IPS Update Issue December 2013

Harnessing Harassment

Should Singapore implement a unified anti-harassment legislation or amend the existing patchwork of laws? Should the definition of harassment be broad or specific? Should employers be made legally obligated to enforce a harassment-free workplace? These were some of the questions raised and discussed during the recent IPS conference on harassment. Read the report here. […]

Report on IPS Conference on Civil Society 2013: “Our Future”

Fifteen years since the inaugural IPS conference on civil society, is the “tembusu tree” still an apt analogy for the state of civil society in Singapore? How has information technology and new media impacted civic activism? And in what situations and issues should the government take a back seat or intervene? Read the report here. […]

Report on 20th Singapore Economic Roundtable

Suggestions were made during the 20th Singapore Economic Roundtable for the country to consider regional integration as an engine of future economic growth. This strategy entails closer cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia, and a recalibrated focus on Singapore’s immediate hinterland. Read the report here.[…]

Christopher Gee and Yap Mui Teng: Catching the Next Wave in Singapore’s Population Story

There might be a glimmer of hope in Singapore’s push to raise its Total Fertility Rate. The country’s citizen population profile shows an expansion in the number of “echo-boomers” and women in this category will be in their “biologically optimal childbearing years” in the next 10 years or so. […]

Gillian Koh: The Way Forward for State-Society Ties

Many civil society groups have found instances of positive engagement with the government, as evident in the policy changes and the rolling out of programmes for the betterment of society. Principles central to successful civil society-government engagement would be the responsibility to engage, to compromise and to act. […]

Carol Soon: Draw a Clear Line on Behaviour Online

While providing legal recourse for victims of online harassment and sending a symbolic message that unacceptable online behaviour is not condoned, the law alone is insufficient in addressing the perils of online harassment. As users of social media, we have the personal responsibility to be aware of the consequences of sharing information and to make informed decisions that make us less susceptible to abuse. […]

Faizal bin Yahya: Developing a Singaporean Core in Our Workforce

The government needs to develop a Singaporean core in its workers by investing in infrastructure and training so as to create a productive and effective workforce. At the same time, Singapore needs to keep its economy open to talents from the world over. The end product would be a dynamic Singapore economy. […]