Ambassador Scholar Guest speaker for Tuesday evening meeting
Nivio Magalhaes, the Ambassadorial Scholar from East Timor is joining us on Tuesday evening as our monthly Guest Speaker. Nivio is currently studying a Master of Arts in Peace and Development Studies at the University of Limerick. He will be speaking on the work which Rotary International is doing in East Timor and the current project “Arte Moris Arts Centre”
I can highly recommend Nivio as I heard him speak in Cork at the rotary conference last year.
Please come out and give your support Tuesday at 6.15, This evening would be a good opportunity to invite a guest or potential new members.
Regards John Horkan
Biography of Nivio Magalhães
Nivio Magalhães was born in Maliana, Bobonaro District in Timor-Leste. He is the first of nine children of Manuel Magalhães and Regina Leite. His father was the leader of a pro-independence movement in Bobonaro District and was executed by Indonesian military during the post-ballot violence in 1999.
After finishing his primary and pre secondary education in Maliana, Nivio attended secondary school at Senior High School 1 Dili where he was elected as Head of Students Organisation from 1996 to 1998.
Nivio subsequently studied under an AusAid Eduka scholarship in Australia, and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Development-Asia Pacific from Victoria University, Australia in 2004.
Nivio was the founding president of the East Timor Students Association in Melbourne, Australia. As the president he was responsible for organizing various fundraising activities, and a number of seminars relating to Timor-Leste. Furthermore, he was often invited as a guest speaker to various seminars and conferences organized by other organizations to talk about political and social situations in Timor-Leste. Nivio has also actively participated in various students groups in Australia, and for two years running, he was elected as general, and campus representative for the International Students Association at Victoria University.
In 2005, Victoria University awarded the Social Inquiry and Community Studies Award to Nivio for his significant contribution to the intellectual and social culture of the university.
After finishing his studies, Nivio began lecturing at Universidade da Paz, Dili, in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. In March 2006 Nivio began the role of Coordinator of the Scholarships Project at Alola Foundation. In his current role as Education Program Manager for Alola Foundation, Nivio is responsible for the planning and managing of Scholarships and Friendship School Projects.
Nivio has been actively participated in advocacy, social justice and community development activities, including involvement with social clubs and voluntary organisations to assist disadvantaged communities. Nivio has been awarded an academic-year Ambassadorial Scholarship donated by D1160 Ireland, and is undertaking a Master of Arts in Peace and Development Studies at the University of Limerick, Ireland in 2007-08.
Nivio is married to Helena da Silva and they have two sons, Amanu and Bachu
