Dr Sara Niner
Projects, Placements and Positions
- 2008 April—Current Ministry of Finance, Timor-Leste Government (RDTL) (Capacity Building Project funded by AusAid)—Instructional Designer/Technical Writer
- 2007 May—Current Monash University, Melbourne—Post-doctoral Fellowship (part-time), School of Political and Social Inquiry, Arts Faculty. Research Project: Strong Cloth in Timor-Leste: Women's Craft and Development
- 2007 Feb-Nov Deakin University, Melbourne—Lecturer, Masters of International Development, (part-time), School of International Politics, Arts Faculty. (Gender and Development; Participatory Approaches to Development)
- 2006-2007 Australian International Health Institute, University of Melbourne, Development Consultant: finalise AusAID project design, implementation schedule and budget for national 'Health Seeking Behaviour Study' as requested by Ministry of Health, Timor Leste.
- 2004 June—Jan 2006. Maternity Leave
- 2001—2006 Alola Foundation, East Timor & Australia—, Board of Directors (2003-2006). As well as serving on the Board overseeing the development of the major program areas I was also responsible for advising on the economic empowerment focussed Handcrafts Industry Project. This project requires working alongside East Timorese staff to develop the programs including writing program proposals to donors, planning and co-ordination, developing strategy and reporting and acquittal. I also was variously responsible for writing, editing and production of Alola Foundation website, promotional brochure and newsletter
- 2003 Sept—Oct. Ministry of Finance and Planning, Timor-Leste Government (RDTL) (funded by UNDP)—Key Messages Writer, Poverty Assessment Project: Design and formulation of series of public information workshops, including assembling material and planning campaign with East Timorese team of advocates. I distilled the core meanings or key messages from a complex series of documents including national surveys conducted by various international, bilateral, national and local organizations, along with the National Development Plan.
- 2000 Sept—2001 May United Nations Development Program, East Timor—Administrative Advisor in Xanana Gusmao's Presidential Office of CNRT (National Council of Timorese Resistance, the peak national Timorese political organisation 1998-2002). This position was funded by UNDP to assist the development of capacity of the Timorese leadership. I advised on administrative development including document preparation, procedures, visitor and media liaison.
- 2000 May—June. Australian Volunteers International, East Timor—Conference Organiser: 'National Development Planning Conference'. Working for East Timor Development Agency in collaboration with peak national political body CNRT to support and assist the East Timorese conference team. Assisting with the funding applications to a variety of international and bi-lateral agencies. Significant duties were: conference program planning and document preparation and production of final report.
Awards and Presentations
- 2008 February. Presentation • Democratic Governance in Timor-Leste Conference, Charles Darwin University, 'Timor-Leste Women's Handcrafts and Development'
- 2007 June. Presentation • 14th Annual Conference on SE Asian Women, Monash University, 'Strong Cloth in Timor-Leste: Handcrafts, Gender and Development'
- 2007 April. Presentation to 2007 Parliamentary Election Observers Mission (AETA): 'The New CNRT'
- 2007 April. Awarded Arts Faculty Post-doctoral Fellowship, Monash University.
- 2006 September. Presentation "Exploring the Tensions of Nation Building in Timor-Leste Forum", University of Melbourne
- 2006 June. Presentation 'Gender and Security in the Asia Pacific' • Wollongong Uni
- 2006 January. Presentation Asia Pacific Week • Australian National University
- 2005 June. Presentation East Timor Academic Symposium • Victoria University
- 2003 March. Presentation 'Timor Handcrafts' Craft Victoria Forum
- 2002 October. Presentation to Textile School Lecture Series • RMIT
- 2002 March. International Woman's Day Address• Australian Volunteers International
- 2002 2006. Appointment to the Board of Directors of the Alola Foundation
- 2002 February. Australian Volunteers International •Volunteer Service Certificate
- 2001 May. Dept. of Foreign Affairs • Service Certificate for Volunteers to East Timor
- 2000 April. Latrobe University—Politics Dept • Top Ranked Scholarship Award
- 2000 August. Appearance with To Resist is to Win at the Edinburgh Book Festival, UK
- 2000 June. To Resist is to Win Book Launch with Xanana Gusmão, Dili, East Timor
- 2000 May. To Resist is to Win Book Launch with Xanana Gusmão • Melbourne
- 2000 March. To Resist is to Win Literary Launch • Adelaide Festival Book Week
Publications
Books
- Xanana Gusmão: Leader of the East Timorese Struggle, 2007 (in-press Australian Scholarly Publishing, due mid-2008)
- To Resist is to Win: the Autobiography of Xanana Gusmão with selected letters and speeches, Ed. Sarah Niner, Aurora Books, Melbourne, 2000
Book Chapters and Refereed Articles
- 'Women's handcrafts production in East Timor: change for the better?', Democratic Governance in Timor-Leste: Reconciling the Local and the National, edited by David Mearns, Charles Darwin University Press (in-press, due July 2008)
- 'Martyrs, Heroes and Warriors: The Leadership of Timor-Leste', D Kingsbury and M Leach (eds) East Timor after Independence, Monash Asia Institute Press, April 2007
- 'President Xanana Gusmão: A transforming leadership', P Thomas and H Hill (eds), Development Bulletin No. 68: Cooperating with Timor-Leste, ANU, Canberra, p. 39-41, October 2005
- 'A Long Journey of Resistance: The Origins and Struggle of CNRT', Ed., Tanter, Selden and Shalom, Bitter Flowers, Sweet Flowers: East Timor, Indonesia and the World Community, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, USA, 2001
- 'A Long Journey of Resistance: The Origins of the National Council of Timorese Resistance', The Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars, Vol 31, no. 4, Cornell University, USA, 2000
Articles
- 'Reinado a product of Timorese trauma', Eureka Street.com.au, Vol 18, No 4, 22 February 2008, http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=5664
- 'Major Alfredo Alves Reinado: Cycles of Torture, Pain and Violence in East Timor', Z-Net, 22 February 2008, http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/16583
- "The Revitalisation of Customary Practices in Timor-Leste", Proceedings of Exploring the Tensions of Nation Building in Timor-Leste Forum, SAGES Working Papers, University of Melbourne, May 2007, http://www.social-environmental.unimelb.edu.au/research/researchpapers/SSEEResearchPaper1-EastTimor.pdf
- 'Guerrilla to President: Xanana Gusmão', Eureka Street, Melbourne, May 2004
- 'Strong Cloth: The Textiles of East Timor', Craft Culture, Melbourne, September 2003 http://www.craftculture.org/world/niner1.htm
- 'Maun Bo't: Profile of a President', Meanjin, Melbourne, September 2002 http://www.meanjin.unimelb.edu.au/back_issue_2002_3.htm
- "Report and Update: East Timorese Textiles (Tais) Exhibition & Weaving Women's Stories", Craft Victoria Website: Melbourne, September 2001, http://www.craftvic.asn.au/relatedprojects/tais/niner.htm
