Perspective by Daniel ume 4 Issue 3, March 2010 Adler, Jeremy Ironside and Mean Ratanak, Volume 3 Is- Expanding State, Expectant Citizens: Local Perspectives sue 2, October 2009 on Government Responsibility in Timor-Leste by David Coercion to Conversion: Push and Pull Pressures on Butterworth, Volume 4 Issue 2, February 2010 Custom Land in Vanuatu by Justin Haccius, Volume 3 Is- Women's Access to Land in Kenya by Andrew Harrington, sue 1, March 2009 Volume 4 Issue 1, January 2010 Legal Aid Days as a Research Tool: Experiences from Contracts, Land Tenure and Rural Development in Timor- Northern Kenya by Benita Ayuko and Tanja Chopra, Vol- Leste by Rod Nixon, Volume 3 Issue 3, November 2009 ume 2 Issue 4, September 2008 What is Justice for the Poor? Justice for the Poor (J4P) is a global research and development program aimed at informing, designing and supporting pro-poor approaches to justice reform. It is an approach to justice reform which: Sees justice from the perspective of the poor/ marginalized Is grounded in social and cultural contexts Recognizes the importance of demand in building equitable justice systems Understands justice as a cross-sectoral issue Justice for the Poor in Timor-Leste is part of the AusAID- Justice for the Poor Initiative. This Initiative includes work in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Timor- Leste and Indonesia, as well as regional thematic activities. Contact us at j4p@worldbank.org and visit our web- site www.worldbank.org/justiceforthepoor for further information. Justice for the Poor Briefing Notes provide up-to-date information on current topics, findings, and concerns of J4P's multi-country research. The views expressed in the notes are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the World Bank.