YSA_NEWSLETTER__FEB_2018

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4 Khwaish | February 2018 SIKH VOICES CONFERENCE 2017 THE FUTURE OF THE SIKH COMMUNITY AND SINGAPORE Close to 180 people turned up for YSA’s inaugural Sikh Voices conference on 11 November 2017. Themed ‘What If’, the full-day event featured panel discussions, dialogues and a minihackathon, all of which were meant to spur thinking about the future of the local Sikh community and Singapore. The aim of the Sikh Voices conference was to bring Sikhs, of all ages and from all walks of life, together to have a candid and open discussion on possible scenarios which the Sikh community could face in the coming years and what it could do to overcome these. The one-day event featured three dynamic panel discussions. The first panel, entitled ‘Singapore’s Economy and International Standing’, discussed the impact of the economic complexities and difficulties facing Singapore on the Sikh community. The panel included former Member of Parliament, Mr Inderjit Singh, and Mr Devadas Krishnadas, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Future-Moves Group. It received much praise from participants who felt that the thoughtprovoking discussion helped to shed light on fears that Singapore might become irrelevant to the world in the future. A mini-hackathon activity, the first of its kind being conducted in an event organised by YSA, was designed to help participants break into small groups to discuss various scenarios that are either already affecting the Sikh community currently or might do so in the future. The hour-long hackathon saw deep discussions and various viewpoints being presented by the participants, some echoing points that had been raised during the earlier panel discussions. The ideas brainstormed during the mini-hackathon were then presented to Guest-of-Honour, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information, and Ministry of Health, Mr Chee Hong Tat, in the form of a gallery walk. Mr Chee had the opportunity to hear the various groups’ presentations on the scenarios they had discussed. During the final panel discussion, featuring Mr Chee, he praised the participants for their creative and relevant inputs. He also shared his views on whether Singapore would be able to thrive if it reduced its emphasis on principles such as meritocracy, multiculturalism and a social compact that emphasises individual and family responsibility. The Sikh Voices conference was organised by a group of young Sikhs between 18 and 26 years old, who were part of the second batch of YSA’s Young Leaders Programme (YLP), which was held from May to November 2017. The leadership programme was launched by YSA in 2016 to identify and develop young Sikhs for leadership positions at the community and national levels. The conference was the final milestone in this year’s YLP edition. It was the graduating project for the participants. Mr Chee presented graduating certificates to the YLP participants at the conference. Moving forward, YSA hopes the conference will pave the way for the Sikh community to collectively develop a strategy to deal with its future challenges. It also hopes that more Sikhs, especially from the younger generation, will come forward to take on the responsibility of steering the community through the challenges it may face.
Khwaish | February 2018 5 YSA BOOK LAUNCH TRAITS OF FUTURE SIKH LEADERS The Sikh Voices conference on 11 November 2018 also witnessed the launch of YSA’s Sikh Voices publication, Traits of Future Sikh Leaders. Comprising a collection of essays by Sikhs from three different age groups (Under 30, 30-55 and Above 55 years), the book aims to help shape the future these writers want for the Sikh community in Singapore. The inaugural book hopes to provide thought leadership for the minority Sikh community in Singapore, which faces several challenges in the coming years. It is hoped that, through this publication, the community will develop a strong body of ideas, thoughts and approaches on dealing with its challenges. During the launch of the book, the co-editors, Mr Malminderjit Singh and Ms Alisha Gill, shared their belief that the book would provide a useful resource to view the Sikh community’s challenges from a wider national lens, where possible. The discussion on the issues of leadership would also foster deeper integration within the Sikh community. This book was presented to all the participants at the conference, including the Guest-of-Honour, Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information, and Ministry of Health. Complimentary copies of the book are available at any gurdwara in Singapore. Alternatively, you can drop an email to Ms Alisha at alishagssg@gmail.com to arrange for a copy of the book. YSA FORTHCOMING ACTIVITY 14 th ‘Racial Harmony’ Football Tournament 24 March 2018 / Kovan Sports Centre Promote racial harmony and understanding the fun and sporting way! YSA will organise its 14 th ‘Racial Harmony’ 4-a-side football tournament in 24 March 2018. Mr Louis Ng, Member of Parliament, Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency, is the Guest-of-Honour for the event. There will be five categories (Open, Veteran, Youth, Junior and Ladies) for the tournament. There will also be souvenirs, games and a tea reception for all players. For registration and enquiries, please contact: Mr Kulwant Singh: Tel: 90265910 | Email: redkul@gmail.com Mr Nirmal Singh: Tel: 94570926 | Email: nimz@khalsa.com Come and have some great footballing fun!
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