40:
599:, Sword Gusmão was protecting her children from gunmen stalking their home. Also being sheltered was another woman and her four children, upon contacting Xanana by mobile phone Sword Gusmão heard he was under gunfire. The Gusmão family were reunited after negotiations between her guards and the gunmen allowed her through and, despite the risks of future attempts, Sword Gusmão decided to remain in Timor-Leste.
524:
article, Maree Curtis said that following the disclosures, critics pointed to possible risks to other aid workers "around the world who are already viewed with suspicion by jittery foreign regimes". Sword rejected criticism of the ethics of her actions, stating that the agency that employed her was
515:
Regarding the eventual media revelation that a member of a supposedly neutral organisation was spying against a host country, whether any lasting damage was done to the capacity of humanitarian aid and human rights organisations to work freely in
Indonesia is difficult to assess, as none of the
641:(AO) "For distinguished service to Australia-Timor-Leste relations through the development of mutual cooperation and understanding, particularly in the education sector, and as an advocate for improved health and living conditions for the Timorese people."
590:
On 11 February 2008, national television reported that the motorcade of Gusmão had come under gunfire one hour after
President Ramos-Horta was shot in the stomach; according to the Associated Press, the two incidents raised the possibility of a
525:
fully aware of her activities, and that as a contractor to the
Overseas Service Bureau neither she nor the NGO were in breach of any codes. Sword was quoted as saying: "I was simply an individual who was concerned and acting on her conscience."
583:, Sword Gusmão conducted media interviews and met Australian troops on behalf of her husband, who was immobile due to back pain. In May 2007, Xanana declined to run for another term as President, and was succeeded by his prime minister,
541:. Their first contact came when she taught him English by correspondence from 1992. Ultimately she bluffed her way into the prison at Christmas 1994 on the pretence of visiting an uncle.
358:, though they separated in 2015. She is the founding director of the Alola Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of women in Timor-Leste, a nation with one of the world's lowest
418:, and a Diploma of Education. In 1985, while studying Indonesian at Monash, Sword met Timor-Leste students and took up their struggle for independence. Her father Brian died in 1998.
1272:
587:, Xanana became Prime Minister on 8 August. In October, Sword Gusmão was appointed to the honorary position of Goodwill Ambassador for Education of Timor-Leste by Ramos-Horta.
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however there was criticism of her public admission to – rather than the actions themselves – clandestine activities. Writing in 2002 in a
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After 15 years of marriage, it was announced in March 2015 that Sword Gusmão and her husband were separating. She now lives in
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for her community service in championing the importance of education and improving the lives of women and children in
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29:
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Sword finally met Xanana Gusmão face to face in
December 1994 while he was serving a 20-year sentence in Jakarta's
714:
548:, where they lived in the independent Timor-Leste with their three sons. In 2001 Sword Gusmão brought the case of
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386:, where her father was the principal and her mother a music teacher in the 1970s. She was taught her first
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in the 1980s where she completed a
Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree, majoring in Indonesian and
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In early 2013 it was reported that Sword Gusmão had undergone treatment for breast cancer.
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564:. From May 2002 to May 2007, Xanana was President of Timor-Leste and Sword Gusmão was its
434:
in
England as assistant to the development coordinator. Later that year, she travelled to
8:
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1343:
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890:"East Timor First Lady returns home to launch Victoria-wide Friendship Schools Project"
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On 14 May 2014, Sword Gusmão was admitted to the degree of Doctor of the
University (
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Sword worked as an administrative secretary with the
Overseas Service Bureau (now
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dancer, but decided not to pursue it as a career. As a teen, Sword travelled to
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872:
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Administrative secretary, teacher, researcher, interpreter, political activist
1372:
1328:
1058:"East Timor: 'unexpected' progress made in talks between Jakarta, UN mission"
569:
1312:
Alias Ruby Blade - documentary film depicts the life of Kirsty Sword Gusmão
718:
470:
443:
39:
1282:. Australian Honours Secretariat. 8 June 2015. p. 38. Archived from
631:
544:
Xanana was released in 1999 and the couple married the following year in
378:, to schoolteachers Brian and Rosalie Sword, and was raised there and in
1004:
Curtis, Maree (18 August 2002). "Kirsty Sword Gusmao: A Dutiful Life".
565:
439:
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339:
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244:
165:
1112:(Press release). Alola Foundation Ltd. 24 October 2007. Archived from
755:
A Woman of
Independence: A Story of Love and the Birth of a New Nation
1017:. 18 August 2002 – via East Timor and Indonesia Action Network.
784:"Public lecture presented for the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law"
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462:
390:
words by her father when she was four years old. She was a promising
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474:
1363:
1090:. 26 May 2006. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Radio National
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relevant agencies have been willing to make official statements,
391:
430:) until 1991, when she joined the Refugee Studies Program at
1273:"Officers in the General Division of the Order of Australia"
1032:"Abducted girl shows plight of 'sex slaves' from East Timor"
1248:"Xanana Gusmao and Kirsty Sword Gusmao announce separation"
545:
395:
454:
about political and social developments in the territory.
752:
528:
478:
753:
Sword Gusmão, Kirsty; Rowena Lennox (1 November 2003).
473:
campaigner. At the same time, she became a clandestine
685:. Alola Foundation Ltd. September 2005. Archived from
895:. Alola Foundation Ltd. 24 March 2003. Archived from
786:. Monash University. 9 September 2008. Archived from
1339:
interview with Xanana Gusmão and Kirsty Sword Gusmão
1008:– via East Timor and Indonesia Action Network.
1280:Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia
1140:"President of East Timor Wounded in Rebel Attack"
1370:
1138:Mydans, Seth; Johnston, Tim (11 February 2008).
490:
1217:"Gusmao's wife in Melbourne for cancer surgery"
537:for leading the East Timorese resistance group
1137:
457:From 1992 to 1996, Sword lived and worked in
16:Australian East-Timorese activist (born 1966)
935:"Episode 86: Xanana and Kirsty Sword Gusmão"
637:In June 2015, Sword Gusmão was appointed an
365:
1245:
1024:
496:
44:Sword Gusmão accepting a plaque aboard the
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1084:"Gusmao in charge of military, Sword says"
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680:"Alola Foundation honours the First Lady"
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558:United Nations Commission on Human Rights
452:In Cold Blood: The massacre of East Timor
346:from 2002 until 2007. She was married to
1389:First ladies and gentlemen of East Timor
1185:
1157:"President of East Timor shot by rebels"
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1174:
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568:. On 1 November 2003, she published an
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717:. Alola Foundation Ltd. Archived from
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529:From resistance activist to First Lady
1409:Australian expatriates in East Timor
704:
481:for the Timor-Leste (East Timorese)
943:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
914:
485:to Indonesian rule. Her resistance
428:Australian Volunteers International
402:with her father and brother. After
13:
1414:Officers of the Order of Australia
1188:"PM's wife tells of terror ordeal"
1186:Shanahan, Leo (13 February 2008).
1155:Johnston, Tim (11 February 2008).
857:Scobie, Claire (11 October 2003).
820:McLean, Sandra (8 November 2003).
75:20 May 2002 – 20 May 2007
14:
1425:
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975:. 29 October 2008. Archived from
639:Officer of the Order of Australia
489:was Ruby Blade, later changed to
310:Officer of the Order of Australia
196:
602:
1317:Teacher, Rebel, Spy, First Lady
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404:Golden Square Secondary College
192:
1399:University of Melbourne alumni
939:Enough Rope with Andrew Denton
757:. Sydney, NSW: Pan Macmillan.
651:
614:with the couple's three sons.
1:
859:"Years of Living Dangerously"
644:
218:Brian Sword and Rosalie Sword
7:
1348:episode "Dangerous Liaison"
342:activist who served as the
10:
1430:
1110:"Ambassador for Education"
1013:"In freedom's footsteps".
659:"Queen's birthday honours"
597:the assassination attempts
560:, as well as starting the
370:Sword was born in 1966 in
1322:24 September 2011 at the
1015:Sunday Telegraph Magazine
1006:Sunday Telegraph Magazine
617:
581:2006 East Timorese crisis
465:, as an English teacher,
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366:Early years and education
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1404:Monash University alumni
1394:Activists from Melbourne
1364:Alola Foundation website
556:to the attention of the
450:documentary film called
384:Eaglehawk Primary School
344:First Lady of East Timor
63:First Lady of East Timor
1358:A Woman of Independence
715:"About Fundasaun Alola"
574:A Woman of Independence
491:
412:University of Melbourne
356:president of East Timor
334:; 19 April 1966) is an
253:University of Melbourne
235:Golden Square Secondary
1354:Sydney Morning Herald
1252:Sydney Morning Herald
969:"Kirsty Sword Gusmão"
945:(ABC). Archived from
822:"Love and revolution"
663:Sydney Morning Herald
1167:on 30 November 2023.
1150:on 26 November 2022.
1116:on 29 September 2008
875:on 30 November 2023.
511:) by Xanana Gusmão.
448:Yorkshire Television
195: 2000;
96:Position established
628:Victoria University
322:Kirsty Sword Gusmão
273:Victoria University
25:Kirsty Sword Gusmão
1161:The New York Times
1144:The New York Times
902:on 2 February 2010
868:Telegraph Magazine
554:Juliana dos Santos
1246:Lindsay Murdoch.
1227:on 5 January 2013
982:on 6 October 2008
973:Monash University
764:978-0-7329-1197-3
432:Oxford University
408:Monash University
319:
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263:Monash University
230:Eaglehawk Primary
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1346:Australian Story
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941:. 18 July 2005.
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585:José Ramos-Horta
562:Alola Foundation
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118:Personal details
108:Ana Pessoa Pinto
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1356:book review of
1326:— slideshow by
1324:Wayback Machine
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382:. She attended
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1038:. 19 May 2001
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348:Xanana Gusmão
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340:East Timorese
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301:of East Timor
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166:East Timorese
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139:(age 58)
137:19 April 1966
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84:Xanana Gusmão
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1291:. Retrieved
1284:the original
1279:
1267:
1255:. Retrieved
1251:
1241:
1229:. Retrieved
1225:the original
1220:
1215:Craig Butt.
1210:
1198:. Retrieved
1191:
1165:the original
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1148:the original
1143:
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1118:. Retrieved
1114:the original
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897:the original
873:the original
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687:the original
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593:coup attempt
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471:human rights
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332:Kirsty Sword
331:
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127:Kirsty Sword
103:Succeeded by
95:
70:
48:Reuben James
47:
18:
1379:1966 births
1337:Enough Rope
1196:. Melbourne
1068:8 September
1042:8 September
632:Timor-Leste
579:During the
469:worker and
444:interpreter
154:Nationality
149:, Australia
91:Preceded by
1373:Categories
1200:19 January
1120:18 January
986:18 January
953:19 January
906:18 January
833:19 January
794:19 January
725:19 January
696:18 January
645:References
566:First Lady
483:resistance
440:researcher
436:East Timor
388:Indonesian
336:Australian
299:First Lady
287:Occupation
245:Alma mater
161:Australian
133:1966-04-19
1231:4 January
1094:4 January
866:Saturday
612:Melbourne
595:. During
572:entitled
487:code name
463:Indonesia
376:Australia
372:Melbourne
350:, former
295:Known for
223:Education
215:Parent(s)
143:Melbourne
80:President
46:USS
1320:Archived
539:FRETILIN
506:fragrant
475:activist
410:and the
207:Children
147:Victoria
1221:The Age
1193:The Age
1062:UN News
552:victim
500:
459:Jakarta
416:Italian
400:Jakarta
380:Bendigo
257:BA Hons
201:
189:
185:
71:In role
52:in 2010
1293:8 June
1257:30 May
761:
618:Awards
446:for a
422:Career
392:ballet
330:(born
306:Awards
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