The SIF launched a new programme, Art Associates, in February to enable Southeast Asian art professionals and their Singaporean counterparts to exchange ideas, knowledge and perspectives.

In partnership with The National Art Gallery, Singapore, this collaboration will bring Southeast Asian art and heritage experts to the Gallery for a 10-week professional attachment. The aim is to build mutual understanding of Southeast Asian art, share knowledge of the art industry in the participating countries as well as network with local and regional art professionals.

The first of three exchanges this year began on 22 February with two associates from the Philippines: animator and teaching artist, Maria Katrina Tan-Conte, and projects manager at the Center for Ethnomusicology, University of the Philippines, Dayang Magdalena Nirvana T. Yraola.

Through this programme, both the SIF and the Gallery hope to build a network of Southeast Asian art and heritage professionals, where the exchange of knowledge and understanding can continue to grow.

Journalists from Qatar – Sindhu Nair, Deputy Editor of Oryx Advertising, and James McCarthy, Regional Managing Editor of Firefly Communications – had a wide-ranging study tour of Singapore when they visited from 26 to 30 January under the SIF Arts & Culture Journalist Visit Programme.

While in Singapore, the journalists met with representatives from the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, the Media Development Authority, the National Arts Council, and the National Heritage Board, as well as members of the Singapore press, arts educators and local arts practitioners.

Ms Nair and Mr McCarthy visited prominent cultural sites in Singapore such as the Peranakan Museum and the Singapore Art Museum. They also got a chance to explore Chinatown, Little India and CHIJMES, and visited Sentosa’s Resorts World. They rounded off their visit with a performance of Puccini’s opera La Bohème at the Esplanade.

Dean of the Faculty of the World Economy & Politics, State University – Higher School of Economics, Russia

Ranked among the world’s top 100 public intellectuals, Dr Karaganov was invited to Singapore as the Singapore International Foundation’s Distinguished Visitor in February, where he met officials and gave a lecture at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. The chairman of the Valdai Club, an international framework for leading experts to debate on Russia and its role in the world, also shared with Singapore his thoughts on the fading of world superpowers, the rise of ‘super regionalism’ and Singapore-Russia relations.

Is the notion of national superpowers still relevant?

It is true that the world is moving towards a drastic redistribution of power – for example, everyone is talking about the shift of economic and political power to Asia, namely India and China. In a way it’s a return of two once-great civilisations that were suppressed for some time.

But I don’t think that either China or India will become a dominant power in the way we have come to understand the term. The age of dominant powers appears to be past. I don’t think the United States will ever be the dominant power that it once was. This might mean, without the existence of superpowers, that the world will be more chaotic. During the Cold War when there were two superpowers, the world was more governable.

“The regimes that were created in the old world are giving way to something different.”

Is this the age of social or cultural capital?

Twenty years ago, people believed that the concept of the nation-state was over because institutions such as multinational corporations and non-government organisations were redefining the concept of nation and state. The State is back, but of course on a new level. Although I would not be so daring to say that soft powers will come to fore in the long term.

What to you are some of the most significant geoeconomic or geopolitical changes?

The regimes that were created in the old world are giving way to something different. For example, the World Trade Organisation was created to liberalise world trade, but today it is crumbling as a free trade engine; hundreds of regional regimes have formed within it and are changing the structure within. Clearly, new forms will take place, maybe in the form of super regionalism – we don’t know.

It is clear that intellectual capital and knowledge institutions are more important than ever.

The notion of territory has also shifted and is now growing in importance, but [territory is] being gained in different ways. Previously, people sent troops; now they buy territory. And to keep this land, they also need other sources of power, requiring financial means. It’s a new development that no one could have predicted ten years ago.

How has the relationship between Singapore and Russia evolved?

Singapore-Russia relations have improved a lot over the years. At first it was mainly through the popularity of your Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who is well regarded in Russia, especially among the intellectual and political class. Another less discussed reason is that Singapore is similar to the Netherlands, a country we Russians have a fascination with. Our great Tsar, Peter the Great, loved the country; it is very organised, the people fought for every inch of their land and protected it from the sea – exactly the opposite of Russia! In a way, Singapore – so different from Russia – is so similar to the Netherlands, and is intriguing to us! It is the polarity that fascinates us! Also, very few countries that gained independence in the 40s and 50s have made the strides that Singapore has.

Going forward, how would you like to see the relationship between Singapore and Russia expand?

As dean, I want my students to have an international perspective. We have links with Harvard and several Chinese universities, and we are looking at Singapore because it is an obvious choice. You have a high level of education, English is spoken and and you already have links with Russia in terms of business. I think the next step is to bring together our intellectual communities.

While our relationship with Singapore has been growing, Russia has overlooked and missed out on Asia’s growth for a long time. Now, we’d like to extend more exchanges, including technological and cultural exposure. Singapore is a natural hub for that. It has a strong intellectual community and has been a historic crossroads.

In addition to his work with schools, Alvan will also set activities and programmes to aid communication between the hearing-impaired and their families and communities.

This project in Timor-Leste aims to improve the understanding and the quality of education available for the hearing-impaired.

With its new vision, the SIF will tap on the many relationships it has built through the years with volunteerism, people-to-people exchanges and cultural tie-ups to address three key areas: fostering sustained development in overseas communities, enabling the exchange of ideas, and showcasing Singapore to the world. To this end, SIF programmes will address five areas – healthcare, education, the environment, arts and culture, as well as livelihood and business.

SIF Chairperson Euleen Goh called the new vision a celebration of the relationships that have been built over the years to “tie up the loose ends of an unequal world and create instead a tapestry of hope and opportunity”.

Learn more about SIF’s new vision at www.sif.org.sg

Director General of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

A former environmental lawyer who co-authored the leading American text on environmental law, James Leape has been working in the area of conservation for at least three decades. He was in Singapore on 14 October 2009 as the 21st SIF Distinguished Visitor ahead of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Mr Leape gave a public lecture, Good COP, Bad COP – the Compelling Case for a Good Global Climate Deal while in Singapore. Here are some of his views on climate change issues.

Why – despite the availability and affordability of renewable and efficient energy options – is widespread adoption of green energy still a challenge?

The lack of adoption of green energy is a market problem. One classic failure of the market is that it does not consider the cost or impact associated with the use of fossil fuels on the climate.

Problems include subsidies of fossil fuels or the lack of buy-back energy schemes that allow someone with solar panels to sell excess energy back to the grid, so they don’t reap the benefits.

Apart from putting a price on carbon in the form of a carbon tax, what are some other solutions?

There also needs to be a global agreement and for countries to take action in their own jurisdiction. There also needs to be confidence that other countries are also acting and committed to tackle the problem.

Policy tools also need to be implemented, such as efficiency standards for buildings, or energy ratings that can guide consumer behaviour. In the US, refrigerators in the last 30 years have become twice as big, half as expensive and four times as efficient because government standards have relentlessly driven standards.

What are your views on the long-standing debate over the difference in climate change goals for developed countries and developing nations like India and China?

Understandably, China and India have been resistant to being locked into binding commitments that have been asked of developed countries. But India and China have both made great strides.

China has a very clear view of the problems that climate change poses for them and they recognise and have expressed that they have and will be part of the global solution. China has acted in the last few years to slow the growth of emissions. For example, they have fuel efficiency standards for cars that are better than those in the US and have implemented appliance efficiency standards, building codes in the major cities as well as targets for renewable energy and carbon emissions.
India has also made similar moves to come up with strategies relevant for their growth and sustainability.

I hope these two countries will decide to make a strong international commitment. I think it will be a significant move to increase the political heat on other developed nations and encourage them to step up.

What are your thoughts on the G8 agreement to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?

While it is a good to have a goal, you can’t just mandate for 2050 because it’s too far away. You can say lofty things about what’s going to happen by 2050 and yet not drive action for tomorrow, which is the crucial part.

It is helpful to have a clear overall vision of what the future should look like, but what we really need are short term targets and it’s also important to get all the parties involved to agree on what is a suitably convergent path.

How has the recent global recession affected the momentum of the climate change movement, in particular for companies?

More and more companies find that it is good business to be a leader in sustainability. Partly, this is a matter of corporate value and partly it is because it reaches out to their constituencies – their shareholders, employees and customers.

One of the striking things is that even through the depths of the recession last year, many companies still went full steam in their commitments to sustainability because it had become core to their business interests.

To achieve the goal of working with communities for sustained development, the SIF also recently supported a mobile library in Hanoi to address the challenges of education in Vietnam. More than 36 per cent of the 86 million-strong Vietnamese population are under 15 years old, but schools, teachers, books and other educational resources are hard to come by, especially for those living in rural areas. The mobile library will bring books, computers, storytelling and games to villages in Hanoi to help improve the well-being of communities and uplift the lives of their children.

Finally, showcasing Singapore in all its colour is the newly launched Singapore Kopitiam (www.singaporekopitiam.sg), a website that explores the culture, society and people of Singapore.

Malnutrition, occupational asthma, skin disease and chemical poisoning – these are some of the potential ailments frequently faced by Indonesian workers in the Riau Islands Province. Official statistics also indicate that upper respiratory tract infection is the most common complaint, affecting one in five workers.

To bring about a better understanding of workplace health and safety in the Riau Islands Province, Singapore specialists have partnered the Directorate of Occupational Health under the Singapore International Foundation’s (SIF’s) two-year Singapore Volunteers Overseas Specialist Team (Occupation Health) Project.

Launched on 5 August, the project – consisting of volunteers from the National University of Singapore and the Ministry of Manpower, and supported by the Indonesian Ministry of Health – will potentially reach about 250,000 blue-collar workers in Batam and a further 200,000 workers on other islands such as Bintan and Karimun.

The training will include seminars, field work, practical workplace assessments and a possible training attachment in Singapore.

What were some of the skills you learnt from the SIF mentors?

The SIF mentors are very professional and committed. Some of the key things I learnt was how to be a good leader, develop a team, give good feedback, resolve conflict, plan projects and be a good communicator and listener. Now, I learn more as a coach than when I was a ‘student’. As a mentor and coach, I now have more responsibility to facilitate communication, guide assignments, foster team building, provide positive feedback and act as a resource.

What are the human resource challenges in Afghanistan and some of the pressing concerns today?
Afghanistan has been through three decades of civil war which has devastated institutions and capacity-building infrastructure. The brain drain also means that there are no opportunities to build and grow a new generation of leaders. Since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001, the new government has been focused on capacity-building programmes, working with international organisations like UNITAR to develop professionals. We are in great need of human capital, from government administrators and civil servants to engineers, doctors and teachers.

What is the impact of the UNITAR Hiroshima Fellowship for Afghanistan?
Human resources are the backbone of nation building, and UNITAR has played a very critical hand in the development of Afghanistan. Over the last six years, some 160 Afghanis have been trained under UNITAR and 59 of these graduates have been promoted to significant positions in the government.

How was your experience of visiting Singapore as part of the UNITAR programme?

It has been a remarkable journey. This visit to Singapore was very professionally organised and well managed. The visits were very informative and relevant and gave good insight into the academic, social and economic side of Singapore.

The Harmony Centre, which showcased the ways to achieve ethnic and religious harmony, was very encouraging and inspiring. It showed that mutual respect, tolerance and understanding are very important in creating a peaceful multicultural society – a very relevant lesson for my country.

The visit to the Inland Revenue Authority was very interesting to me from the evolution of the monetary and taxation system. I also saw some very useful taxation systems.

From a human resource point of view, the organisational structure was very interesting to me as it is very focused on the staff, the communication channels are very open and there are motivational incentives for job innovation.

A two-year project by the SIF and the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) in Myanmar to train 60 early childhood trainers has concluded in true pay-it-forward style.

A review of the initial project that started in 2005 revealed that while trainees had made good progress in the implementing and development of teaching skills, more was needed to support their learning. Some challenges identified were in the area of professional upgrading, integration of learning and the use of different learning platforms.

To this end, the SIF and DSW have worked to consolidate learning material and provide additional support to the Myanmar practitioners. This led to an early childhood seminar held from 3–4 September.

On 4 September, both partners launched the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Resource Centre at the Social Welfare Training Centre. Refurbished by the DSW at the cost of US$10,000, the ECCD has also been equipped with S$15,000 worth of resources from the SIF, comprising reference books, teaching and training resources, children’s books and multimedia tools that will support the professional development of the trainees and help them develop low-cost, resources for teaching and learning.

Mrs Chou Bun Eng (left) with the children at the Chen Su Lan Methodist Children's Home.

Her Excellency Mrs Chou Bun Eng, Cambodian Secretary of State at the Ministry of Interior

Mrs Chou was in Singapore from May 4–8 as an SIF Distinguished Visitor. She shares her passion to address gender and human trafficking issues in Cambodia with Singapore, as well as her experiences under the Khmer Rouge regime.

What’s the inspiration for doing the work you do?

I have had experience of women’s issues in areas like labour and education at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and I found that they are often victims of human trafficking and violence. Women are very vulnerable, we have to do something to empower them, and at the same time, change society’s mindset and behaviour. Women are sometimes treated as objects and they do not have the power to bargain for their rights – women are also human beings, no?

What are some of the issues that women face in Cambodia?

Women are less educated. Sometimes they also want to be political actors or be involved in social work, but they do not have the chance because they do not have the education. They carry a lot of burden; if there is domestic violence, they cannot focus on their career. And sometimes they leave their jobs because they think “this is too much, I’d rather keep my family stable.” I always try to be a role model for my children. Firstly, there wasn’t any violence between me and my husband. We always try to find ways to solve a problem instead of trying to fight one another. Secondly, I try to empower myself to work harder to let my children know that a woman can do well, a mother can do well.

What do you hope to achieve as you work to improve the status of women in Cambodia?

Now we find women holding very good jobs from the grassroots level to the national level. We are working to promote and support them because they have to strike a balance between home and work. We want to raise the awareness of women’s issues and highlight women as role models in the family and their achievements.

How have your experiences during the Khmer Rouge regime affected the way you pursue life?

I was a worker and a prisoner during Pol Pot’s genocidal regime when I was 19, for three years. Everyone lived in fear and hopelessness. After I was delivered from that regime, I told myself to never feel lost in front of any job. I have to be strong, I have to encourage myself and achieve my goals.

What insights have you gained as an SIF Distinguished Visitor to Singapore?

I have to thank the SIF because I learned more than I expected. I thought I would be visiting some places and finding information by myself but instead I was given access to key institutions and key persons. I learned more about human trafficking and family violence, the mechanisms involved, and how to combat these problems from the policy level to the grassroots level.

A discussion on the opportunities and challenges faced by expatriate women working here.

More than 40 expatriate women got the chance to network and share their concerns and experiences about living in Singapore at the SIF Xpats Dialogue on March 26, 2009 entitled “Opportunity and Challenges for Expatriate Women Working in Singapore”.

The animated dialogue included Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC, Ms Indranee Rajah, former-President for women’s group Aware, Ms Constance Singam, and Ms Juanita Woodward, President for PrimeTime Business and Women’s Association. At the front of most participants’ minds were understanding employment regulations and increasing employment opportunities here in Singapore to make their stay more rewarding and enjoyable. For newcomer to Singapore, Bintou Ndiaye from France, the dialogue answered a lot of questions she had on employment.

Expatriates got to learn about Balestier's rich history during an SIF-organised trail.

It may be a food haven for many, but there is more to Balestier Road than tau sar piah (bean paste pastries) and bak kut teh (pork rib soup). Seventeen expatriates from America, Britain, Germany, Malaysia and Taiwan got to learn about Balestier’s rich history during an SIF-organised trail on April 25. Auspiciously, the day coincided with the first day of the lunar month which is a day for worship.

The trail started at the Goh Chor Tua Pek Kong Temple, built in 1847 by Chinese sugar plantation labourers, followed by a visit to the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. Built in 1900, the Hall was home to Chinese revolutionary leader Dr Sun Yat Sen and his men from 1906 to 1911. Participants also got to enjoy the old-world charm of Balestier and its famed treats such as fresh bread with butter and kaya (coconut jam).

Professionals and caregivers are being trained in the end-of-life care for children.

Having to cope with terminal illness is difficult and it is more so if the one facing death is a child. To help improve the palliative care for Indonesian children, the SIF launched a new Singapore Volunteers Overseas (SVO) project in Jakarta on April 21.

The SVO Specialist Team (Palliative Care for Children) Project is a partnership with Yayasan Rumah Rachel (Rachel House) – the first paediatric hospice in Indonesia. Led by Dr Cynthia Goh, the head of Palliative Medicine at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, the SVO team will train 40 Indonesian professionals and caregivers in end-of-life-care for children over the course of six one-week visits to Jakarta in the next two years. The trainees will then transfer their skills to other palliative caregivers in Indonesia.

Read more about the founding of Rachel House in I Say