Youth Perspectives on Community, Trust, and Conflict

This briefing note examines
intergenerational aspects of community involvement, trust,
and authority, and dispute participation/resolution in
Timor-Leste, using findings from the justice module included
in an extension of the 2007 Timor-Leste Survey of Living
Standards (TLSLS2) and a review of relevant social-science
literature. It is hoped that this report will be a valuable
resource for civil servants, civil society organizations,
and donor agencies working with youth in Timor-Leste. The
extension survey (TLSLSx) revisited a nationally
representative subsample of the TLSLS2 between April and
October 2008. The respondent for the justice module was
randomly selected to be the household head or his/her
spouse, and topics included: (1) access to information and
decision making; (2) opinions and knowledge of the law; (3)
trust and local institutions; and (4) dispute resolution.
Findings from this survey have been summarized in three
short briefing papers focusing on youth perspectives, land
and conflict, and community trust and decision making.