Leadership Quote by Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao

Support, in Xanana Gusmao's framing, is never just a lifeline; it's a technology. The line rejects the charity model of politics, where aid arrives, gets consumed, and leaves the recipient exactly where they started, only temporarily breathing easier. "It is not enough" lands like a reprimand, but it's aimed as much at leaders as at the international community: need alone doesn't justify blank checks, and gratitude isn't a development plan.

The key move is shifting the burden from receiving support to receiving it well. That's not etiquette; it's governance. Gusmao, forged in the crucible of Timor-Leste's independence struggle and the messy afterlife of liberation, speaks from a context where outside assistance can be both salvation and trap. Post-conflict nations are inundated with NGOs, donors, and strategic patrons. Money, training, and diplomatic backing can stabilize a new state, but they can also hollow out local capacity, invite corruption, or tether policy to donor priorities.

"Ensure that its result is exponential" is the most telling phrase: it imports the logic of compounding returns into political legitimacy. He is arguing for conversion, not consumption - turning finite support into self-replicating institutions, skills, and trust. The subtext is a warning about dependency disguised as generosity. Real sovereignty isn't refusing help; it's building the kind of state that can metabolize help into momentum, then eventually outgrow it.