J e a n T a n
E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
he New Year is both a time to reflect on the past year and to contemplate the future. As you take stock of what you have achieved so far, I hope that in your plans for the year ahead, you will find ways in which to connect with others and contribute as an active citizen of the world.
You can find inspiration from many Singaporeans and organisations that are already doing their part to reach out to communities across the globe, by harnessing their own special experiences and knowledge to enrich lives and effect positive change.
In this issue, we highlight some of them. They include Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee who, in her time as Singapore’s representative to the United States, paved the way to better relations between the two countries. Since her return to Singapore, she has continued to persuade different sectors of the community to work together to achieve positive outcomes.
Singaporean doctor Loh Cheng has also been building bridges, through his work fostering closer Sino-Singapore relations in the health-care sector of China’s Yunnan province, while Singaporean pianist Margaret Leng Tan has flown the Singapore flag overseas countless times with her unique and creative interpretation of music.
In the same vein, the efforts of Singapore-based nonprofit organisations such as Aidha, The Red Pencil and Project Happy Feet reflect a concern for the marginalised around the world as they seek to improve their well-being.
This issue, we also invite our foreign friends, Thai designers Phisit Jongnarangsin and Saksit Pisalasupongs, as well as Singapore-based American archaeology professor John N Miksic, to share what they love about Singapore and its people.
I hope these stories give you food for thought for the New Year. Here’s to a great year ahead.
ABOUT SIF
The Singapore International Foundation makes friends for a better world.
We build enduring relationships between Singaporeans and world communities, and harness these friendships to enrich lives and effect positive change.
Our work is anchored in the belief that cross-cultural interactions provide insights that strengthen understanding. These exchanges inspire action and enable collaborations for good.
Our programmes bring people together to share ideas, skills and experiences in areas such as health care, education, the environment, arts and culture, as well as livelihood and business.
We do this because we believe we all can, and should, do our part to build a better world, one we envision as peaceful, inclusive and offering opportunities for all.
Find out more at
www.sif.org.sg