On Monday, February 5thatn the National Center Chega! (NCC), the Prime Minister, Marí Alkatiri launched the program for the preservation of memories from the past, through the research and mapping of historical sites.
Hugo Fernandes, CNC Director, said that nearly 58 historic sites, in Dili, have already been identified, clarifying that “these sites were chosen for their historical significance during the period of fighting for national liberation.”
The CNC Director also referred “the need to approve the legal framework for the historic sites’ preservation in order to create the rules for their rehabilitation and restoration.”
While addressing the audience, the Prime Minister, Marí Alkatiri, declared that “memory cannot be ‘kept away in a drawer’, these memories are a part of our history and cannot die, they must be carried from generation to generation.” The Prime Minister also stressed that “it is necessary to create initiatives that involve the new generation”, and the “history of the national liberation struggle must be included in national school curriculum”.
The CNC Director announced that a memorandum of understanding has already been signed with the Ministry of Education and Culture, with the intent of placing the National Center Chega! materials in the Timorese curriculum, together with the Ministry of Tourism for the historic sites’ mapping and with the Ministry of Justice in regards to drafting the legislative decree that regulates the historical sites protection.
The Prime Minister concluded by stating that “Timor could become a power for historic and cultural tourism.”
The event was also attended by the Minister of Justice, Maria Ângela Carrascalão, and the Minister of Tourism, Manuel Vong.