The Need For A More Compassionate and Gracious Society (Our Singapore Conversation)

Hi guys, my humble perspective on the need for us to create a more compassionate and gracious society. Appreciate if you can drop in some of your personal comments through the FB link! ^^

http://www.facebook.com/OurSGConversation/posts/476975495657735


By Stanley Chia, OSC member

I am heartened by the sharing of Yeo Yue Ann on how we as a country should come together and “do our part to make Singapore a nation for everyone whose heart is here”.

I also agree with Ann Lee that “We (Singaporeans) need to be a more caring society showing compassion towards the less fortunate, the less able, the handicap and the lower income group.”

Based on the Individual Giving Survey 2010 and past reports from NVPC, Singapore’s volunteerism rate has been increasing every year, reaching 23.3% (2010), which is a significant increase from the previous results of 16.9% (2009).

Although this is something that we can be proud of, we should note that there is still a long way to go. The volunteerism rates in many western countries are commonly above 40%, with active participation by citizenry of all walks of life.

Another worrisome trend to note is also the huge drop in volunteerism by fresh graduates as they transit into their careers. Seeking to understand the reasons behind this problem, I realized that there are two common schools of thought:

1. Making student volunteerism compulsory in our education system has failed to help most youths develop a genuine desire and willingness to contribute back to the community when it is no longer required of them.

2. Due to work stress and intensive work load, we are no longer able to derive time for active civic engagement and/or volunteerism.

This got me thinking. Since many of us do sincerely recognize the need to be a more gracious and compassionate society, what else can we do to ensure that our graciousness extends beyond giving up our seats on public transports, donating a few cents during flag days, or proclaiming the need for the government to do more? We ourselves are not doing enough! I recently reminded a group of youths that social-change is not the sole responsibility of the government, but also that of the community, and of each and every individual! 

True volunteerism arises from the attitude of “Genuine Giving”. Giving without any expectations of rewards, awards or recognition for doing so.

SIFE's re-branding to Enactus

http://enactus.org/rebranding/sife-changes-their-name-to-highlight-a-deep-commitment-to-entrepreneurial-action/#.UG_2eJjMiM1

It has just been officially announced on 30 September that SIFE will now be re-branded to "Enactus".

6 years with SIFE has certainly made no small impact in my live. It is the first club which introduced to me the entire concept of Social Entrepreneurship (Although, it does encompass an even greater scope beyond SE), the first club in which I met and worked with a truly close-knit high performance team, and most importantly the place where I have found my live's calling.

The people, the culture, and the entire organization had taught me so much, and I am thankful for all the opportunities granted to me to grow as a servant leader.

For in SIFE, the very emphasis of engaging and empowering the disadvantaged to create sustainable enterprises or initiatives, to help enable better quality of life and standard of living, was certainly one of the most inspiring mission I have ever encountered. And one which requires those who believes in this mission, to seek to serve all those around him/her. From the beneficiaries to the student members, from the corporate sponsors to all other stakeholders.
Through service, I have attained great appreciation of how fortunate I am as a Singaporean living in such comforts. Through service, I have attained great satisfaction from seeing our beneficiaries or student members grow as value-adding members of society.

Conclusively, I will like to shout out, and thank God and SIFE for this live-changing experience.

Even as it is re-branded to Enactus, which aims to drive the importance of "Entrepreneurial Action in/by Us", I believe that the organization will continue to change even more lives, and touch even more hearts!

A Head for Business, A Heart for the World!

Income inequality in Singapore

Article on Income Inequality

http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/ips/docs/events/p2012/SP2012_Bkgd%20Pa.pdf

‎"...Income inequality in Singapore has risen significantly in the last decade. 

Whether measured by the Gini coefficient, or by the ratio of incomes between the top and bottom deciles, the evidence points to an incontrovertible fact: Singapore has become more unequal in the last ten years or so..."


Facts:
Singapore household income statistics for 2011 (Including employer cpf contribution)

No working persons: 9.3% (Retiree households 5.8%)
Below 1k: 3.2%
1k to 1.99k: 6.5%
Subtotal (A): 19% (13.2%; excluding retiree households)

2k to 2.99k: 7.1%
3k to 3.99k: 7.6%
Subtotal (B): 14.7%

A + B: 33.7% (27.9%; excluding retiree households)

Households that earns 12k and above: 22.2% (12.6%; 15k and above)

Additional statistics on Singapore income levels: http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/papers/people/pp-s18.pdf

Thinking of Social Entrepreneurship as a career? Make sure you know what you are doing.

Dear all

This is an insightful piece by Lara Galinsky, senior vice president of Echoing Green.
http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/not_everyone_should_be_a_socia.html?cm_sp=blog_flyout-_-cs-_-not_everyone_should_be_a_socia

"In order to harness this generation's desire to create change, we must move away from the antiquated concept of vocation, which emphasizes what's in it for the individual: whether it will sustain their interest or bring them fame or fortune.

Instead, we need to help young people start their professional lives by asking questions. What issues, ideas, people, and projects move them deeply? What problems are theirs to own? How can they combine their heads and hearts to address those problems? What is their unique genius and how can it be of use to the world beyond themselves?

They needn't be founders of new organizations to have an impact on the world. But they should be founders of their careers." - Lara Galinsky

Derek Sivers on "Pushing and Expanding your comfort zone."

Derek Sivers

Entrepreneur, programmer, avid student of life. I make useful things, and share what I learn.

Push, push, push. Expanding your comfort zone.

2012-08-13

http://sivers.org/comfort

I’m 40 meters underwater. It’s getting cold and dark. It’s only the third dive in my life, but I’m taking the advanced training course, and the Caribbean teacher was a little reckless, dashing ahead, leaving me alone.

The next day I’m in a government office, answering an interview, raising my right hand, becoming a citizen of Dominica.

I’m in a Muslim Indian family’s house in Staten Island, washing my feet, with the Imam waiting for my conversion ceremony. Next week they will be my family in-law. The Muslim wedding will make her extended family happy. I’ve memorized the syllables I need to say. “Ash hadu alla ilaha illallah. Ash hadu anna muhammadar rasulullah.”

We’re on a rooftop in Rio de Janiero on New Year’s Eve, celebrating with some Brazilians we met the day before. Down below on the beach, a million people are wearing all white.

I’m alone on a bicycle in a forest in Sweden. I left from Stockholm 6 hours ago, headed south, with only 50 Krona, and I’m getting hungry. I don’t know the way back.

We’re in a filthy dorm-room apartment in Guilin, China, studying at the local university. At the local grocery store, we choose from a bin of live frogs.

The India Embassy official hands me a pseudo-passport that says I am now officially a “Person of Indian Origin” - a pseudo-citizen of India.

I’m the back of a truck in Cambodia, soaking wet, hitching a ride back to Phnom Penh after an all day bike ride. The roads were flooded but we rode our bikes through anyway, Mekong River water chest-high.

That week I speak at four conferences in Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia. By the 4th one, my American accent has started to morph into something kind of Asian.

We’re in a hospital in Singapore, having a baby. It’s a boy, which means he’ll serve 2 years in the Singapore military in 2030. The birth certificate says his race is Eurasian, a word I’ve never heard.

I’m on a diplomatic mission in Mongolia, with the Singapore Business Federation, talking with the Mongolian government’s head of business development, walking with the next mayor of Ulaanbaatar.

I suppress a laugh at the ridiculousless of this situation.

I’m just a musician from California! What the hell am I doing here?

But that feeling lets me know I’m on the right track. This is exactly what I wanted.

Some people push themselves physically, to see how far they can go. I’ve been doing the same thing culturally, trying to expand my California-boy perspective.

I love that when we push push push, we expand our comfort zone. Things that used to feel intimidating now are as comfortable as home.

I remember how scary New York City felt when I moved there in 1990, just 20 years old. Two years later it was “my” city - my comfort zone.

Now previously-exotic Singapore is my long-term comfortable home, while I push myself into exploring foreign places, new businesses, and different perspectives.

After years of stage fright, performing over 1000 shows, I have a strong case of “stage comfort”. Being the lead singer or speaker on stage is now my comfort zone.

A lot of my musician friends feel this when playing on stage with their legendary heroes. You push push push, then one day find yourself on the very stage you used to dream about. And it feels so natural - almost relaxing. It’s your new comfort zone.

The question is - what scares you now? What’s intimidating? What’s the great unknown?

I keep using that question to guide my next move.