IPS Update Issue January 2020

The Institute of Policy Studies will hold its annual flagship Singapore Perspectives conference on Monday, 20 January 2020. The theme of SP2020 is “Politics”. We aim to engage attendees in a socio-historical dialogue about Singapore’s politics — past, present and future.
 
As in other societies, Singapore’s politics can be described either in terms of the political parties that have competed for power over the course of its history, or in terms of the citizens who have defined our polity and have driven our democratic processes. Naturally, as Singaporeans have become better informed and more engaged in fashioning their own future, the nature of the contest among the political parties has also shifted. This conference seeks to engage attendees in a reflective dialogue on their “experience” of politics, both in the traditional sense of elections and governance as well as beyond those formal structures.
 
The conference features dialogue sessions with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat, as well as Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing. The programme also includes panel discussions involving public intellectuals and civic leaders such as former Ambassador-at-Large Bilahari Kausikan; Deputy Executive Editor of South China Morning Post Zuraidah Ibrahim; co-editor of Lee’s Lieutenants Lam Peng Er; and Singapore Youth Award 2017 Recipient Cai Yinzhou.

Tribute to Dr Yong Pung How

Dr Yong Pung How was the founding Chairman of our Board of Governors.

Community Development in Singapore: Case Studies on Asset-based and Arts-based Approaches

Community development in Singapore is full of tensions and contradictions, yet two case studies on voluntary efforts also show its promise and potential. IPS researchers studied two organisations, Beyond Social Services and ArtsWok Collaborative, and how they employ strengths and arts-based approaches to building communities from the ground-up. An informal Community Development Network was formed as a result of the case studies, which welcomes interested individuals who aim to make sense of community development in Singapore, and work on initiatives together. More information can be found here.