Solaris NE Productions
presents
A Glimpse of Last Week’s Entry
Part 1 – An Introduction
http://njcneclub.blogspot.com/2008/06/solaris-article.html
What is culture?
What determines culture?
What should cultural education be like?
What is the greatest problem faced by current cultural education?
What more effort is needed to instil culture appreciation to youths of today?
The Value of Cultural Education
Part 2 – An analysis into Racial Harmony Day
Compiled by Jolyn Ke, 07S12
Background knowledge
Singapore's population is extremely diverse: 76% are Chinese, 14% are Malays, 8% are Indians, with the remaining 2% made up of Eurasians, Arabs, Jews and other minority groups. We do not, however, take racial harmony for granted. Instead, we constantly worry about not offending one another and not threatening inter-racial peace. It has thus become part of our cultural DNA to show respect and tolerance to one another.
The Singapore Government has also created institutions, policies, laws and practices to enhance inter-racial harmony. For example, there is the Presidential Council for Minority Rights to ensure that no law or subsidiary legislation is enacted which discriminates against any racial group. An enthnic quota is also enforced to prevent any ethnic group from being over-represented in any apartment building in our public housing estates. Racial Harmony Day is also celebrated each year.
Racial Harmony Day
Racial Harmony Day is celebrated annually on 21 July in Singapore. The event is to commemorate the 1964 Race Riots, which took place on 21 July 1964. The 1964 Race Riots were a series of riots that took place in Singapore during two separate periods in July and September between Chinese and Malay groups. The first incident occurred on 21 July during a Malay procession that marked Muhammad's birthday. In total, the violence killed 36 people and injured another 556.
Racial Harmony was first commemorated in 1997 when National Education (NE) was introduced into schools. Being among the four core events celebrated by schools every year since, it represents a day for “schools to reflect on, and celebrate our success as a harmonious nation and a society built on a rich diversity of culture and heritages” as enshrined in the NE message "We must preserve racial and religious harmony: though many races, religions, languages and cultures, we pursue one destiny.” Racial Harmony Day also serves to remind our pupils that social division costs us dearly and that race and religion are potential fault-lines in Singapore society.
On Racial Harmony Day, students are encouraged to dress in one another's ethnic costumes, to eat one another's foods, to enjoy the different types of music and dance.
Problems
Although well-intentioned, taking into consideration that there were no specific threats to Singapore’s multiracial and multireligious social fabric when NE was introduced, the annual commemoration of Racial Harmony Day may have inadvertently made Singaporeans see the issue of race as a fault line they may not have recognized prior to its inception. After all, threats only become existential if it is perceived and believed to be so by those it threatens.
Moreover, celebrating racial harmony in its current manner may also belay the attainment of true harmony due to the manner in which it is celebrated. The majority of such events often consist of cultural performances attended by participants in ethnic costumes. While this allows for the interaction of people of all hues in a non-threatening environment to foster closer bonds, it does not accurately reflect the natural setting in which the different races interact on a daily basis. In fact, the constant compartmentalization of Singaporeans into their CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian Others) moulds may accentuate stereotypes of each race and discipline individuals into focusing on each other’s skin colour while, ironically, being constantly reminded to look beyond the superficial.
Not all efforts at celebrating Singapore’s heritage will lead to this end. Nevertheless, taking into consideration the current global climate, to advocate inter-racial cohesion by accentuating simplistic stereotypes of the different racial groups serve more harm than good. This is because in order to bring to attention the differences between races that have to be bridged, there is a tendency to resort to stereotypes to illustrate its existence before work can be done to eradicate it.
Add-on by Wee Siang, 08S18:
Racial harmony day has often been overlooked and neglected by many individuals especially when they have other matters to look out for, such as their career and their family. This problem is exacerbated with the fact that relations among the different races seem to be harmonious for the past decades and people tend to get complacent when it comes to such issues.
Racial harmony day only occurs once a year. It cannot be said to be too physically and mentally taxing for an individual to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of amicable relationships among the different racial groups. The occasion was created with the aim to remind people of the adverse effects that can be caused when relationship among the different races is compromised. Humans tend to be forgetful, without constant reminder, we might make the mistakes that our ancestors have made in the past. Racial harmony , a once in a year thing will help to ameliorate relationships among the races.
Add-on by You Jie, 08S19:
A Glimpse of Last Week’s Entry
Part 1 – An Introduction
http://njcneclub.blogspot.com/2008/06/solaris-article.html
What is culture?
What determines culture?
What should cultural education be like?
What is the greatest problem faced by current cultural education?
What more effort is needed to instil culture appreciation to youths of today?
The Value of Cultural Education
Part 2 – An analysis into Racial Harmony Day
Compiled by Jolyn Ke, 07S12
Background knowledge
Singapore's population is extremely diverse: 76% are Chinese, 14% are Malays, 8% are Indians, with the remaining 2% made up of Eurasians, Arabs, Jews and other minority groups. We do not, however, take racial harmony for granted. Instead, we constantly worry about not offending one another and not threatening inter-racial peace. It has thus become part of our cultural DNA to show respect and tolerance to one another.
The Singapore Government has also created institutions, policies, laws and practices to enhance inter-racial harmony. For example, there is the Presidential Council for Minority Rights to ensure that no law or subsidiary legislation is enacted which discriminates against any racial group. An enthnic quota is also enforced to prevent any ethnic group from being over-represented in any apartment building in our public housing estates. Racial Harmony Day is also celebrated each year.
Racial Harmony Day
Racial Harmony Day is celebrated annually on 21 July in Singapore. The event is to commemorate the 1964 Race Riots, which took place on 21 July 1964. The 1964 Race Riots were a series of riots that took place in Singapore during two separate periods in July and September between Chinese and Malay groups. The first incident occurred on 21 July during a Malay procession that marked Muhammad's birthday. In total, the violence killed 36 people and injured another 556.
Racial Harmony was first commemorated in 1997 when National Education (NE) was introduced into schools. Being among the four core events celebrated by schools every year since, it represents a day for “schools to reflect on, and celebrate our success as a harmonious nation and a society built on a rich diversity of culture and heritages” as enshrined in the NE message "We must preserve racial and religious harmony: though many races, religions, languages and cultures, we pursue one destiny.” Racial Harmony Day also serves to remind our pupils that social division costs us dearly and that race and religion are potential fault-lines in Singapore society.
On Racial Harmony Day, students are encouraged to dress in one another's ethnic costumes, to eat one another's foods, to enjoy the different types of music and dance.
Problems
Although well-intentioned, taking into consideration that there were no specific threats to Singapore’s multiracial and multireligious social fabric when NE was introduced, the annual commemoration of Racial Harmony Day may have inadvertently made Singaporeans see the issue of race as a fault line they may not have recognized prior to its inception. After all, threats only become existential if it is perceived and believed to be so by those it threatens.
Moreover, celebrating racial harmony in its current manner may also belay the attainment of true harmony due to the manner in which it is celebrated. The majority of such events often consist of cultural performances attended by participants in ethnic costumes. While this allows for the interaction of people of all hues in a non-threatening environment to foster closer bonds, it does not accurately reflect the natural setting in which the different races interact on a daily basis. In fact, the constant compartmentalization of Singaporeans into their CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian Others) moulds may accentuate stereotypes of each race and discipline individuals into focusing on each other’s skin colour while, ironically, being constantly reminded to look beyond the superficial.
Not all efforts at celebrating Singapore’s heritage will lead to this end. Nevertheless, taking into consideration the current global climate, to advocate inter-racial cohesion by accentuating simplistic stereotypes of the different racial groups serve more harm than good. This is because in order to bring to attention the differences between races that have to be bridged, there is a tendency to resort to stereotypes to illustrate its existence before work can be done to eradicate it.
Add-on by Wee Siang, 08S18:
Racial harmony day has often been overlooked and neglected by many individuals especially when they have other matters to look out for, such as their career and their family. This problem is exacerbated with the fact that relations among the different races seem to be harmonious for the past decades and people tend to get complacent when it comes to such issues.
Racial harmony day only occurs once a year. It cannot be said to be too physically and mentally taxing for an individual to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of amicable relationships among the different racial groups. The occasion was created with the aim to remind people of the adverse effects that can be caused when relationship among the different races is compromised. Humans tend to be forgetful, without constant reminder, we might make the mistakes that our ancestors have made in the past. Racial harmony , a once in a year thing will help to ameliorate relationships among the races.
Add-on by You Jie, 08S19:
It is important to note that mere exposure, recognition and awareness is never enough to accept a culture. One has to understand that other cultures are part of them. Racial Harmony Day alone cannot achieve this. While government policies have ensured that citizens of different races live in the same block, and be exposed to different cultural festivals, as well as heritage activities there is a significant minority (largely based in cultural heritage sites in Bugis, Little India and Chinatown) who had not received enough exposure other than these instances, mostly because they are restricted by their social sphere and hence they fail to see the race as a part of them, even when 4 cultures live under one roof.
In addition, there seems to have an emphasis to merge the cultures together into a Singaporean identity, an attempt to decrease the cultural gap by placing a link. While this would reduce the possibility of over-stating the differences that arise from the concept of races, perhaps the only flaw in this tendency is that culturally minded people tend to look at “Singaporean”, widely agreed as a nationality, differently from races such as “Chinese”, “Malay”, “Indian”, etc. While a majority will accept this notion, the remaining minority who has not been regularly exposed to the similarities between cultures will not be likely to so. And a significant number lives near their heritage zones. This should be where the government is working on, and it must made in a way that would not threaten their existing cultural beliefs. That’s where the difficulty lies – there is no one-size-fit-all for cultures.
Conclusion
Singapore remains a safe and secure society only because it is our collective will to make it so. The Government is committed to ensuring that every Singaporean has the opportunity to realise his full promise in life, regardless of race, language or religion. And to providing, through our housing policies and schools, ample opportunity for Singaporeans to grow up together, live together and play together. However, multiracialism only comes about if we each do our part, as we go about our daily lives, in making the small efforts to get to know each other better, and develop a sense of comfort with each other.
Sources
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2004/sp20040717.htm
http://www.ips.org.sg/pub/sp_tommykoh_Singapore%20Multiculturalism%20Sucess%20Story_16%20Sep%2004.pdf
http://www.idss.edu.sg/publications/Perspective/IDSS0542006.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Harmony_Day
In addition, there seems to have an emphasis to merge the cultures together into a Singaporean identity, an attempt to decrease the cultural gap by placing a link. While this would reduce the possibility of over-stating the differences that arise from the concept of races, perhaps the only flaw in this tendency is that culturally minded people tend to look at “Singaporean”, widely agreed as a nationality, differently from races such as “Chinese”, “Malay”, “Indian”, etc. While a majority will accept this notion, the remaining minority who has not been regularly exposed to the similarities between cultures will not be likely to so. And a significant number lives near their heritage zones. This should be where the government is working on, and it must made in a way that would not threaten their existing cultural beliefs. That’s where the difficulty lies – there is no one-size-fit-all for cultures.
Conclusion
Singapore remains a safe and secure society only because it is our collective will to make it so. The Government is committed to ensuring that every Singaporean has the opportunity to realise his full promise in life, regardless of race, language or religion. And to providing, through our housing policies and schools, ample opportunity for Singaporeans to grow up together, live together and play together. However, multiracialism only comes about if we each do our part, as we go about our daily lives, in making the small efforts to get to know each other better, and develop a sense of comfort with each other.
Sources
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2004/sp20040717.htm
http://www.ips.org.sg/pub/sp_tommykoh_Singapore%20Multiculturalism%20Sucess%20Story_16%20Sep%2004.pdf
http://www.idss.edu.sg/publications/Perspective/IDSS0542006.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Harmony_Day
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