Race and racism are not “settled issues” in Singapore and they are still a work in progress, Dr Janil Puthucheary said, noting that there is a growing desire for a higher level of inclusion when the young talks about such matters.

Dr Puthucheary, chairman of OnePeople.sg, the national body to promote inter-racial and inter-religious understanding, was speaking on Wednesday (Nov 1) at the group’s 10th anniversary dinner in Shangri-La Hotel.

He said: “People around the world look at us, come and visit us, marvel at our peace and prosperity, our stability and friendship among the races. But we know that this subject — race, racism — has not been settled… there are still issues in our society. We know that it is a task we have to keep working at.”

Dialogues about race in Singapore have evolved over the years, he observed.

“Our aspirations as people have changed. In my grandfather’s time, race relations or racism was about safety and security... whether your property would be confiscated and whether you can walk down the streets safely.

“One generation later, it is about jobs and opportunities. (It is about) whether your children would have access to schools... and social services.”

Today, the young ones, when they talk about racism and their aspirations for racial harmony, it is about tackling stereotypes and jokes related to race, he added. For example, young people are now concerned about whether or not an actor of a certain race is represented in a show or movie.

This “aspiration for a higher type of inclusion speaks about how far we’ve come as a country”, he noted.

Talking about OnePeople.sg, he said that the organisation has been “largely successful” in the last 10 years in its mission, and there has been an increasing number of volunteers mentoring youths and facilitators with the organisation every year. Discussions about race may be “uncomfortable”, but they are not shying away from them either.

“(I see)… teenagers standing up and dealing with the most contentious of issues. (I see them)… talking about how they’ve been bullied and discriminated against, talking about their identity, and doing so (because they are confident) that they can talk about it with their fellow Singaporeans,” he said.

These youth advocates were part of the 550 guests present at Wednesday’s dinner, where Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the guest-of-honour.

At the dinner, OnePeople.sg also launched its inaugural publication titled, The Singapore Ethnic Mosaic: Many Cultures, One People. It is a collection of works about the history, traditions and beliefs of the diverse cultural groups in Singapore.

Carrying on its work to promote racial and religious harmony, the organisation will widen its network to partner with more temples, mosques, churches and societies.

Dr Puthucheary, who is Senior Minister of State for Education, said that the group would also continue to partner with schools and educational institutions, “to drive experiences, curriculum, learning journeys and conferences”, in order for youth to debate and discuss these issues. This is so that young people have “safe spaces” to talk about racial bias, social policies and contentious issues.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by CYNTHIA CHOO

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