Museum to Museum Partnership Program for Timor-Leste
The Museum to Museum Partnership Program for Timor-Leste was developed under the 'UNESCO Programme for the Preservation of Endangered Movable Cultural Properties' to promote international technical cooperation for museums in Least Developing Countries (LDC), Low Income Countries (LIC) and countries in transition, as well as those in post conflict situations. The program focuses on the protection, conservation and presentation of "endangered movable cultural properties".
Implemented by UNESCO Jakarta, the Museum to Museum Partnership Program for Timor-Leste aims to provide a practical and sensible framework to aid in the development and support of a national museum.
The VISION for the development of the National Museum of Timor-Leste is to:
- serve and involve the community, to show young people the importance of history and living culture and to be involved in programs that build community
- build and develop a new National Museum of Timor-Leste to international museum standards
- ensure good preparation and conservation of objects
- develop programs in the history and prehistory of Timor-Leste to show culture nationally and internationally of the world's newest nation Timor-Leste
The MISSION for the development of the National Museum of Timor-Leste is to:
- undertake proper planning for short term, middle term and long term development
- develop programs for the conservation of the collection, the promotion of the Museum for the community, and for the ongoing development of the Museum
- encourage partnerships which include participants in other countries in the region, in order to show Timor-Leste identity nationally and internationally
- build a national museum to international standards
The Museum-to-Museum program is supported by a number of partners. The Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at the University of Melbourne has received support from two internal funds. The Vice-Chancellor's SIAF Allocation for Steering Committees. This allocation aims to establish steering committees that facilitate inter-faculty and cross-disciplinary collaborations within the University, and between the University and the wider community. Such multi-disciplinary groupings aids in the University's contribution to public life through 'knowledge transfer'. The Knowledge Transfer Grants provided funds for the development of a Museum to Museum program website. The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory has received support from AusAid through the Australian Leadership Awards Fellowships.