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Building a NationGS29Timor-LesteGLOBAL STUDIESSponsorIan CoppellMark ClemensPriceS$3,500Course Length7 daysPost-Interim Experience:Parent’s nightDescriptionThis course gives students an opportunity to conquer Mount Ramelau, the highestof the country’s endless jungle and coffee-covered mountains. They will also explorethe sapphire waters teeming with marine wildlife and fall asleep while stargazing ontropical Atauro Island.They will get their hands dirty while building a community garden that will providenutritious food to malnourished children and provide an income source for familiesliving in poverty.The students will also discover the challenges faced by a nation that only gainedindependence in 2002 by studying the influences played by various other nationson the island, the long road to independence and the rebuilding that was necessaryafter years of conflict.ObjectivesStudent will gain a better understanding of:Nation buildingTimor-Leste is one of the youngest nations in the world and having justemerged from years of turbulence and civil unrest. How is Timor-Leste tacklingthe challenges of nation building and what are their chances of success? Is Timorready for a spot at the table in ASEAN? Which countries are for or against theirentry and why? Students will have the opportunity to speak with experts here inSingapore, both leaders of the country (including ex-President and Noble PeacePrize Laureate, Jose Ramos Horta) and the nation’s youth, in order to draw theirown conclusions..Whether foreign aid helps or cripples the development of a nation.The United Nations will pull out of Timor-Leste in 2012. What will be theconsequences and what impact has their presence had? Timor-Leste has attractedmillions of dollars in foreign aid over the years, yet the country is still struggling tofind its feet. Where havs the money gone and has it helped or hurt Timor-Leste’sdevelopment?The health issues facing the nation and what is being done to address them.Over 54% of children under the age of 5 in Timor suffer from malnutrition. Whatimpact does this have on future generations of Timorese and what is being doneto address the situation? Students will spend time at HIAM Health, Timor’s onlymalnutrition rehabilitation center to understand how solutions to the nation’sproblems are not only top down, but often and more effectively approached fromthe bottom up.What ‘creates’ culture.How has Timor-Leste formedits own identity and culture in the face of first beinga Portuguese colony, then occupied by Indonesia for 24 years and now as anindependent nation?How they are capable of being catalysts for change as SAS students, andwhy it matters.Requirements• Students will attend all scheduled meetings prior to the trip, includingvisits by experts here in Singapore.• Students will participate fully in all scheduled activities.• Students will provide an assignment responding to the challenges faced byTimor-Leste in terms of development and address what is being done and howsuccess can be measured.• Students will submit all forms and paperwork.• Students will research an approved topic for presentation to the group in theform of a story. This will take place at the appropriate time during the trip.• Students will take an active role in Parents’ Night.• Students will secure their own visas if necessary.60 interim semester HANDBOOKSINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL