Belun was established in 2004 to bolster civil society in Timor-Leste and reduce underlying tensions that may lead to violent conflict. BELUN’s mandate is to serve communities within Timor-Leste, develop the organizational capacity of the partners, reduce tensions and prevent conflict in Timor-Leste. BELUN means “friend” or “partner” in the national language, Tetum.

The members of the BELUN team have been working for over five years to strengthen civil society organizations and provide needed services to communities in all 13 districts of Timor-Leste. While the majority of the BELUN team comes from a long history of working together with Care International in Timor-Leste and Columbia University’s Center for International Conflict Resolution (CICR), members also have extensive experience working with the government and other non-governmental organizations, bringing added insights and capacities to the organization.