chap 4

• how can individuals address the needs of society ?

  • they play an important role in improving and sustaining society's well- being
  • they can volunteer time, effort and money to meaningful social causes like the poor, disabled, and animal welfare
• what is an example of individuals addressing the needs to society ?

  • Mdm Malligesvari volunteers as an instructor for the Age Well Everyday (AWE) programme
  • AWE promotes active ageing and healthy lifestyles for seniors to reduce the risk of dementia
  • She teaches senior citizens how to stay healthy, exercise and keep active through brain stimulating activities
• what is the outcome of volunteering at AWE ?

  • many seniors will benefit directly from the activities and contribute to a better living environment for society
  • volunteers feel a sense of achievement through their efforts
  • they create a more inclusive society by recognising the contributions of the seniors
• how can community groups address the needs of society ?

  • community groups are formed with specific objectives and are formally registered
• what is an example of community groups addressing the needs of society ?

  • non- governmental organisation (NGO) or volunteer welfare organisations (VWO)
  • they address wide range of needs
  • PurelyAdoptions (PA) protects animal welfare
  • provides animal welfare (like animal rescue, adopter- adoptee matching)
• what is the outcome of community groups ?

  • citizens will benefit directly from the activities or programmes organised by the community groups
  • through the social interactions with other people, citizens are able to achieve a more caring society to protect the well- being of animals
  • they can also develop a sense of community and belonging through regular social interactions with people of different backgrounds
• how can the government address the needs of the society ?

  • they can work with community groups to encourage seniors to stay active and healthy
• what is the example of how the government can address the needs of the society ?

  • National Council of Social Service (NCSS) develop resources to enhance the capabilities of the Social service Agency (SSA)
  • NCSS developed the volunteer management toolkit 2.0 to provide SSAs with the framework and guidelines on how to manage volunteers effectively
• what is the outcome of government efforts ?

  • they can share their best practices with volunteer management so that learning can be shared
  • As the volunteers are trained and equipped with the skills, they will feel confident to handle all the challenges faced
• how can citizens and government work together to make an informed decisions for the good for society ?

  • it is challenging for the government to decide what is good for society because people have different needs, interests and priorities
  • they have to find ways to reach out to the citizens
• what is an example of how citizens and government can work together to make an informed decisions for the good for society ?

  • engagement platforms such as Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (REACH)
  • it is a national feedback and engagement unit under the Ministry of Communications and Information
  • it seeks to engage citizens' views on public policies and listen to their concerns and issues
  • REACH organised both face- to- face and online engagement sessions such as public forums and dialogues
• What is the outcome of citizens and government working together to make an informed decisions for the good for society ?

  • citizens' feedback and suggestions help make improvements and necessary changes to governments' draft proposals
  • this ensures the final policies are more informed, transparent, and aligned with citizens' aspirations
  • giving a voice to ordinary citizens in decision- making process enhance citizens' sense of affiliation and belonging
  • this strengthens bonds between government and citizens
  • this hence brings about national unity
• how can community groups strengthen citizens' sense of belonging ?

  • community groups can help enhance the sense of belonging and attachment to the country
• what is an example of community groups strengthening citizens' sense of belonging ?

  • mr cai yinzhu from Dakota Adventures and mr Jeremy Ho from Run & Gun Media came together to form informal community group for a project called Between Two Homes
  • the project began in 2016 as the residents of Dakota Crescent started to relocate
  • they wanted to see how a community could come together to preserve memories of a place
  • a multimedia website was made to document the rich heritage and community of Dakota Crescent and show the impact of the relocation on the residents
• what is the outcome of community groups strengthening citizens' sense of belonging ?

  • community groups efforts help strengthen a strong sense of belonging to the place
  • it helps to unite people from different races and religious background
  • they develop a sense of belonging when they share common spaces, experiences and values
• how can efforts by the government strengthen citizens' sense of belonging ? (example)

  • they launched Our Singapore Fund in 2016 to support ground- up project that build the national identity or meet social needs and community needs
  • As of 2020, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth has disbursed $4.3 million to support more than 240 ground- up project
• what is the outcome of the government strengthening citizens' sense of belonging ?

  • government provides funding and platforms to encourage citizens to build and strengthen their national identity
  • singaporeans have benefitted from this project as it helps to unify the citizens from diverse background
• how can individuals strengthen citizens' sense of belonging ?

  • in 2015, when singapore celebrated her julibee, every singaporean household received a national day fun pack, packed by local volunteers
  • each fun pack contains items which singaporeans could identify with like the singa lion, and traditional snacks like murukku
  • these items resonated with singaporeans and created a collective national identity
  • volunteer packers also did their part for their country as they tirelessly packed the fun pack
• what is the outcome of efforts by individuals to strengthen citizens' sense of belonging ?

  • efforts help develop a sense of belonging and attachment to the history, people and places in the country
  • as they have a stronger sense of belonging, they show care and concern and take actions to help fellow singaporean
  • they will become more concerned about shaping the country's future