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On 20 May 2022, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of East Timor’s national independence, President José Ramos-Horta assumed the country’s highest office for the second time. In the process, he issued an official statement in which he solemnly accepted the signature of Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed Tayeb on February 4, 2019 The Human Fraternity for World Peace Document, as a national document. He vowed to “make every effort, in collaboration with state, religious and secular institutions, to adapt and incorporate it into the national school curriculum.”
Official action is legally based on Resolution No. 3. 11/2022, unanimously adopted by the National Assembly of Timor-Leste on 12 May, the country’s Legislative Assembly, in its various expressions, expressed full compliance with the Abu Dhabi Document and committed the country to abide by it.
During the official swearing-in ceremony of the new head of state, the resolutions of the National Assembly and the presidential declaration were solemnly handed over to Bishop Marco Sprizzi, Chargé d’affaires interim of the Holy See and Judge Mohamed Abdelsallam, Secretary-General of the Holy See . Muslim Council of Elders from Abu Dhabi, representing the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. The ceremony was held in the presence of the country’s top officials and numerous foreign delegations, including the President of the Portuguese Republic and the Governor-General of Australia. The ceremony concluded with a solemn parliamentary session, during which the Chargé d’Affaires of the Holy See addressed the members of the parliament and the authorities.
The parliament’s decision is based on the fact that the United Nations General Assembly has designated 4 February as the International Day of Human Fraternity. It declares a commitment to “the values of peace, dialogue and respect for human rights” and intends to “urge the Government to promote the values of human fraternity domestically through concrete measures to improve the welfare of East Timorese citizens, and at the multilateral level, to adopt measures that promote peaceful coexistence among peoples. protective behavior.”
The president said that there are many shared values between the East Timorese constitution and the document of human fraternity; “therefore, it is absolutely meaningful that we use this document in our country.”
President Ramos-Horta is an outstanding figure. In 1996, he and his countryman, Bishop Carlos Philippe Siménez Bello, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their commitment to the peaceful establishment of national independence. He is the president of the NGO Ubuntu United Nations. He also serves on the jury of the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity, which was recently awarded to King Abdullah II Ibn Hussein and Queen Rania Abdullah of Jordan and the Haitian Foundation for Knowledge and Freedom for the 2022 winners.
In fact, two years ago, Ramos-Horta printed the text of the document at his own expense and distributed it among parliamentarians and the country’s universities. When presenting his candidacy for the presidency, he said that if elected he would ask parliament to vote on a motion for the adoption of the text as a “general inspirational document for national policy and education.”
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The unanimous support of the 60 parliamentarians seems to be in line with the historical and cultural identity of East Timor, which is deeply influenced by the idea of fraternity. It is no coincidence that in the common language of Timor, they often refer to “brother” and “sister”.In Mandarin Tetum, the most common and common way of addressing a person is always or mana, meaning siblings.Even the greatest national political leaders are recognized by all maum-bootthat is, big brother.
Restoring independence and achieving national sovereignty is so deeply rooted in the concepts of reconciliation and fraternity that nations once rejected as occupiers are now seen as neighbors and partners; peoples once seen as enemies are now seen by all Friends, brothers and sisters.
The process of reconciliation, forgiveness and peacebuilding in a spirit of fraternity has been actively engaged by the United Nations and promoted by the Catholic Church from the very beginning. Numerous priests, religious and lay people, along with ordinary people, as well as political and military leaders, seek to heal the wounds of war and violence and accompany the people of East Timor on the path of peace and reconciliation.
It is therefore no coincidence that the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was the first country in the world to officially adopt the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace as a national document. This echoes the special mission and mission of the Timorese people in the world, especially in Asia. Their mission and mission is to be a living and effective symbol of fraternity, reconciliation and peace, as evidenced by their own historical experience and culture. This sign is especially pronounced in the context of the tensions of life in today’s world.
Judge Mohammed Abdulsallam said: “East Timor’s adoption of the Document of Human Fraternity has demonstrated the international status of this document as one of the most important declarations of modern times. We look forward to seeing other nations, peoples and nations adopt this document as a way of surpassing our own The Constitution of Humanity for all differences.”
He is right. The document, signed three years ago in Abu Dhabi, states that some parts of the world “are poised to become battlegrounds for new conflicts, with tensions erupting, arms and ammunition stockpiled, overshadowed by uncertainty and disillusionment in a global context,” Fears of the future are controlled by short-sighted economic interests.”
These ominous predictions turned out to be correct. Today, more than ever, it is necessary to re-emphasize the declarations that helped us envision a new world order (such as the Atlantic Charter of 1941, the seed of the United Nations, the New Delhi declaration of 1986, a “world without weapons”). We need to shut down the destructive appeal to war and continue to realize that we are all brothers and sisters.
DOI: La Civiltà Cattolica, ex. Volume 6, Issue 8 Art. 13. 0822: 10.32009/22072446.0822.13
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