The organizations Search for Common Ground Organization and Belun gave $12,000 in funding to six conflict prevention and response groups, with the intention of minimizing conflict in the six sub-districts. 
Search for Common Ground of Timor-Leste (SFCG) Director Jose Francisco de Sousa said each group would get a $12,000 budget for activities like holding a dialogue or raising awareness about conflict prevention in the community.
The conflict prevention groups to receive the funding include those from Metinaro, Bazartete, Same, Gleno, Atabae and Mailana sub-districts.
The funding came from the European Union Commission through SFCG and Belun to develop the capacity of organizations in creating activities to prevent and reduce conflict in the community.
“The funds were given to the prevention network in the sub-districts to create some activities that relate to conflict prevention and reduction,” said Director da Sousa at Tower Fatuhada, Dili.
He said to guarantee the budget was executed well and the project had an impact on the community, SFCG also gave training on planning activities and writing budget reports for the groups, so they could implement their activities.
Meanwhile, the conflict prevention network representative from Metinaro sub-district Alfredo Soares Fenandes said he appreciated the program as they were given training on how to plan their activities.
“We will raise awareness about the traditional prohibition on land disputes, animals and others things that can create problems as well,” he said.
He added they would raise awareness through a dialogue about the system of traditional justice with participants from state organs in the areas of education, health, justice and security.
Meanwhile Gleno representative Luisa Lemos Salsina said with the funding they would make an effort to reduce conflict in the country, but it wouldn’t disappear because it takes time.
“We mostly focus on decentralization and distributing information on decentralisation in the community,” she said.
