Response

Vice- Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Staff of ACU, Reverend Bishop of Baucau, Dom Basilio de Nascimento, Head of Teachers College in Baucau, District Authorities, Civil and Military,  new graduates,  families and supporters, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

I am deeply honored and grateful for the trust placed in me and for the recognition by Australian Catholic University (ACU) of the value and importance of the humanitarian work of one of its graduates. I see in this distinction an encouragement to you all to dedicate yourselves to the big causes that affect the lives of all human beings. I hear you being called to solidarity with and dedication to the most vulnerable and needy. Our newly formed nation needs these qualities in their teachers. In a very real sense, the work you are called to do is also humanitarian work because it is about creating a more human environment for all our people.

I invite you, the graduates, on this your special day, to consider those who have influenced your lives, to give thanks for them, and to take the values you have learnt into your new and very important teaching ministry.  I am reminded of the many people in my life whose example guided and inspired me over the years. 

My parents, as I recall, often reminded us, their children, that we are all equals, we have to respect everyone, we have to work so we can have food on our table and that what we have we have to share with those who have very little. 

I remember my boarding school days with the Canossian Sisters, where I learnt discipline. 

During the difficult times before many of you were born, I witnessed the hard work of the priests and nuns and courageous people. When I had to leave my beloved and troubled country and become a refugee, I was given shelter and food and education by the Jesuit Refugee Service in Thailand. I was just a name and a face, but I was treated like one of them and I saw many other refugees sharing the same experience. 

In Australia, I have also witnessed the work of the Mercy Sisters, the Jesuits, the Sisters of Charity and many other religious and lay people. They work with the homeless, refugees, asylum seekers, aborigines, and migrants. The dedication given to their work inspired me to bring my own talents to those who struggle for justice and for a decent quality of life. 

Working as a nurse at different types of hospitals- with children, adults, oncology, geriatric, mentally ill and in nursing homes, I have also come to know the beautiful side of the caregivers, parents, relations, friends, doctors, nurses, cleaners, and volunteers. I learnt in these contexts the spirit of true humanitarian work. These exposures and experiences have enriched my life. 

My story is different from yours. Every citizen of our country has known suffering of one kind or another. Every one of us has also seen the face of God in the kindness and goodness of those who reach out in the face of human suffering. I invite you to reflect on your own lives, on the goodness of those who have been guiding you over your years of study, on the wisdom you have learnt in this place. I invite you to consider the values you want to bring to your students, remembering also that you have much to learn from the children you will teach. 

Education is the path to a better quality of life for all. You have a key role in changing the face of our nation.

I acknowledge the presence of Dom Basilio, whom I honour for  the initiative to maintain this cooperation between ACU and the Teachers College. I also acknowledge the work of the Marist Brothers who support and maintain the Christian values of this college.

To the graduates my prayer is that God may guide you and accompany you as you embark in your new careers to apply and practice what you have learnt during these three years to become teachers. You are aware how important your role is to rebuild the country and to maintain the values you have learnt from this college, and from our own culture and religion: our attitudes of respect and care for others, to disagree respectfully, to prevent violence in daily life, moral courage, tolerance and solidarity, to think critically and engage in problem solving. How exciting it is to be part of the process of nation building. 

A child does not forget his or her first years at school, not as a teenager nor as an adult. There are some things or moments that will be engraved in your memories for good, such as your graduation today. It will be a living memory for the rest of your life, because it is a celebration of your academic success. 

In conclusion, I borrow a saying from President John Kennedy's inaugural address "Ask not what your country can do for you: Ask what you can do for your country." 

Your job, my job, our job is to do what we are called to do and to do it properly. So let's continue to put our efforts and energy into helping create a better place in our country, a better world for all: to be a truly humanitarian worker, to advocate for the voiceless, and always to lead by the example of our lives. 

My dear graduates, today is a memorable day, a proud day not only for yourselves but also for your parents, your brothers and sisters, the whole family, your supporters, your teachers, your community, and your country. Once again, my congratulations and blessings as you join the ranks of those who live and work for the sake of a better world.