"Creating Timor-Leste / Rai Moris" is community partnership between professionals and artists in Australia and TiLPA (Timor-Leste Photographers Association), to create a photographic book and exhibition. The project endeavours to portray the vibrancy, tenacity and vision of the people who are creating the new nation of Timor-Leste.

The expected outcome for the book is a collection of fifty individual stories (in English & Tetum), and black-&-white portraits that join together to provide a deep and rich investigation of the people who are rebuilding their communities and country from the struggles of the past, such as: Afonso the street seller, Banito the motocross legend, Dr Lucas the lecturer and Dr Jose Ramos-Horta the President.

The project is produced by Jorge de Araujo. After eight years of denying his heritage and feeling the sense of not belonging Jorge chose to embrace his East Timorese culture, and show the creativity, skills and generosity of the people who are helping to create a new nation. However the real inspiration came from a street kid, Jose. He offered to jump in Jorge's car and provide directions but asked for a dollar to get a taxi back. In the end Jose declined to take the money and said, "I just wanted to help". This book is Jorge's attempt to do that same thing for this new country he now feels deeply connected to.

Creating Timor-Leste / Rai Moris is aimed at inspiring the people of Timor-Leste to recognise their own power and contribution in creating their homeland. Our greatest hope is to have the book available to school children who will no doubt be intrigued by their fellow leaders and fascinated by the English language.

"Creating Timor-Leste / Rai Moris" is been created in partnership with TiLPA. Their vision is to increase local and global awareness of issues in Timor-Leste through photography. Australian contributors are: Jorge de Araujo (photographer and producer), Ross Bird (mentor), Elizabete Lim Gomes (writer and poet), Fatima Almeida (arts manager), Sarah Niner (editor), Paul Stewart (journalist & PR), Paulo Almeida (musician), Wei Feng (graphic designer), Rosalie Hastewel (community project advisor), Ann Bostock (accountant), John Collins (advisor) and Kirsty Sword Gusmao ( Chairwoman of Alola Foundation).

The profits raised from the sales of the book will go to Alola Foundation,which works proactively from within this new nation and around the world to improve the lives of the East Timorese women and children.