The Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Agio Pereira, representing Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão, participated as a speaker in the lecture entitled ‘25 Years of Independence: The Role of Teachers and Students in Building the Timorese State’. This initiative, organised by the Ministry of Education through INFORDEPE and the General Coordination of the CAFE School Project, took place on August 27^th, 2024, in the Ian Martin Hall at INFORDEPE’s premises in Dili, as part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Popular Consultation. 

The event brought together teachers, students, and leaders from the education sector to promote reflection on the essential role of education in consolidating the Timorese State. It emphasised the importance of collaboration between teachers and students in forming citizens who are aware of and committed to the future of Timor-Leste.

During his speech, Minister Agio Pereira emphasised the importance of teachers and students in national development, referring to teachers as the ‘new heroes’ in nation-building. He also recalled that the Popular Consultation of August 30^th, 1999 was a historic milestone, marking a crucial turning point in the country’s history.

The Minister also highlighted the publication produced by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers entitled ‘The Last Steps of National Liberation’, a detailed chronology that narrates the decisive events that took place between May 5^th and September 4^th, 1999, culminating in the independence of Timor-Leste. 

Recalling the theme of the 25th anniversary celebrations – “It was the People Who Fought! It was the People Who Suffered! It was the People Who Won the Struggle!!! The People are the Great Heroes of Independence!!!” – Agio Pereira said that this is a moment of “celebration for the people, because it was the people who sacrificed themselves, who gave everything they had to be able to win back, not only our nation but above all our identity and our ability to rise as a people”.

At the lecture, which was attended by the Minister of Education, Dulce de Jesus Soares, teachers, and students from various schools, Minister Agio Pereira also summarised Timor-Leste’s early years as an independent nation. He emphasised the success achieved in national reconciliation and building a liberal democracy and recalled the important role of students during the struggle for national liberation.

Minister Agio Pereira also recalled a particularly emotional moment on the road to the referendum: the first time the National Council of the Timorese Resistance (CNRT) flag was raised in Dili on August 15^th, 1999. This moment was eternalised in the poem ‘A Minha Bandeira’ (My Flag), by Domingos de Sousa, recited on that occasion.

The event’s main aim was to promote in-depth reflection on the essential role of education in building and consolidating the Timorese State, highlighting the importance of cooperation between teachers and students in forming citizens who are aware of and committed to the country’s future. In this context, it brought together teachers, students and leaders of the education sector, intending to motivate present and future generations to contribute to the ongoing development of the Timorese education system, a fundamental element in strengthening national sovereignty and identity.