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| Upcoming
Events |
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NVC
Opening
The National Volunteer Centre will be officially
opened on 7 Jul 00 by PM Goh, in conjunction with
this year's Volunteers' Month.
Seminar for student
leaders
The Northeast CDC will be organising a seminar
for student leaders at Tampines JC on 9 Jul
00. The participating students are from 23 secondary
schools, JCs, ITEs and polytechnics under the
East Zone school cluster. Minster for Education
and 2nd Minster for Defence, RADM (NS) Teo Chee Hean
will be the guest-of-honour.
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| Upcoming
Events |
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Dialogue with MOS David
Lim
MOS David Lim will be holding an S21 dialogue
with members of the Medical Alumni Association
on 8 Jul 00. Dr Tan Chi Chiu will also be attending
the dialogue.
Dialogue with Grassroots
Leaders
Mr Ahmad Magad, MP for Pasir Ris GRC will be
speaking at a S21 dialogue session organised
by Pasir Ris CCC with grassroots leaders and
residents on 16 Jul 00. The event will be held
at NTUC Lifestyle World - Downtown East.
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| Recent
Events |
S21
Conference for Tamil Youths
The
Singapore Tamil Youth Club organised an S21 conference
on 11 Jun 00. The conference, which was conducted
in Tamil, explained the 5 key ideas and the role
of the Indian community within S21.
Edith Cowan University Alumni Reunion
The Singapore Chapter of the Edith Cowan University
Alumni held its annual reunion on 2 Jun 00 at the
Hyatt Regency Hotel, where Alumni members were briefed
on the S21 vision. Mr Navin Raj, the President of
the Singapore Chapter (Mr Raj is a Senior Community
Development Officer in Sembawang-Hong Kah CDC) said
that the vision and mission of the Singapore Chapter
would be in line with the S21 vision, and that future
Alumni activities would be based on the S21 ideas.
Grassroots Events
Tampines Central Constituency Secretariat's S21
Seminar, Le Meridien Changi, 21 May 00
MOS David Lim was the guest speaker at the event
where the constituency launched its S21 initiatives.
This included an emergency transport system, where
residents take turns to provide transport
for the sick and elderly in times of need. Another
idea was a Care & Support Group to promote inter-racial
understanding among neighbours. The group plans
to invite non-Muslims to Muslim celebrations and
Muslims to join in Chinese/Indian festive events.
Aljunied's S21 Dialogue Fort Canning YWCA, 11 Jun
00
Mr Eddie Teo spoke to about 100 grassroot leaders
concerning the S21 vision and how Singaporeans could
respond. During the Q&A session, participants
raised questions concerning the difficulties that
less-educated Singaporeans face in marrying foreigners.
They also discussed why Singaporeans were starting
families later, how family ties could be strengthened
and the need to broaden the definition of success
beyond academic and economic achievements.. The
participants later broke up into small discussion
groups to discuss S21 initiatives within their constituency.
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| Media
Highlights |
Experienced
counsellors, Mr Amir Singh and his wife, plan to set
up a counselling website to reach out to problem youths.
The Singhs decided to do so after their son was sentenced
to jail and caning for robbery. (The sentence was
changed to probation after an appeal.) The website
www.counselling.org.sg,
scheduled to be launched in end-July, will include
an e-mail counselling service, information about the
law and teenage pregnancies.
(The Straits Times, 18 Jun 00)
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| Other
News |
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Speaking
to CDC officers at a talk on Understanding Voluntary
Welfare Organisations, Mr Ong Keng Yong, Chief
Executive Director of People's Association, urged
CDCs to cut down on red tape so as to serve the public
better. He also advised CDC officers to show greater
empathy to clients who come to them for help.
(The Straits Times, 21 May 00)
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At
the Family Forum 2000, PM Goh expressed concern
that the balance between work and family was increasingly
tilting away from the family. PM said both the
public and private sectors could help working
couples to achieve a balance between the two,
by providing family-friendly living and work environments.
(The Sunday Times, 28 May 00)
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The
Prisons Department gave out testimonials to deserving
prisoners who have completed their terms. The
testimonials describe an ex-prisoner's offence
in general terms, his strengths and weaknesses,
and what he has done to try and get back on the
right path. One of the recipients reportedly used
his testimonial to gain a place in a Polytechnic.
(The New Paper 15 Jun 00)
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Marine Parade CDC published a booklet on "Snapshots
of Marine Parade Volunteers" in an effort to promote
active citizenship and to change the stereotype
that volunteers were doing only painstaking social
work. The booklet was distributed at Marine Parade
CDC's Active Citizen's fair at Bedok Town Centre
on 24 - 25 Jun 00, where 21 volunteer organisations,
including Mendaki and Cheshire Home, set up recruitment
booths. (The Straits Times /Berita Harian, 21
Jun 00)
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| The
Debate on Acceptance of Homosexuality in Singapore |
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The denial of the permit to hold a gay forum in May
sparked off a debate on acceptance of homosexuality
in Singapore. Responding to a question on the rejection
of the gay forum at this year's Pre-University Seminar,
Mr Lim Swee Say, MOS for MCIT and MTI, said that no
single group of people in Singapore had the right
to publicise its lifestyle and impose it on others.
One reader, Siew Kum Hong, wrote to the Straits Times'
Forum Page, arguing that the denial contradicted the
S21 ideal of "Every Singaporean Matters". In his reply,
MOS Lim Swee Say explained that one of the implications
of endorsing and encouraging homosexuality as an accepted
social norm was that the family, a "core building
block of Singapore 21", would be weakened. Under the
S21 vision, the focus should be on Singaporeans playing
their part to realise the vision, rather than highlighting
the individual's sexual orientation. MOS Lim discouraged
the promotion of public acceptance of homosexuality
because Singaporeans were still largely conservative.
Siew wrote again to argue that the Penal Code provisions
against unnatural sex did not reflect present-day
societal norms, which he felt were not anti-homosexual
as claimed.
The Straits Times ran a summary of other unpublished
letters on 3 Jun 00. The views were divided: some
readers felt that homosexuals should be given due
credit because of their contributions to the country,
while others thought that homosexuality was morally
wrong and should not be tolerated.
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| Lianhe
Zaobao 21° Column |
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Issues
covered from 21 May to 25 June:
Warmth in the Family (21 May 00) - Members of
a happy family shared about the importance of
communication and that it takes every member
to make an effort to build family ties.
Non-kin Family Units (28 May 00) - The column
explored different types of "family units" which
people turn to for support. Among which were
a gay group, a Christian cell group, a Buddhist
halfway house, and an adopted family.
Chasing Personal Rainbows (4 Jun 00) - Young
people who have taken on unusual professions
were featured. These included a dolphin trainer,
a bird trainer and a mechanic who is constantly
looking for opportunities to upgrade himself.
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Feedback
Falling into a Black Hole? (11 Jun 00) - The
issue explored some perceptions towards the
giving of feedback, e.g. fear of being blacklisted
and the perception that feedback is ignored
by the government.
Switzerland's
S21 (18 Jun 00) - Switzerland is often seen
as a model for Singapore. This issue explored
how the 5 S21 tenets could also be applied in
Switzerland and the extent to which they have
indeed been realised. It showcased the Swiss
emphasis on family ties, loyalty to the country,
and their active participation in various causes,
including environmental protection.
Courtesy
on public transport (25 Jun 00) - It featured
the reluctance and lack of spontaneity on the
part of able-bodied Singaporeans to give up
their seats to the needy on our public transport.
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