it is almost impossible to compete on a level playing field against the juggernaut of a entrenched and established ruling party
The govt's game plan is to engage the young and let them feel that their voices are heard and that they can make a difference. Vivian Balakrishnan is spearheading the engagement.
I guess many ppl are still skeptical and only time will tell whether the changes are real or cosmetic. Personally I'm hopeful that LHL understands the aspirations of young ppl better than his predecessors and that changes will accelerate once LKY passes on.
Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 07 June 2005 1931 hrs
Govt accepts majority of proposals by youths for implementation
By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE : Singapore youths have put out more than 90 proposals on areas they think can help shape the country's future and the Government has accepted the majority of them.
Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan says their acceptance heralds a new level of trust and engagement between the youth and the Government.
In August last year, 2,000 youths including students, working adults, disabled youths and overseas Singaporeans took part in a Youth Consultation Exercise.
120 of them then organised themselves into four work groups and came up with the proposals which they submitted to the Government in April.
More than half have been accepted for implementation and some others are under review.
And where the proposals are rejected, the respective ministries will reply in writing and in public.
Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth & Sports said: "There have been other proposals including better integrating the disabled, out-of-school youths and other potentially marginalised segments of our society into the mainstream. Again these are ideas which we will work on. There are a couple of ideas on reducing the hurdles of people to enter business, to either help them with ideas like start-up funding, and to reduce regulatory barriers. There are also a few controversial ones, championing for people with alternative lifestyles and sexual preferences. These are good, serious-minded proposals. And even those that we disagree with, we have to respond and explain why we disagree with it. Overall that level of trust and engagement has improved. You can see that this is a sincere government open for ideas."
The Minister was speaking at the launch of the Youth Leaders and Mentors Programme, which aims to nurture 4,000 young leaders and active community members over the next three years.
The programme offers a unique opportunity to groom young Singaporeans, particularly secondary and post-secondary students in leadership and project management skills.
Guided by older mentors, they will then put the new-found skills to good use by working on community projects.
Dr Balakrishnan was also impressed by the high standard of ideas at a service-learning projects competition.
Among the winning projects are learning about the needy and national harmony through the World's Longest Friendship Band, a sign language teaching video to help the public communicate with the deaf, and an online mathematical resource centre for dyslexics.
"It's about understanding ourselves better, to know how to help dyslexics. It's a service without expecting anything in return and we got a lot of satisfaction from it, " said Ho Rui An from Hwa Chong Institution. His team's project on "A Better Tomorrow For Dyslexics won the first prize at the primary/secondary category of the Service-Learning Projects Competition.
To show that the Government is not just paying lip service to engaging and empowering the youths, Dr Balakrishnan said his ministry will fund some of these service-learning projects.
While he won't say how much the budget for the funding is, he assures that money is not a problem. And his message to the youths - keep the ideas coming.
"Those who say this is just for show are completely mistaken. Look at this objectively, at how much has been done, what has changed in our society and how many opportunities there are to express yourself, organise yourself and make things happen. We've now gone past the stage of mere feedback. And my conclusion is, which I hope Singaporeans will share it with me, is there are so many opportunities. So please, don't give up, even if we say no to some proposals. We will explain why we say no. Find a way so that we can say yes, " Dr Balakrishnan said.
He added: "What you'll see at the end of all this is a much more vibrant youth sector in Singapore. I want every young Singaporean to feel that Singapore is his or hers, and that your idea and action makes a real difference to our society. And that really creates the future we are talking about. I'm looking forward to more activism."
Details of the youths' proposals are on the MCYS website.
-CNA /ls