Talk to Me! IRI’s Civic Education Programming in Timor-Leste
On a small island off Australia’s northern coast, 1.3 million Timorese citizens continue to build a vibrant democratic society, working to strengthen democratic institutions to foster constructive dialogue between citizens and the government. While there are existing efforts to bring government officials and citizens together, the lack of emphasis on civic education in the country’s education system and little access to current news remain significant barriers. Additionally, limited internet connectivity and few consistent, verified news sources in the local Tetum language prevent Timorese citizens from accessing the latest information available on issues facing the country that could aid them in making more informed decisions while voting and engaging with their representatives. These challenges are further exacerbated by national emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where the information vacuum became acute as citizens, particularly in rural areas, were further isolated.
In response to these internal and external challenges, IRI launched Ko’alia Ba Ha’u! (KBH), Tetum for “Talk to Me!”, a civic education program to promote access to clear, concise information on pressing issues the country faces. The episodes feature government officials, local experts, and citizens from across the political spectrum covering topics such as government accessibility, economic development, agriculture, and election information through an engaging and accessible format. KBH serves as a platform for stakeholders and citizens to share their insights, seek consensus, and collaborate to reach solutions.
Over the last three years, 22 episodes aired on GMN-TV, one of Timor-Leste’s leading television stations, with each episode reaching approximately 100,000 people during its primetime broadcast. A small sample online survey in 2023 found over 80 percent of respondents had watched KBH episodes that year, and nearly half used knowledge gained from KBH to raise issues with their government representatives in-person and on social media. This finding highlights the impact that IRI’s KBH programming has had in bridging the gaps between Timorese citizens and their government representatives, providing citizens with comprehensive information on issues facing their communities that they can utilize to advocate to, and collaborate with, their representatives to find solutions.
To assist Timorese citizens in their advocacy to the representatives, IRI crowdsources topics from viewers to identify timely and relevant topics for each episode. In KBH’s most recent episode, Challenges of Accessing Government Services, interviewees spoke about the growing digital divide faced by Timorese citizens who often lack the necessary resources or connections to fully access online government services, such as obtaining passports and business licenses. The episode also spotlighted inadequate infrastructure that continues to isolate individuals with disabilities, and prevents them from engaging with government representatives to obtain adequate services. IRI interviewed two Members of Parliament, one from the Democratic Party (PD) and another from the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (FRETILIN), to gauge their assessment of government accessibility. IRI also interviewed the executive director of Timor-Leste’s NGOs Forum, the president of the Timor-Leste Journalist Association, and the program manager of Ra’es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO), Timor-Leste’s national organization for persons with disabilities, to share their insights.
Leading up to the country’s next national election, KBH will serve as a resource for Timorese citizens to make informed electoral decisions that benefit Timor-Leste’s future by providing context around national issues and featuring young leaders taking part in IRI’s Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) to demonstrate that there are young leaders who are capable of advocating for their local communities.
To view KBH episodes, please visit IRI’s KBH YouTube channel. IRI also welcomes suggestions for future KBH topics on its KBH Facebook page.