​Dr. Nilton Da Silva aus Timor-Leste besuchte im Mai für vier Wochen das Kantonsspital St.Gallen, um sich in der Orthopädie, vor allem im Bereich Wirbelsäulenchirurgie, weiterzubilden. Nach seiner Rückkehr, möchte er diesen Bereich im National Hospital in Dili, der Hauptstadt von Timor-Leste, mit verschiedenen Kooperationen aufbauen. 

Lesen Sie den gesamten Artikel in den beigefügten Files.

​In der Asylpolitik habe Kanzlerin Merkel alles richtig gemacht, sagt der Friedensnobelpreisträger José Ramos-Horta – und erklärt, was die EU in Sachen Migration tun sollte. 
PAUL STARZMANN

Herr Ramos-Horta, der Umgang mit Flüchtlingen entzweit die deutsche Gesellschaft. Kanzlerin Merkel steht seit 2015 unter politischem Druck, der sich gerade erst wieder entladen hat. Hat Frau Merkel in ihrer Asylpolitik Fehler gemacht?


Die Bundeskanzlerin hat damals richtig gehandelt. Hätte sie sich 2015 anders entschieden und die Flüchtlinge nicht willkommen geheißen, wären die Folgen katastrophal gewesen. Das hätte riesige Probleme ausgelöst – von Ungarn bis in die Türkei. Ich bin sicher, in den Geschichtsbüchern wird einmal stehen: Merkel hat damals Europa gerettet. Ich kann sagen, dass ich sie bewundere – für ihre kluge und mitfühlende Art, mit der sie Deutschland regiert und Europa führt. Wir leben in schwierigen Zeiten. Da brauchen wir mutige und weitsichtige Politiker wie Merkel.

Von der Willkommenskultur ist allerdings nicht mehr viel übrig. Europa schottet sich ab.
​
Ich verstehe das europäische Problem in der Flüchtlingsfrage. Die Länder der EU haben ihre eigenen politischen, wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Herausforderungen. Europa kann nicht alle Flüchtlinge der Welt aufnehmen. Das sollte man auch klar so sagen.


Ist die Abschottung also richtig?

Nein, was ich meine ist: Die europäischen Regierungen müssen in der Flüchtlingsfrage eine Einigung finden und eine feste Zahl nennen, wie viele Menschen jedes Land aufnehmen kann.

Manche Regierungschefs wie Ungarns Ministerpräsident Orbán wollen aber gar keine Flüchtlinge aufnehmen.

Auch solche Positionen müssen wir verstehen. Ungarn ist ein kleines Land mit wenig Erfahrung, was Einwanderung betrifft. Hier muss die EU den Dialog weiterführen.

Sie sind also optimistisch, was eine Lösung im EU-Streit zur Migrationspolitik angeht?

Ja. Wichtig ist außerdem, dass die Migrationsfrage nicht nur eine europäische ist. Oft wird vergessen, dass sich viele Länder der Verantwortung für die Aufnahme von Flüchtlingen entziehen. Es muss zum Beispiel mehr Druck auf Staaten wie Saudi-Arabien geben, Flüchtlinge aufzunehmen. Es ist inakzeptabel, dass die Saudis im Jemen Krieg führen, aber keine Flüchtlinge aufnehmen.

José Ramos-Hortas ist der ehemalige Präsident des südasiatischen Staats Osttimor. Für das Engagement gegen Gewalt und Unterdrückung in seinem Land wurde ihm 1996 der Friedensnobelpreis verliehen.

Quelle: tagesspiegel.de
Zum Interview bitte hier klicken

East Timor Development Agency (ETDA) is pleased to provide this report following the Official Opening of the ETDA kiln fired ceramic pottery training course on the 22nd November 2017. The opening for the ceramic pottery, a project initiative from Timor Foundation, was a great success attended by President of Timor Foundation, Josè Ramos-Horta and the CEO Miss Barbara Lietz and over 220 guests and visitors. There was considerable media interest in Official Opening from the media who provided good coverage of the opening through National Television advertising. 
 
A special mention and a great deal of credit must go to the experienced international pottery maestro Peter a monk from Switzerland who is a part of the ceramic pottery initiative from Timor Foundation, since his arrival in Timor-Leste, has displayed a true passion, dedication, experience and ability in selecting, identifying and developing ETDA’s 5 training candidates From a field of 10 hopefuls at the start of the training. Peter departed Timor-Leste on the 5th December this year after providing an excellent foundation for the students to learn pottery skills.
 
The 5 specially selected students are continuing to practice skills passed on from their time under the guidance and mentoring of Peter in producing pottery related items. All are showing a high degree of dedication, application in skill and potential to be developed into professional pottery craftsmen. Peter’s ability to work with the students to pass on his considerable knowledge and skill in the creation of pottery cannot be understated.
 
While the pottery training students have already produced quality ceramic pieces of work under the guidance of Peter, it is clear that they would benefit from additional training to develop their skills and ability in the creation of ceramic pottery products. ETDA wishes to advise that in Timor-Leste, there is a difficulty with achieving the right colour at present due to the clay mixture here. If there is any advice or information on how to correct this, ETDA would welcome any such information or advice on overcoming the colour issue.
 
Since Pierre has departed the shores of Timor-Leste, the students trained by Pierre have progressed to a production stage where they are now producing quality kiln fired ceramic items for the local market. Our ceramic employees are continuing to develop their decorative skills with a focus on Timor-Leste cultural aspects and traditions.
 
ETDA has produced a colour brochure to market our kiln fired decorative ceramic products and agreements have been reached with several commercial business to promote and display our range of pottery items at the Timor-Leste Airport, Timor Plaza, Hotel Timor Hotel, Eco Discovery Hotel

​
Further, ETDA has registered 5 new students to undergo training in the creation and production of kiln fired pottery products with a view to provide additional employment opportunities for Timor-Leste youth. 
 
ETDA sees a very big future for this initiative both in the areas of promoting and developing youth employment skills and its contribution to the Tourisms industry in Timor-Leste. As ETDA is the only training organisation in this country with a dedicated kiln dried oven in Timor-Leste and to have the benefit of a highly experienced and dedicated training in Peter, ETDA expects a high degree of future interest from students wishing to undergo this training.
 
ETDA is genuinely excited about the future in pottery training and production in Timor-Leste and recognises the time, effort and skill it takes to become professional at creating the range of pottery items under expert trainer tuition experienced with Peter. ETDA therefore would like to respectfully request that if there is any likelihood for any of the current training candidates to be offered future developmental opportunities in pottery training in Switzerland, we would be delighted to take up any opportunity that may be available. 
 
ETDA again wishes to recognize the valuable and important support Timor Foundation has provided for this opportunity for ETDA students to be able to have access to a professional trainer and training equipment in producing quality pottery items. ETDA is committed to providing opportunities for Timorese youth and is grateful for the ongoing support offered through Timor Foundation and Scope Asia in Timor, Timor-Leste developing Tourism industry.
 
The Director of ETDA trusts that this update will confirm our commitment in continuing to lead and promote professional and quality training to the youth of Timor-Leste. Our cooperation with Timor Foundation and Scope Asia Timor is a success story for the whole country. 

For generations it was said that leaders don’t let themselves be influenced by their emotions. Today I claim the opposite: Only someone who is emotionally invested can make the right decisions. Why? Modern leaders operate in an environment that is ever-changing, risky and highly complex. Reflecting on the personal self, making yourself aware of your emotional state creates an important guard rail for leaders.
 
Change from within!
The digitalization has brought many new business models with it and also invalidates old management theories. Rigid processes are replaced by temporary projects and changing responsibilities. The effect: Flatter hierarchical structures and more democracy.
What makes someone a good manager today? The ability to shape transition and change. Together with colleagues I have developed concrete suggestions of how this can look in practice.
However many companies don’t have this level of confidence in their managers. Often consultants are hired who are meant to facilitate the necessary change. Why don’t we trust in our own people? Usually they know best how the business runs.
But we need to enable them to reflect on themselves in the midst of an overstrained and over-complex environment. For the business this means a paradigm shift.
It necessitates a new definition of the term human leadership. And a new solution: Letting go of processes, giving away control, but definitely maintaining leadership. Sounds easy, but it isn’t.

More attention!
Because, for the leaders of tomorrow this means that they need to see themselves as relationship managers. Their task lies in linking employees on all hierarchical levels in a way that enables them to work together. To achieve this managers have to understand themselves as “emotional leaders” who inspire their employees and engage themselves in achieving common goals. This also entails communicating effectively which results are expected from employees and why they are important.
Companies have to empower their leaders accordingly. The goal that I have set for my team and myself is ambitious:
We want to spread a mindset at all management levels which fits to these requirements. Attentiveness is the accompanying keyword. We want our managers to trust in their own abilities more and pay better attention to others as well as themselves. Being attentive of ourselves and others is not something we are born with.
It has to be learned, fostered and above all it has to be lived. This is enabled by a company structure that creates more room for self-reflection. Our brain is trained to rate every perception immediately.
This reflex is beneficial to make quick decisions in daily business. But simultaneously it also cements our thinking habits and leaves little room for innovation. Because of this the concept of attentiveness holds a radical challenge: Don’t give in to your accustomed thinking reflexes.
 
Shift down!
To do this managers often first have to shift down a gear. Learning to concentrate on the here and now. Creating room for future ideas and solutions which keep the company competitive and fit for the digital transition. A colleague remarked fittingly: ”It is as if the head is a glass filled with water and sand. If I stir it all day it becomes murky. But if I allow it to rest and let the sand settle, I am able to gain a better perspective.“
I have made the experience that one shouldn’t react to problems (only) with restructuring and process optimization. Because this changes nothing about the behaviors. Someone who is aware of their emotions can reflect on them, look at them with a certain distance and is able to act more consciously rather than impulsively and by reflex. This opens up a greater scope of action that allows for better results. Usually it is the small things – the”here-and-now-moments“– which enable change. an awareness has to be created to achieve this.
For example, in my team we start every meeting with a “Mindful Minute”: Paying attention to your own body, feeling your emotions, concentrating on the moment and focusing your thoughts.
Essentially we dial it down a little, reflect on what is most important, are more sensible to the moods of others and are able to engage with one another more effectively. Small changes — large impact: We communicate more openly and directly and thus also more efficiently.
​
Radical change! More pioneer spirit!
Leading through empathy, breaking open old behavioral patterns by creating systematic awareness, these aren’t brand new methods.
However in my mind they are without alternatives, if we want to stem the challenges of digitalization. At our company these are now compulsory performance criteria which our employees are measured by.
Only through a new awareness towards these so-called “soft” factors of company leadership will we be able to facilitate a sustainable transformation and the necessary cultural change. Our company  is entering uncharted territory, they say.
 „The true discovery lies not in finding new territory, but in seeing things in a new light“
The digital transformation needs pioneers. What these pioneers need as armament in modern labor policy is something we should to discuss with interested companies in the next future. 

Written by Barbara Lietz, CEO Scope Asia Switzerland and Timor

​After opening a watershop in Canossa Comoro last December, there is a further step done which successfully has taken place. More than 20 people have participated in the workshop about water production, opportunities and other water solutions from Trunz Water systems in Canossa Comoro.
Government authorities and people from the water production field in Dili attended this workshop.

Oe-cusse, a coastal exclave in the Western part of the island Timor, separated by the rest of Timor Leste. ZEESM Government of Oe-cusse ordered the complete water production equipment from Trunz Water Systems. This contains not only the TWM001 machine but also the bag-in-box system from Scope Asia AG Switzerland. The Installation was done in April with the help of the technical support from Ronny Graul and our technical team from Scope Asia Timor LDA.
 
Operational Trainings and Management Training will be done in cooperation with Scope Asia AG Switzerland and Timor in Oe-cusse during the next few month. 

A further step in the direction of a Timor Leste with clean water is done.
The Embassy of Brunei is now in possession of a TWM001 water machine from Trunz Water systems.
Clean drinkable water is available in all office rooms of the Embassy. 

Belonging to the young generation of Timor Leste, I believe that we posses the creativity in many different ways. What we need are some people who can support us and show us the way on how to develop our own creativity, ideas, and capacity: as a developing country we have a chance to learn, achieve and prove to ourselves, our Nation, and other Countries that we can do this.

It has been almost 2 years since I met the CEO of Timor Foundation, Ms. Barbara Lietz. She introduced me to the Foundation and how she runs it: helping people to help themselves. From that time, I knew I would work with her because we share the same vision, that is do something for my people, my Country. These people have the right to get clean water, healthcare and education, but for what I see now, there are still issues for them to get drinkable water, especially in rural areas, as there is still need for support in healthcare. Even for what concerns education, I am so proud to say that my people, Timorese, are so intelligent and so smart, that they deserve the right education programs to teach them how and what to do, that is why we need vocational training.

Of course I am very optimistic that we are in the process to get to those points. With the great team, our President of Timor Foundation Excellency Dr. Ramos Horta, and all the board member who have their capabilities in every sector, I believe we can do something special and the Foundation is ready to support.

Also Scope Asia Switzerland and Scope Asia Timor, who focus on the development of smart solution for major infrastructure challenges in Timor leste, might provide us with support. Swiss reliability meets Asian creativity and it will be excellent. I cannot wait to see my Country, my people in the coming years, to benefit from higher quality in every sector. The key is to be creative, work together as a team work, always positive, work harder and we will see a good result.

I will encourage other Countries to come and support us and I will encourage my people, Timorese, to open their heart, mind and hand to receive the supports. Last but not least, I would like to say “NEVER GIVE UP” I got this from my mentor Ms. Barbara Lietz and I want to share this message to others.

Dahlia Guterres Bernardo