Building a more caring, fair and resilient Singapore together amid the pandemic through the SG Together Alliances for Action and partnerships

• 25 Singapore (SG) Together Alliances for Action (AfA) announced in the past year aimed at partnering Singaporeans to co-create innovations and solutions spanning social and economic arenas so Singapore can emerge stronger post-pandemic.

• These SG Together AfAs will bring together Singaporeans across People, Private and Public sectors to take action on the 15 cross-cutting themes gathered from participants at the SG Together Emerging Stronger Conversation (ESC) series.

• More participation opportunities and deep dive conversations will be available for Singaporeans to be involved in Singapore Together.

1. 25 Singapore Together Alliances for Action (AfA) have been progressively announced over the past one year amid the ongoing pandemic. These AfAs bring together Singaporeans across the People, Private and Public sectors to translate our aspirations to action. 16,900 Singaporeans’ views and aspirations for a more united, just and fair society were heard during the SG Together Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC) series.¹ The 15 major themes from these Conversations are now being addressed through AfAs and other partnerships; these will involve Singaporeans in co-creating ideas and solutions.

2. Launched in June 2019, the Singapore Together is a governance approach that involves Singaporeans in creating our shared future together. The SG Together AfAs were formed organically, and do not take on a uniform timeline. The SG Together AfAs are making steady progress on different thematic topics as part of Singapore’s push to emerge stronger from the pandemic. The SG Together AfA on Lower-wage Workers, for instance, is midway through its series of co-creation workshops; this AfA aims to uplift wages and support the well-being of our lower-wage workers. The Emerging Stronger Taskforce, which convened nine industry-led AfAs to test-bed ideas in the economic realm, has released five key recommendations in its report in May. These recommendations have been accepted by the Future Economy Council (FEC) and will be incorporated into the FEC’s work.² The work of another AfA, the Beyond COVID-19 Taskforce, has also recently concluded and the taskforce released its recommendations in May with a detailed guide on how the social service sector can build resilience over the longer term.

3. Said Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, “As we confront the challenges of COVID-19, the Singapore Together approach is more important than ever. The pandemic has been difficult for all of us, and we need to band together to find our way out of this storm, stronger than before. These 25 SG Together Alliances for Action are important platforms for us to do this. They are also a mark of our resilience, commitment and ingenuity as a people.”

4. “I am encouraged that many people across different sectors have stepped up to be part of these AfAs. The AfAs have made good progress, exploring and trying out solutions to complex issues, especially those that Singaporeans said matter most to them in our Emerging Stronger Conversations. The AfAs will adapt to the needs and context of each topic, but what is common across them is the partnership approach. I hope this approach will strengthen our sense of shared purpose.” added Minister Desmond Lee.

5. A snapshot of the AfAs and some of the ESC themes is shown below; the progress of the SG Together AfAs; ways members of the public can contribute and be a part of some of these AfAs such as the Mentoring AfA, AfA on Emerging Needs and Volunteerism; are outlined in Annex A [PDF, 383 KB].

6. “Singapore Together is about convening groups who are passionate about various issues to explore, address and act on them together. To give effect to our desire to better engage and involve Singaporeans in policy development, government agencies have been innovating with new approaches like citizens’ panels and participatory design. We will do more through the Alliances for Action (AfAs), deep dive conversations and other partnerships,” said Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development.

7. Minister Indranee added, “In this pandemic we have also seen many Singaporeans step forward with ground-up initiatives to help where needed. I have met and spoken with several of them, and am inspired by their generosity and care. I commend all of them for embodying the spirit of Singapore Together.”

8. Deep dive conversations are progressively organised by government agencies on some themes, such as families and parenthood, and the Green Plan. These deep dives build on the SG Together ESC series conducted between June to December 2020 and widen opportunities for Singaporeans’ participation – please refer to Annex B [PDF, 372 KB]. In addition, Singaporeans who are keen to volunteer for causes or to start their own ground-up initiatives for causes can visit www.sg for the latest opportunities.

9. Singapore Together is a whole-of-nation effort. We encourage all Singaporeans to take an active part shaping the Singapore we aspire towards.

For media queries / clarifications, please contact:

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

Loh Bi Feng
E : Bi_Feng_LOH_from.TP@mccy.gov.sg
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

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.

¹ A Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC) online report (www.sg/EmergingStrongerConversations) was released on 9 February 2021; it reflects the views and aspirations from the ESC participants.

² Nine industry-led AfAs were formed under the Emerging Stronger Taskforce (EST).