The IPS Online Forum on Well-Being and Belonging was held on 3 August 2021 and is the first of three virtual forums with changemakers in Singapore actively engaged in community causes that effect positive social change in the country. This is part of the larger “Reimagining Singapore 2030” project by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), which aims to discuss how Singapore can achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for the nation in 2030 and beyond.
Moderated by IPS Research Associate Mr Shamil Zainuddin, the first forum featured four experts focused on work — in the domains of diversity and inclusion, health and mental well-being, aeging, and migrant workers — that contributes to a caring, inclusive and vitalising community for all who call Singapore home.
Mr Farid Abdul Hamid, a Diversity Facilitator at Ithaca Pte Ltd, spoke about the importance of creating safe spaces for meaningful, interactive dialogues so participants can feel comfortable with voicing out their personal perspectives and experiences. Cultivating interpersonal connections are critical in these settings to engage authentically with the participants and enable emotional release, he stressed, and highlighted the intersectional nature of identity issues relating to race, nationality, gender and sexual orientation raised in the conversations.
He urged Singapore to look beyond caricatures of racial minorities through categorical lenses of what he coins the five “F”s — festivals, food, fashion, flags and faces — as they perpetuate racial stereotypes. Instead of pigeonholing based on assumptions, he encouraged forging deep, authentic two-way relationships with others.
Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean and Lien Ying Chow Professor in Medicine at the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, shared his experience as an academic successfully influencing government policies on early intervention in maternal and child health. He presented key findings of the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) study on how medical conditions during pregnancy — particularly gestational diabetes and maternal mental health — can directly influence the health and well-being of women and the long-term development of their children.
Effective changemaking, in his view, requires convincing policymakers with data, evidence and reason instead of seeking to drum up the loudest noise, along with seizing opportunities to engage policymakers when the occasion arises.
Shifting the discussion from issues of early childhood to ageing, Ms Susana Concordo Harding, Director of Tsao Foundation’s International Longevity Centre, highlighted her organisation’s pilot initiative in Whampoa, called the Community for Successful Ageing (ComSA), to create an elderly-friendly neighbourhood by promoting healthy, active ageing through elder empowerment programmes and enhancing the elderly’s social participation in the community.
Mr John Gee, former President of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), talked about his advocacy group’s progress in championing fairer treatment and better protections for migrant workers in Singapore on areas like rest day entitlements and compensation. He also talked about policy holdouts they face, such as mandating bank accounts for foreign domestic workers to document salary payments in a bid to stamp out wage disputes. He noted the difficulties in quantifying changes in public moods and attitudes towards the rights of transient workers and underscored its importance in swaying legislation.
Singapore’s fast ageing population caused by increased life expectancy coupled with decreasing birth rates, evolving views on the roles of women and an acceleration towards the adoption of digital solutions in a post-COVID19 world were some of the key trends the panellists observed emerging in their area of work. Ms Harding said that she hopes to see a more gender-responsive and age-inclusive society in 2030 and pushed for more policies on caregiving, long-term care, work and learning for older persons.
The panel speakers also pointed out the power differentials in the different communities they work with. This is especially so with migrant workers, who face the constant threat of employer retaliation and deportation. Mr Gee added that he wishes to see more channels made available for migrant workers to make their voices heard.
Responding to a viewer’s question on addressing intergenerational contentions and tensions between the different age cohorts, Mr Hamid felt that facilitators of dialogues need to be keenly aware of self-esteem concerns arising from perceived differences among participants — be it in age, occupations, or socio-economic statuses —cautioning that it would lead to marginalised groups staying silent if unaddressed.
Co-creating platforms for intergenerational interaction and bonding can help cultivate common interests and connections between the old and young, Ms Harding added, citing the example of her organisation’s Curating Whampoa project, where elderly residents serve as heritage curators sharing stories and historically significant mementoes about Whampoa to the young.
Other issues discussed during the session include the role that fathers play in the development of children and how they provide crucial emotional support to their spouses after childbirth.
Regarding the challenges they face as changemakers, the panellists recognised the tendency to feel disheartened and dispirited whenever they see a lack of progress in their work but felt that it was essential to note down small achievements in their campaign promises as a reminder that change is taking place. They also encouraged Singaporeans to be more comfortable with civil society advocacy work taking a larger role in influencing the government and advised activists not to adopt a binary approach as they lobby for change.
Click here to watch the video and read the full report of the forum.
