Publication

Peter Ho, former Head of the Singapore Civil Service, was the Institute of Policy Studies' 2016/17 S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore.

This book collects the four IPS-Nathan Lectures that he delivered between April and May 2017, and gathers highlights of his dialogues with the audience.

Ho surveys the increasingly complex world, and suggests what governments can do to prepare for the future — even as no one can predict it. He uses metaphors such as the "black elephant" and concepts like the "dialectic of governance" to explain how a systematic approach to thinking about the future can help countries in general — and Singapore in particular — build resilience and develop a comparative advantage in the face of uncertainty and rapid change.

The IPS-Nathan Lectures series was launched in 2014 as part of the S R Nathan Fellowship for the Study of Singapore. Its primary goal is to promote public understanding and discourse of issues of critical national interest.

Content:
Foreword:
About the Moderators

Lecture 1:
Hunting Black Swans & Taming Black Elephants: Governance in a Complex World
Questions and Answers
Moderator: Debra Soon

Lecture 2:
Governing in the Anthropocene: Risk & Resilience, Imagination & Innovation
Questions and Answers
Moderator: Moderator: Chan Heng Chee

Lecture 3:
The Paradox of Singapore and the Dialectic of Governance
Questions and Answers
Moderator: Chng Kai Fong

Lecture 4:
The Future: Governance, Unintended Consequences, and the Redemption of Hope
Questions and Answers
Moderator: Chua Mui Hoong

Bibliography

153pages
ISBN 978-981-3231-82-5
ISBN 978-981-3233-74-4 (pbk)

Set within the context of growing political pluralism and the increasing use of new communication technologies for social mobilisation, the Institute of Policy Studies organised a national conference on civil society in November 2013. This collection of the essays that were presented at or inspired by the conference provides nuanced analyses of the development of the sector in Singapore since the Institute's first such conference held in 1998. The first section of the book discusses the different philosophies and approaches that underpin how civic activists engage with the State; the second section examines some key forces of change that are re-shaping the sector; and, the third section sets out some emerging issues facing it. Combining insights from experts and civic activists themselves, this book proposes an agenda for the future development of the civil society in Singapore.

Content:

Preface
Introduction

SECTION ONE: Philosophies and Approaches

Chapter 1:
Civil Society in Singapore: Ideals and Idealism
by Kwok Kian-Woon

Chapter 2:
Three Lessons for Engagement in Environmental Activism in Singapore
by Faizah Jamal

Chapter 3:
Quiet Riot for New Possibilities
by Alvin Tan

SECTION TWO: Change Agents

Chapter 4:
Impact of Political Trends on Civil Society
by Walter Woon

Chapter 5:
Civil Society and Technology: Whither the Change?
by Carol Soon

Chapter 6:
Role of Civil Society Organisations in Facilitating Migrant Integration
by Mathew Mathews and Zhang Jiayi

SECTION THREE: The Future of Civil Society

Chapter 7:
Singapore’s “Many Helping Hands”
by Ang Bee Lian

Chapter 8:
Building a Vibrant and Diverse Civil Society – Limitations and Possibilities
by Corinna Lim, Michelle Ng and Chang Cheng Mun

Chapter 9:
The Future of Ethnic-Based Civil Society in Singapore
by Sharon Siddique

Chapter 10:
Civic Education and Deliberative Democracy in Singapore
by Kenneth Paul Tan

Chapter 11:
The Future of Youth Activism in Singapore
by Tong Yee and Tay Ek Kiat

Chapter 12:
Growing Civil Society in Singapore: The Future Legislative Landscape
by Kevin YL Tant

About the Contributors
Index

293 pages
ISBN: 978-1-78634-246-1 (hardcover)

The term “flora and fauna” refers to the plants and animals found in a particular region. Singapore’s primeval vegetation has changed vastly over the past 200 years due to a range of human activities. Yet, Singapore is rich in plant and animal life – as found in the various terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems. This book introduces some of the interesting and notable native plants and animals, in addition to highlighting the physical characteristics of each ecosystem and revealing the challenges that plants and animals need to overcome in order to survive. Readers will also get to know what Singapore has done to conserve its unique and precious natural heritage.

Singapore is a modern and global island-state, internationally recognised as one of the most liveable cities in the world. Since its Independence, Singapore's journey towards its present-day urban landscape has been characterised by the political will to tackle pressing priorities together with bold professional initiatives in land planning. This book examines the significant role that land planning plays in Singapore's physical transformation and economic development, while exploring future challenges in the light of demographic changes, technological advances and environmental pressures. These complexities will require more flexible and innovative land-use policies and strategies to shape Singapore in the next 50 years.

Singapore Perspectives 2017 covers the following:

Preface by IPS Director Mr Janadas Devan

Acknowledgements

Introduction by Gillian Koh and Debbie Soon

Section 1: Looking Out

What if the Nation-State is No Longer the Key Organisational Unit of the International Community? by Wang Gungwu who is University Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University.

What if Globalisation Fails? by Khong Cho-Oon who is Chief Political Analyst in the Global Business Environmental team, Shell International, based in London, with over 20 years' experience leading and advising on country scenario projects.

What if Singapore Has to Choose Between China and the United States? By Joseph Liow, Dean and Professor of Comparative and International Politics at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Section 2: Looking In

What if Non-Economic Indicators Become the Measure of a Country's Progress? By Jeremy Au who is the co-founder of Quad.sg, a non-partisan collective expanding Singapore's data-driven discourse.

What if Singapore Fails to Become a Creative and Innovation Nation? by Aaron Maniam, a civil servant, currently overseeing policy on manufacturing, services and tourism.

What if Singapore Fails to Sustain Itself as a Vibrant, Cosmopolitan "Global City"? by Amanda Chong who is a lawyer with strong interests in criminal justice and public policy.

Section 3: Looking Across

What if We Ignore Race and Religion? by Norman Vasu, Senior Fellow, Coordinator of the Social Resilience Programme and Deputy Head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University and Pravin Prakash an Associate Research Fellow with the Social Resilience Programme at the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) within the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

What if We Cease to Accept Immigrants? by Mariam Jaafar, Partner and Managing Director at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Singapore. She is a core member of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications and Financial Services practices.

What if the Family is No Longer the Fundamental Building Block of Society? by Thang Leng Leng, Deputy Director of the Centre for Family and Population Research at the National University of Singapore.

Section 4: Looking Ahead

What if Singapore Becomes a Two or Multi-Party System? by Ong Ye Kung, elected Member of Parliament for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency in September 2015, and appointed to the Cabinet of Singapore as the Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) on 1 October 2015.

The Real Question Behind "What if Singapore Becomes a Two- or Multi-Party System?" by Ho Kwon Ping, Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings. Born in 1952, he was educated in Tunghai University, Taiwan; Stanford University, California and the University of Singapore.

(142 pages, ISBN 978-981-3224-74-2)

Links: IPS Event on "Singapore Perspectives 2017: What if", 23 January 2017