Dili, March 21, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Association of Timor-Leste Journalists (AJTL) in collaboration with Oxfam in Timor-Leste launched a Media Bulletin Tour on “Climate Justice Campaign and Advocacy” where AJTL together with journalists conducted field coverage to see firsthand the situation of communities at the base as they face climate justice in their lives.
Oxfam Timor-Leste Country Director, Pankaj Anand said that last year AJTL did a lot of work covering three regions, including RAEOA, where their work is very important because Timor-Leste is a democratic country.
“The role of the media is very important as a pillar of the development of democracy itself, with the hope that the information collected in this bulletin forum can be equally important information for politicians who make politics, for representatives of civil society organizations and academics so that it can be an equally important tool.” Said the Country Director of Oxfam Timor-Leste
He said that the negative impacts of climate change were greatly felt by Timor-Leste, this was not Timor-Leste’s fault but other people’s fault and in the end Timor-Leste had to bear the consequences of this climate change.
“The fight against the negative impacts of climate change is not just one party, it is an invitation for all parties, academics, civil society and others to start fighting it. With the official launch of this climate justice advocacy campaign, once again it shows us that we all need to fight in order to face the negative impacts of climate change.” He said.
On this occasion, the Timor-Leste Climate Change Ambassador, Abrão Barbosa, said that this launch activity was to provide information on climate justice that had been researched by AJTL and Journalists and the results were presented in the form of a book so that it could be a guideline for decision makers.
“Today we conduct this launch, so this document we use for decision makers, it considers data to make plans in the field of climate change, especially in adaptation and mitigation, and can address the gaps of climate change impacts that are impacted, so this launch is very good to consider how we promote climate justice at all levels,” he said.
He continued, this bulletin provides a lot of information to each other, especially how to respond to reducing damage due to climate change, how to adapt in order to increase community resilience, and how countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to protect the planet earth as well as economic growth and social life.
As President of AJTL, Zevonia Vieira said that the launch of the media bulletin tour was also related to the campaign for climate justice, which received support from Oxfam Hong Kong and collaborated with Oxfam Timor-Leste.
“Why did we launch? Last year until February this year, AJTL collaborated with Oxfam in Timor-Leste to conduct a media tour to three municipalities, including Raeoa, together covering the impact of climate change on vulnerable groups, including women, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups, grandparents. There, the case study conducted by journalists was to identify the impact of climate change on the water crisis.” She said.
The impact of climate change has caused many women to collect water from long distances and has also had an impact on agricultural groups such as declining coffee quality and reduced production among productive youth who use their local knowledge to conserve water to help people who do not have access to water to easily get water in their homes.
She said that the launch of the Media Bulletin Tour aims to produce articles produced by journalists from television, radio, newspapers, digital news, and online media obtained from interviewed sources, so that they can be produced together in a media bulletin tour to be launched, so that this bulletin can be submitted to the government so that the government can obtain data on how to find the right solution in responding to problems faced by people in rural areas.
She emphasized that this year Oxfam Timor-Leste is committed to continuing to organize media visits to other municipalities, not only in Lautem, Ermera, Baucau including Raeoa, but also to municipalities where we will identify together so as to continue to bring journalists to rural areas to respond to community aspirations.
“The story identifies women, youth and farmers living in rural areas and also those who do not have access to markets due to damaged roads, impacted by rain and lack of funds for repairs in remote areas,” she said.
In addition, she said that AJTL will bring journalists with Oxfam to dig up more stories that cannot be heard and continue to give a voice to communities that cannot be covered by the media, and AJTL strives to provide a space for communities to speak.
Reported by : Estefania
Picture by : Estefania