Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations Report: Singaporeans’ aspirations to co-create a caring and resilient Singapore

• More than 16,900 Singaporeans involved in the Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC)
• 15 themes emerged from 88 ESCs organised by the government and the community
• Four new Singapore Together Alliances for Action (AfA) to co-create solutions

1. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) today published the Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations report. The ESCs are still ongoing and this report takes stock of more than 16,900 Singaporeans’ reflections on their COVID-19 experience, and their aspirations for emerging stronger as a nation, shared during the ESCs conducted between June and December 2020, and through surveys and other platforms. These conversations were launched by Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Mr Heng Swee Keat in June 2020. He had launched Singapore Together a year prior; it is a governance approach for Singaporeans to partner with one another and with the government, to shape and act on our shared future together.
2. The report, in the form of a website, covers 15 key themes that have emerged through the Singapore Together ESCs. A number of ESCs were also conducted in Mother Tongue Languages (MTL), and a special effort was made to reach out to people with disabilities. The views were diverse, and the report describes both areas of convergence and divergence. The themes include social support; national identity and shared values; jobs and economy; digitalisation and technology; and family.
3. Said Minister for National Development and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Mr Desmond Lee, “We don’t just want to survive this pandemic, but to come out of it a better, stronger nation. Over the last six months, Singaporeans from across diverse backgrounds came together to share their views on how we might emerge stronger. I hosted several of these conversations and heard first-hand the stories and challenges of our fellow Singaporeans, and also the depth of passion to turn this crisis around for good. This report presents the views and aspirations of the thousands of Singaporeans who took part, their hopes for a society that is inclusive and caring, and an economy that is thriving and globally competitive. Our commitment is to work with Singaporeans to translate these aspirations into action. In the past months, we have embarked on new Alliances for Action and other partnerships to address pressing issues. There will be more Alliances for Action formed. Singaporeans can look forward to the opening up of policy spaces so we can work with Singaporeans to drive positive changes in Singapore. This is our commitment to work better for Singapore, together.”
4. Government agencies are already tackling some of these areas in partnership with stakeholders. Some examples include the Tripartite Workgroup on Lower Wage Workers, the Third Enabling Masterplan, the Conversations on Women’s Development, and the Taskforce on Family Violence. There will be more opportunities for Singaporeans to play a part in addressing these themes.
5. Minister in Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance, Second Minister for National Development Ms Indranee Rajah said, “The pandemic surfaced concerning issues and difficult realities confronted by everyday Singaporeans. Some of these include domestic violence, mental wellbeing, and digital inclusiveness and literacy. Our conversations show that there is increasing awareness of these and other social issues, and that Singaporeans place high importance on being an empathetic and caring society. There are many unsung heroes that emerged during the COVID-19 period – contributing their time and energies selflessly to help our migrant workers for instance, or to give support to the seniors among us who were socially isolated. The crisis is far from over, and much work lies ahead for Singapore to recover and strengthen. I encourage Singaporeans to continue to step forward, listen and play a part.”
6. The Singapore Together Alliances for Action (AfA) are action-oriented, cross-sector collaborations on significant areas to build Singapore’s future; these AfAs will develop and deliver solutions for our future. There are currently 11 Singapore Together AfAs¹ to tackle socio-economic issues. Four new Singapore Together AfAs will also be formed over the next few months, bringing the number of AfAs to 15.² The new AfAs are:
   
   a) AfA on Work-Life Harmony – The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and tripartite partners will launch a new AfA comprising employees, employers and key stakeholders to take ownership of and take action on work-life harmony in Singapore. The AfA will grow a community of Work-Life Ambassadors, provide tailored resources to companies in specific sectors that face greater challenges in implementing work-life practices, and spearhead initiatives to strengthen work-life harmony in Singapore.
   
   b) AfA on Corporate Purpose – the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) will launch a new AfA comprising businesses and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders on 9 February 2021 to develop a national framework and blueprint for corporate purpose and social impact. 
   
   In addition, the Ministry of Communications & Information (MCI) and the Smart Nation Digital Government Group (SNDGG) are working together to form new AfAs which support the Digital for Life movement. For a start, some of these initiatives will include: 
   
   c) Enhance Digital Readiness Skills and Literacy For Daily Living – for example, the Digital #SmartNationTogether online channel will bring onboard community partners and expand relevant programmes to Singaporeans.
   
   d) Enhance Digital Access for Needy Beneficiaries – for example, a collaborative portal will match beneficiaries with community, government and corporate partners who are providing digital devices to seniors and low-income groups.
7. There are also many opportunities in addition to the AfAs for Singaporeans to get involved to take action and co-create the Singapore we aspire to, from volunteering, participating in conversations on issues, and starting their own ground-up initiatives for causes they are passionate about. These opportunities will be dynamically updated on www.sg.
8. Said Ms Kris Tay, Representative Director, Rasmussen Consulting, who recently initiated a series of ESCs, “We noted the aspiration for the ESCs to be an inclusive process, which would enable different segments of Singapore, including low-income families, seniors, and those who speak in vernacular languages, to be well-represented. As a response to this, we initiated ‘Emerging Stronger Conversations using the LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® (LSP) Method’. This ground-up citizen participation initiative stems out of our belief that every voice should be heard, and we care deeply to enable this. The sessions conducted so far have been really fulfilling. We got to understand concerns and aspirations of different segments of society, and the confidence we have in Singapore. Participants also shared ideas on how they would work with the government, private sector and one another, to create a more resilient post-COVID-19 Singapore.”
9. Singaporeans can read more about the themes and what Singaporeans have to say during the ESCs, as well as in the surveys conducted online and on-ground, via the full report. The full report is accessible online at www.sg/emergingstrongerconversations and will be updated dynamically as the ESCs continue.
   
   

Issued by:

Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
9 February 2021

Annexes

Annex A: Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations – A Summary

Annex B: Four New Singapore Together Alliances for Action (AfA) and Profiles for Interviews

Annex C: Factsheet on the Alliance for Action on Work-Life Harmony

For media clarifications/ queries, please contact:

Diana Cheong
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth 
Email: diana_cheong@mccy.gov.sg

Lee Keng Yin 
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth 
Email: lee_keng_yin@mccy.gov.sg

About Singapore Together

Singapore Together is about the Government working with Singaporeans, and Singaporeans working with one another, to build our future Singapore. The Government will open up more partnership opportunities for Singaporeans to participate. The Government also hopes to support more citizen-led efforts. Whatever our background or interests, we can each step forward to contribute in areas that we care about. By working together, we can turn diversity into strength and transform challenges into opportunities, to build a Singapore that present and future generations of Singaporeans will be proud of. For more information, visit www.singaporetogether.gov.sg.