Opening the paths to healing: developing an integrated approach to health in Timor Leste

AbstractIn Timor Leste, customary healing practices are deeply embedded in the inter-relationships between people, the ancestors and the environment. Meanwhile being ‘modern’ has long meant being both educated and Christian, ushering in ongoing shifts in moral worlds. These seemingly contradictory forms of sociality, relationality and subjectivity are, we argue, uniquely woven together through a deeply political meshwork of performative practices. Drawing on the experience of our collaborative research into mental health systems in Timor-Leste, we ask what this means for attempts to engage with diverse approaches to healing through an integrated approach to the nation’s public health programmes and policies.