Photos from Teambuilding at NACLI 25-26 Oct 08

NYF 2008 Finale at Suntec 9 Jan 09

It's finally here! The finale for the National Youth Forum 2008! After 2 months of discussions, dialogues, making new friends and learning from each other, we hope that it has been a fruitful time of changing perspectives for you. The finale is an end to the "official" part of the program that our team has put together for you. However, it marks the beginning of the second part of your NYF experience. That is, putting all that you have learnt into application by implementing your various community projects. This will require commitment, passion and even more hard work on your part and we look forward to seeing your projects make a difference in the community. We are confident that you can and have what it takes to do so!

I like this Swedish proverb that says, “Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours”. As you continue to plan and carry out your projects, remember to never give up, take time to pause and reflect and lastly, treasure and value the people and the relationships in your group. May this Friday be the start of something great for all of you!

9 Jan 09, Friday
NYF 08 Finale
Venue: Suntec Singapore Int’l Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gallery East, Level 3
Time: 3.00pm to 9:00pm
Guest-of-Honour: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
Attire: Semin Formal (Long-sleeve shirt and pants for guys (tie optional), office wear or dress for ladies.) See photo for example.
To Note: The early reporting time at 3pm is so that we have enough time for briefing, rehearsal of presentations, setting up of booths and also to give you time to connect with each other regarding your projects.

Merry Christmas, help is available!

Dear NYF participants,

A Merry Christmas to all.

Groups that have any doubts or problems and need some help, you can look for me at NYC somerset (level 3 conference room, also known as the interview room), 27 December 2008 between 9am and 5pm. You can also reach me at 96315648.

Regards,
Ng Chew Yee
NYF08 Projects Chairperson

Upcoming Events

While you are enjoying your Christmas holidays and working on your projects at the same time (I hope you are!), do also take note of the following important dates.

20 Dec 08, Saturday
Project Presentation to NYF Exco
Venue: NYC Toa Payoh
Time: 10:00 am - 1pm (Rostering of groups have been sent via email)
To Note: Each group will take turns to present. You should keep your presentation to a maximum of 10 min followed by 5-10 min for the exco to give their feedback. This will also be a rehearsal for your presentation to the NYC advisory panel on 3 Jan 08. Please arrive at least 15 min earlier to set up.

3 Jan 09, Saturday
Project Presentation to NYC Advisory Panel
Venue: To Be Confirmed
Time: 10:00 am - 1pm (to be confirmed)
To Note: The format of the presentation will be similar to that of the one to the exco. More details out soon.

9 Jan 09, Friday
NYF 08 Finale
Venue: To Be Confirmed
Time: Evening
To Note: Details out soon.

Looking for help during the Christmas season?

Dear NYF participants,

Please take note, both Yao Long and Jessica will be out station until after Christmas. If there are any problems with your project or anything you are suppose to update/ submit to projects committee, please send it directly to ng.chew.yee@nyf.sg. Any urgent matter please call/sms 96315648 (contactable 24/7).

Thank you.

Best regards,
Ng Chew Yee
NYF08 Projects Chairperson

NYF projects

Dear NYF participants,

I believe by now you would have received the feedback from projects committee on your project. The deadline for the final proposal was 5th December 2008, but up to date I have only one received final project proposal. Only a few groups had asked for extension of deadline. Please send in your project proposal by 9th December 2008, 2359Hrs, to the respective project committee members in charge of your group. If you have any questions or problems, I strongly urge that you give me a call at 96315648 if you are unable to contact the project committee members.

There will also be a meet up with the project committee this coming weekend. Please book a time slot with me either by email, ng.chew.yee@nyf.sg or by sms.

The available timeslots are:
Friday, 12 December 2008, 6-10pm
Saturday, 13 December 2008, 8am-6pm

For this meet up, please ensure that your project proposal is ready. Also, each group should be represented by at least 4 of the group members. Every group is given an hour to discuss their project with the projects committee.

You can download the project template at
http://www.box.net/shared/9h0a606s64

Best regards,
Ng Chew Yee
NYF08 Projects Chairperson

Explorations into Faith Programme 13 Dec 08

Hello folks,

I hope you've all been well since NYF and that your service projects are proceeding nicely! Looking forward to hearing more about them at the Closing Ceremony in Jan 09.

I wanted to draw your attention to an upcoming event organised by the Southeast Community Development Council (CDC) - an interfaith youth forum for under-30s. This will be held at NACLI on 13 Dec, 9am to 5 pm. The event is part of SE CDC's "Explorations into Faiths" (EiF) programme, which aims to deepen diversity and multiculturalism in Singapore by facilitating meaningful and substantive connections among people across the lines traditionally drawn by different faith traditions.

The programme includes introductory sessions with religious leaders, personal reflection sessions and an interfaith dialogue facilitated by trained EiF facilitators. I thought I'd let you know about it as it's a good extension of your initial interactions with faith leaders at NYF.

Do let me know if this is something you might be interested in and I'd be happy to send you details.

Best wishes,
Aaron Maniam

*If you are interested to be part of the Explorations into Faith program, you may email directly to Aaron here.

Download EiF Prog Info | Download EiF Registration Form

Tea with Mr President, SR Nathan on 2 Dec 08 Tuesday

Hi, some updates about this Tuesday's Tea with the President session. Do note that we are meeting directly at NYC (Somerset) and chartered buses will drive us into the Istana. This is the ONLY way you can gain access to Istana for this session. Guards on duty will not entertain any walk in.

You are also required to be dressed in formal attire i.e males in long sleeve shirt, tie and pants and female in collared shirt with sleeves and knee length skirt/pants. There should be strictly no polo T-shirt, jeans, skimpy dress/skirt, running shoes/sandals, T-shirt, slippers, tubes/racer back/spaghetti top etc. You will not be allowed access into Istana if you are dressed in an inappropriate manner!

At the end of the session, the buses will pick everyone up from Istana at 5:00pm and return to *scape at Somerset by 5:30pm. Note that you will NOT be allowed to walk out of Istana on your own accord. The buses will also not drop anyone off at Plaza Singapore as it is a bus lane area.

Lastly, remember to bring your NRIC and NOT bring anything in the list of prohibited items that has been sent to you through email. Enjoy the session and don't forget to bring your cameras! There will be photo ops with the president!

02 Dec 08, Tuesday
Tea session with Mr President,
His Excellency, Sellapan Rama Nathan
Venue: The Istana
Time: 2:00pm - 5:30pm (Tea provided)
Attire: Strictly Formal (gentlemen in long sleeve shirt, tie and pants and ladies in collared shirt with sleeves and knee length skirt/pant)
Meeting Place: NYC *scape at Somerset (Please ensure you are there before 2:00pm. The buses will not wait for those who are late.)
To Note: Bring along your NRIC

Find out more about our President and the presidency from the following sources:
Official Istana Website
Wikipedia

Asia on the Edge 2008 - Thought Leaders Forum

Asia on the Edge 2008 is a festival organised by The Arts House from 28 November to 6 December 2008, with the aim of highlighting the birth, growth and re-emergence of Asia, as well as its contribution to the world. The entire program comprises a great line-up of forums, talks, performances and exhibitions.

The theme for this year is 'Origins', which seeks to explore and examine what it means to be Asian in the 21st century vis-à-vis its historical and cultural landscape, and its constant evolution in this increasingly globalised society. They have brought in some really interesting speakers that you might be interested to listen to. Of particular interest to you all might be the Thought Leaders Forum. Noted speakers include:

1. Prasenjit Duara (India) Director of Research In Humanities and Social Sciences at NUS; Emeritus Professor of History and East Asian and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, US; Author

2. Mechai Viravaidya (Thailand) Social Entrepreneur & Former Politician;

3. Farish Noor (Malaysia) Senior Fellow, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;

4. Tay Kheng Soon (Singapore) Architect, Public Intellectual;

5. Manuel L. Quezon III (Philippines) Political & History Commentator and Writer

Although you have to pay to participate in the forum, there are also free public lectures which I believe are worth going for. Best thing is, they do not clash with any NYF events! I have signed up for the one with Mechai Viravaidya so do let me know if any of you are interested to go with me!

Find out more here

*Latest update: Mr Mechai Viravaidya will regrettably be unable to make this event due to the closure of the airport in Bangkok caused by the strike.

Photos from Dialogue with AG at Supreme Court

Photos from Launch Party

Watch Fullscreen

Photos from Parliament House Visit

Dialogue with AG on 17 Nov 08, Monday

For the coming session with Singapore's Attorney General, Professor Walter Woon, please download the Briefing Pack and read through so that you are adequately prepared. The briefing document includes the detailed program for the day, an introduction to Singapore's legal system, some suggestions of questions that you might want to ask AG, and also some readings on a recent kidney trading case. Do familiarise yourself with them before the session with Prof Woon. (There will also be printed copies of these available during the session.)

17 Nov 08, Monday
Dialogue with Attorney General,
Professor Walter Woon
Venue: New Supreme Court Building
Time: 9:15am - 1pm (Tea provided)
Attire: Smart casual. No singlets, shorts, sandals, and slippers (please note that this is the Supreme Court’s policy for attire which apply to all members of the public, and not just NYF.)
Meeting Place: New Supreme Court Building
To Note: Please arrive at the Supreme Court Building by 9:15 a.m. as you will have to go through security and make your way up to the 8th Floor. The lifts are very slow so you should go up the escalator.

Download AG's Dialogue Briefing Pack

Parliament House visit on 13 Nov Thursday

Hope you guys are progressing in your project discussions. Please remember that your first project update is due latest this Wednesday. These are the details of your upcoming visit to Parliament House and dialogue session with Speaker of Parliament, Mr Abdullah Tarmugi.

13 Nov 08, Thursday
Dialogue with Speaker of Parliament
Venue: Parliament House
Time: 8am - 1pm (Lunch provided)
Attire: Business attire, (i.e shirt, pants, covered shoes for gentlemen and dress/shirt, pants/skirt, court shoes for ladies.)
Meeting Place: Parliament House entrance
To Note: Please bring your NRIC along for a compulsory security screening. You will not be allowed to enter if you are late, or if you do not bring along your NRIC.

Download detailed program

Speakers' Profiles for upcoming sessions

As we approach the upcoming dialogue sessions with three leading decision-makers of our country, it is important for us to know more about our speakers and the respective offices that they hold. This will also help you in preparing appropriate questions that will make your sessions with them more meaningful. Here is a background of the speakers to start you off. (Click on penguin to download)

You can also download the speakers' profiles from earlier NYF 08 sessions in the Download Manager under Others> Speakers' Profiles.

Project Progress Report due on 12 Nov 08

Projects form one of the most important parts of your NYF experience. They are a way translating what you have learnt and the ideas and ideals that you have, into a practical application that will benefit society. It is also a lesson in being open to new ways of thinking, learning to accept, discuss and stand by your decisions as group, not just as an individual.

By now, most of you would have a sense of what you want to do as a group to effect change. We have come up with a list of pointers to guide you in this initial phase of your discussion. These are in no way conclusive for now but serve as a means for you to explore your issues thoroughly and rigorously. As you discuss these pointers, as a group ask yourselves too how you can think out of the box and come up with creative solutions. That is what "Changing Perspectives" is about.

The pointers will also be the format of your first Project Progress Report to be submitted by 12 Nov 08 (Wed) latest (feel free to email earlier). Please download the word document and email them to the respective people.

Education (Faci: Cell)
Expressions (Faci: Yock Theng)
Environment (Faci: Wackie)
Sports (Faci: Michelle)
Email to Jessica and cc: your group facilitator.

Education (Faci: John)
Expressions (Faci: Pei Shan)
Environment (Faci: Shou Min)
Sports (Faci: Nurul)
Sex: Lies and Reality (Faci: Josephine and Shaheila)
Email to Yao Long and cc: your group facilitator.

Download Report Template

Summary of pre-dialogue discussions

(Click image for next slide...)

These are the slides that were presented by Johnston at the PMD on behalf of NYF 08. I have put it up as I think it is a good summary of what was discussed at the pre-dialogue session. These are some of the issues that you might want to keep in mind while you think of your projects. I hope to be able to compile a more comprehensive one too. Look out for that soon!

Watch fullscreen | Download PDF

PM Dialogue With Young Singaporeans

(Click for more photos...)

The need for freer political expression, leadership succession, engaging the new generation of young, web-savvy Singaporeans - these were just some of the issues that PM Lee engaged us in during the Prime Minister Dialogue with Young Singaporeans. While he affirmed and strongly encouraged the passion and convictions of the young people (you guys) who want to make a change in Singapore, PM Lee also advised for a need to balance youth idealism with a consciousness of reality. He suggested that passion, idealism and experience were all needed in balance to create positive change.

I personally enjoyed the session very much and was greatly encouraged to hear from the many passionate and compassionate young people whose questions reflected a desire not to just express personal worries and concerns, but also to engage the government in better solutions. My take-away from the session was that it was time to translate the talk into the walk. Sure, we have the financial upheaval and economic downturn looming. The question is, what can we do to help those around us who will find it more difficult to tide over this period? The solutions do not lie just in the hands of our political leaders but also with us. Instead of asking how much more will I receive from the government, perhaps it is time to say I will decide to give even out of the little that I have. I believe that's what changing perspectives calls for.

Read the Straitstimes report on the dialogue session here and here or download the pdf. It will be great to hear your thoughts and reflections on the dialogue. Feel free to post a blog here.

Detailed program for Policy Appreciation Course

Some of you have been asking for the detailed program for this weekend's sessions. It is now up on the blog for you to download. We have included details such as session timings, speaker names and session summaries for your information too. Click on the icon on the right to download. We will put up the same for future sessions in due time too, so stay tuned!

Reading up on case studies

For your session on Understanding Policy Making - Case Study Learning by Dr Kenneth Paul Tan, Asst Dean (Academic Affairs) & Asst Prof, LKY School of Public Policy, you are requested to prepare by reading up on the respective case studies that Mr Tan has prepared. Please download them from the links below and print them out for your own reference.

1. Sports Beyond 2010 (Case Study)
2. Expressions - Yours or Mine? (Case Study)
3. Education For All (Case Study)
4. Taking It Green (Case Study)
5. Sex: Lies and Reality (Case Study)