The purpose of this review is to draw pertinent lessons from NZAID’s programme of assistance to Timor Leste for the period 2001-07, which will inform development of a new country strategy.

The Foundation for the People of the South Pacific International (FSPI) is a regional agency based in Suva. FSPI’s project V&C: Gardening Good Governance and Democracy in the Pacific (V&C) is the subject of this review. The main objective of V&C is to address threats to peace and sustainable development by fostering or ‘gardening’ civil...