Renew The Land Speaker Profile: Luis Mendes Ribeiro

April 7, 2014

Tara bandu from the Perspective of Community Managed Forestry

Luis_Mendes_Ribeiro

Speaker’s name: Luis Mendes Ribeiro.

Position: Head of Department of Forestry Planning, National Directorate of Forestry.

Biography: Born in Usufaso-Luro in July 1975, Luis Mendes Ribeiro completed a Degree in Public Administration (S-1) in 2003 at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Sosial Politik Waskita Dharma Malang-Indonesia. In 2005, he completed a course in Forest Resource Conservation Engineering (S-1) at the Institut Pertanian in Malang-Indonesia.

During the Resistance, he was a member of the Internal Political Front (CNRT) as a mobiliser and key person in the independence campaign. He represented the district of Lautem at the CNRT National Congress in August 2000 and was the only individual delegate to boycott the Congress outcome. This led to the dissolution of CNRT in 2001 and the establishment of Timor-Leste’s multi-party system.

In April 2008 he joined the National Directorate of Forestry as the Natural Tourism Manager, and in June 2011 became the Head of Department of Forestry Planning.

He has been the Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Timor-Leste and was a principal author in establishing the Youth Parliament in 2010.

Presentation Summary

Tara bandu is a traditional, well-established custom with Timorese people that started in the time of the Ancestors. It has been maintained through the generations to the present day. However, tara bandu is more than just a custom or culture; it has been transformed into the character of governance, the ‘indigenous culture’ that can govern people’s lives because of its positive values. This holistic meaning makes tara bandu a more effective method of governance than other laws and regulations, and it can be adapted to any change over time.

From the perspective of community forest management, tara bandu is more effective and successful than state or government laws. This is because the Timorese community is pragmatic and tara bandu has a pragmatic character. It has an establishment process that is simple, participatory and comprehensive, involving consolidation and consultation with the community and community leaders. It therefore involves all levels of society, led by the lia-na’in (shaman) who has the power to call down the natural forces to be the witnesses and spirit of tara bandu, thus tying everyone into accepting its governance. If anyone is brave enough to violate it there are material, moral and spiritual consequences. Timorese people will certainly comply more with tara bandu than with any laws or regulations.

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