IPS Update Issue October 2015

IPS Commons Debate on the Abolishment of the Death Penalty

IPS Commons is holding a debate on the death penalty from 12 October to 30 October 2015. The death penalty continues to be widely discussed in Singapore, with critics questioning if it is an effective deterrent to crime, and calling for Singapore to move towards a more humane justice system where the goal is to rehabilitate rather than to punish offenders. Yet those who support the death penalty say that abolishing it could be interpreted as the government going soft on criminals, leading to an increase in crime and social problems. Others suggest that the death penalty should apply only for heinous crimes. Lawyers Tan Peng Chin and Eugene Thuraisingam are representing the sides in this debate. Join the debate here.

Awards

IPS Research Fellow Carol Soon is among the recipients of this year’s Research Excellence Award by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Dr Soon won the award for her paper on political bloggers, which was published in the April 2014 issue of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, a web-based, peer-reviewed scholarly journal.

IPS Corporate Associates Lunch: Assessing the Outcome of GE 2015

Last month at a Corporate Associates (CA) lunch, IPS Senior Research Fellows Dr Gillian Koh and Tan Tarn How, and IPS Adjunct Senior Research Fellow Manu Bhaskaran offered their analyses of the outcome of Singapore’s 2015 General Election (GE). The session drew more than 50 guests, and came ahead of the IPS Post-Election Conference on 4 November, where findings from three surveys will be presented.

Renaissance City and Asia on the Move

The IPS report on Singapore as a Renaissance City: Search for a Vision examined key developments of the European Renaissance and the lessons they hold for Singapore. In a separate book, Asia on the Move – Regional Migration and the Role of Civil Society, IPS researchers contributed a chapter discussing the important role civil society organisations in Singapore play in the integration and protection of migrants.

New Pieces on The Angle

IPS researchers gave their take on the new Cabinet and Singapore’s latest population birth trends in The Angle, a special section of IPS Commons that features short, issue-specific analyses by IPS staff on the latest policy and political developments in Singapore.

Zhang Jiayi and Wong Fung Shing: How to Do Good — Better

As more Singaporeans become socially conscious and volunteer for various causes, it is important not to judge all volunteering initiatives by the same yardstick. However, the quality of philanthropic activities can be greatly enhanced if a participatory and collaborative approach is taken. Organisers can also aim to design programmes to have a sustained impact on their beneficiaries.

Johannis Aziz: The Paradox of Democracy and the Liberal Dilemma

Absolute popular sovereignty impinges on liberal ideals and vice versa. Although the results of the recent general election are a major swing towards one-party dominance in parliament, it is not an unequivocal compromise on democracy. A flourishing civil society that supports a plurality of voices in the public space can help address this paradox of democracy.