Engaging Youth - Can Government-Driven Initiatives Create Legitimate Spaces for Civic Participation?
Date: TBD
Speaker: Mervyn Sek
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: NJC
Quick Links:
[ Quotes | Resource Materials | Guest Speaker ]
Speaker: Mervyn Sek
Time: 2:00 pm
Location: NJC
Quick Links:
[ Quotes | Resource Materials | Guest Speaker ]
Engaging youth in civic participation and citizenship is a growing priority of governments everywhere. In Singapore, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth, and Sports (MCYS) recently launched a consultation exercise to engage young Singaporeans born after 1965 to share their views and provide inputs to shape the Government's new agenda for youth. As a follow-up to the consultation exercise, MCYS is also involving youth who contributed to the consultations to champion and make recommendations to implement good ideas that were raised.
How effective are such government-sponsored efforts to engage youth in public dialogue and in causes that interest them? Does the government's stamp encourage or deter youth participation? How can the government facilitate youth involvement without prescribing actions and activities?
How can youth create and claim meaningful spaces to pursue their interests, connect to causes, and activate for change? How can youth and government interests coincide through such efforts? What role and scope is there for more decentralised spaces, such as schools and community organisations, to engage youth in decision-making and active citizenship?
Talk with us. Share your views.
How effective are such government-sponsored efforts to engage youth in public dialogue and in causes that interest them? Does the government's stamp encourage or deter youth participation? How can the government facilitate youth involvement without prescribing actions and activities?
How can youth create and claim meaningful spaces to pursue their interests, connect to causes, and activate for change? How can youth and government interests coincide through such efforts? What role and scope is there for more decentralised spaces, such as schools and community organisations, to engage youth in decision-making and active citizenship?
Talk with us. Share your views.
Quotes
"Active citizenship cannot be expected to happen overnight when a person reaches voting age: it must be learnt by doing, through everyday experiences, opportunities to participate in shared decision-making, listening to different opinions, weighing options and consequences. These are individual skills that help build civil society and young people's commitment to the democratic process."
- Silvia Golombek, International Youth Foundation
"Youth eager in entering politics, especially alternative or oppositional politics, must be wary of falling into the mindset of working within narrow parameters of stated national goals as defined by the ruling elite... It is obvious that in Singapore, many existing channels such as political or civil society forums are organised by the government or government related/ approved organisations. A balance is needed, one that comes from the ground. Youths and NGOs need to take the initiative in organising more large scale events that will help them accrue experience in garnering support."
- Charles Tan
- Silvia Golombek, International Youth Foundation
"Youth eager in entering politics, especially alternative or oppositional politics, must be wary of falling into the mindset of working within narrow parameters of stated national goals as defined by the ruling elite... It is obvious that in Singapore, many existing channels such as political or civil society forums are organised by the government or government related/ approved organisations. A balance is needed, one that comes from the ground. Youths and NGOs need to take the initiative in organising more large scale events that will help them accrue experience in garnering support."
- Charles Tan
Resource Materials
1) Singapore Youth Teeming with Ideas to Create Their Own Future
Author: Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
Summary: Press release provides background to the youth consultation exercise, highlights key issues raised by young Singaporeans during the consultations, and outlines the government's intentions to involve youth in workgroups to address concerns raised.
Interesting ***
Readable ****
Relevant *****
2) Student and Youth Movements are Key to Freedom
Author: Charles Tan
Summary: Speech highlights the limitations and dangers of government-sponsored youth engagement, and encourages youth to resist being brainwashed into believing that (peaceful) demonstrations are aggressive, detrimental to social stability, an un-Asian.
Interesting ****
Readable ****
Relevant *****
3) Civics in Action: DC Students Changing the Course of Public Policy
Author: Heather Voke
Summary: Case study of a community school that has effectively integrated community concerns and citizenship issues into school life and the academic curriculum.
Interesting ****
Readable ****
Relevant *****
Author: Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports
Summary: Press release provides background to the youth consultation exercise, highlights key issues raised by young Singaporeans during the consultations, and outlines the government's intentions to involve youth in workgroups to address concerns raised.
Interesting ***
Readable ****
Relevant *****
2) Student and Youth Movements are Key to Freedom
Author: Charles Tan
Summary: Speech highlights the limitations and dangers of government-sponsored youth engagement, and encourages youth to resist being brainwashed into believing that (peaceful) demonstrations are aggressive, detrimental to social stability, an un-Asian.
Interesting ****
Readable ****
Relevant *****
3) Civics in Action: DC Students Changing the Course of Public Policy
Author: Heather Voke
Summary: Case study of a community school that has effectively integrated community concerns and citizenship issues into school life and the academic curriculum.
Interesting ****
Readable ****
Relevant *****
Guest Speaker
We're happy to have Mervyn Sek join us at this session as a guest speaker.
Mervyn is a Local Merit Teaching Scholar with the Public Service Commission, and he has attained a Master in Social Sciences (Economics) degree (2004). He is currently serving his National Service with the Ministry of Defence as part of his scholarship requirements, and plans to teach Economics in the near future.
Being a strong advocate for youth activism and volunteerism, Mervyn impacts the lives of youths around him by being their inspiring mentor and role model. He has served in more than 40 designations in over 10 student organisations since his freshman year, and has also organised competitions, exhibitions, fundraising activities, freshmen camps, IT fairs, seminars and workshops for the benefit of the NUS community. In July 2002, Mervyn proudly represented Singapore at the regional 5th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative.
Mervyn passionately promotes active youth participation in personal development, community service and volunteerism. He initiated the inaugural NVAC Freshmen Volunteer Camp and the annual Montage series of photographic events in 1999. He has been actively befriending intellectually disabled children since 1998, and volunteers weekly at the Meet-the-People Sessions of the Ulu Pandan Constituency.
Mervyn also holds 11 concurrent honorary positions, including Board Director of the NUS Multi-purpose Co-operative Society Ltd, Committee Member (Community Service/Cultural, Food & Beverages and Young Chapter Subcommittees) of the NUS Society, Committee Member (CIP Network) of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, Assistant General Secretary (Ulu Pandan Community Club Youth Executive Committee) of the People’s Association Youth Movement, and Committee Member (Youth & Sports Functional Committee) of the South West Community Development Council.
Mervyn is a Local Merit Teaching Scholar with the Public Service Commission, and he has attained a Master in Social Sciences (Economics) degree (2004). He is currently serving his National Service with the Ministry of Defence as part of his scholarship requirements, and plans to teach Economics in the near future.
Being a strong advocate for youth activism and volunteerism, Mervyn impacts the lives of youths around him by being their inspiring mentor and role model. He has served in more than 40 designations in over 10 student organisations since his freshman year, and has also organised competitions, exhibitions, fundraising activities, freshmen camps, IT fairs, seminars and workshops for the benefit of the NUS community. In July 2002, Mervyn proudly represented Singapore at the regional 5th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative.
Mervyn passionately promotes active youth participation in personal development, community service and volunteerism. He initiated the inaugural NVAC Freshmen Volunteer Camp and the annual Montage series of photographic events in 1999. He has been actively befriending intellectually disabled children since 1998, and volunteers weekly at the Meet-the-People Sessions of the Ulu Pandan Constituency.
Mervyn also holds 11 concurrent honorary positions, including Board Director of the NUS Multi-purpose Co-operative Society Ltd, Committee Member (Community Service/Cultural, Food & Beverages and Young Chapter Subcommittees) of the NUS Society, Committee Member (CIP Network) of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, Assistant General Secretary (Ulu Pandan Community Club Youth Executive Committee) of the People’s Association Youth Movement, and Committee Member (Youth & Sports Functional Committee) of the South West Community Development Council.
