World.Singapore: Singapore in the World; The World in Singapore http://www.sedb.com/edb/sg/en_uk/index/news_room/news/20060/0.html Teo Chee Hean's speech last April highlighted 4 key attributes that Singapore needs as our new growth formula- Trust, Knowledge, Connected and Life. TKCL in short. May I propose an additional C for Creativity and suggest as TKCCL. In the book "The Extreme Future" it suggest that "globalisation, a force of modern civilisation, may overcome the issues and barriers that create division, conflict, and inequities." (p186) Yet it is evident from the daily tabloid that this "force for global progress, collaboration, and cultural understanding" is increasingly hijacked by opposing values that comes about from a lack of understanding between cultures, nations and lack of tolerance for diverse ideas. I believe strongly that we need to start then from nurturing of the creative minds of our young, with greater social participation working with communication and collaboration skills. Yet, in this idealised pursuit, I reckon that our creative journey needs to be highly instructive and embodies a deeper and broader universal understanding of what creativity means. In the different phases of our growth as a nation, the faces of our multicultural society needs to gather creatively new ways to find our Singapore soul and then to organise our thoughts around this core identity. During the last hours before we depart Copenhagen, I witnessed the march and protest outside the hotel. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=776416&id=748497641#pid=776417 It left me wondering, what then is true democracy? Just as globalisation brings about transformation of economics, culture, innovation and trade into a new global synthesis, we in Singapore face the same challenge for the relentless race to encourage diversity- to recognise the new, the different and the odd. Perhaps our education needs then to to tap into new ways of finding pragmatic answers to foster more meaningful engagements and enhance deeper understanding for all. It doesn't matter if its the small red dot or anywhere in the world. Our world, is indeed flat.
1 comment:
I agree with you that our little "unlikely" nation needs to proceed on the path of creativity with teeth. That said, that "teeth" should be exemplified through financially rewarding tangible innovations, otherwise people will not be able to see, hear, touch, taste, smell and appreciate the importance of approaching life more creatively. There has to be a prevaling culture of risk taking and adventure seeking. I think Singapore has a way to go, but being nimble and small, we stand a good chance of a quick turnaround. My hopes are high.
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