“Dalan ba Dame – Pathways to Peace” is a selection of speeches by Xanana Gusmão from the second decade of Timor-Leste’s independence. It is the sequel to “Xanana Gusmão and the first 10 years of Timorese statebuilding”, also published by Porto Editora.

Xanana Gusmão was a journalist when Indonesia invaded Timor-Leste in 1975. He joined the armed resistance and led the campaign until his capture in 1992. He continued to lead the resistance from jail in Indonesia until 1999, when Indonesia finally agreed to a United Nations-supervised referendum. The Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence. Gusmão became Timor-Leste’s first elected President in 2002. Since July 2023, he is serving his third term as Prime Minister.

Xanana Gusmão’s speeches from 2012 to 2022 reflect his unique perspective on Timor-Leste and world events. Over this period, Gusmão spoke at the United Nations General Assembly and other UN forums. He addressed universities and spoke at international conferences on peace, reconciliation, climate change, regional security and sustainable development. Consistent themes emerge – Gusmão’s passionate belief that peace is a precursor for development, and that the developed world must take responsibility for the devastating impact of climate change on the developing world.

In addition to his speeches as Prime Minister, this compilation includes speeches from Gusmão’s roles as Head of Timor-Leste’s Maritime Boundary Negotiation Team in which he successfully achieved a median line boundary in the Timor Sea between Timor-Leste and Australia; as an Eminent Person for the intergovernmental organization g7+, a group of 20 member states in situations of fragility and/or conflict; and, as Timor-Leste’s Special Representative for the Blue Economy.

This compilation of Gusmão’s speeches gives us a fascinating insight into the mind of one of the world’s most resilient and original thinkers.