Observers of post-independence cultural landscapes in Timor-Leste have highlighted the resurgence of customary practices and ceremonies, especially in settlements more distant from the moneyed resources of the capital, Dili.1 The revival of customary practices often accompanies a considered return among displaced communities to their ancestral lands and settlements (knua tuan). There they work ...

In neoclassical theory, knowledge generates increasing returns – and therefore growth – because it is a public good that can be costlessly reused once created. In fact, however, much knowledge in the economy is actually tacit and not easily transmitted –and thus not an obvious source of increasing returns. Several writers have responded to this alarming circumstances by affirming hopefully that...

For years, policy makers have debated how to deal with customary tenure —sometimes known as ―informal,‖ ―indigenous,‖ or ―traditional law.‖ This concern arises because dual (or multiple) legal systems co-exist in many countries: statutory law alongside informal, customary practices, religious law, etc. Educated urban elites tend to use the statutory system while rural citizens, the less educate...

In 1990, shotguns and M-16s were adopted into Enga warfare, setting off some 15 years of devastation as youths (~17 to 28) took charge of interclan warfare. In response, people called on elder leaders to adapt customary institutions to restore peace; subsequently, war deaths and the frequency of war declined radically. Data from precolonial warfare, 501 recent wars, and 129 customary court sess...