João da Silva Sarmento has been the coordinator of the East Timorese Student Solidarity Council, an editor for the leading Timorese newspaper Suara Timor Lorosa’e and a researcher and board member at La’o Hamutuk, the Timor-Leste Institute for Reconstruction Monitoring and Analysis. João is currently studying linguistics at the University of Hawaii.

Rita Pires has worked for the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET); TV Timor-Leste; and the UN Development Program (UNDP) in Dili, East Timor. Rita is currently studying communications at the University of Hawaii.

Charles Scheiner, co-founder ETAN; Charles recently returned from East Timor where he was working with La'o Hamutuk.