Chega! Ten Years On: A Neglected National Resource : The Fate of the CAVR Final Report in Timor-Leste

Abstract

It is now 10 years since the publication of Chega! (the final report of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation, known by its Portuguese acronym, ‘CAVR’). The CAVR was tasked with documenting human rights violations committed throughout Timor-Leste’s 24-year-long armed conflict and making recommendations on how to address the negative impact of the conflict, including measures to prevent its recurrence.

This report presents the key findings of a project that assesses some dimensions of Chega!’s impact in Timor-Leste.1 The project consisted of two components. The first component examined how ‘key actors’ — defined as prominent figures in the government, parliament, education sector, Catholic Church, media and civil society organisations — perceive and utilise Chega! The second component assessed different programs designed to disseminate and ‘socialise’ Chega! amongst Timorese. The methodology involved a desk review of publicly available speeches and documents, interviews with 28 key actors, interviews with students exposed to Chega!-socialisation programs and an analysis of students’ written responses to such programs.