Volunteerism in Singapore

i was in the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre at Central on Thursday. as i sat there listening to the discussion, it made me think about volunteerism in singapore.

am i the only one who finds it strange that people need to go to a Centre to find causes to volunteer with? perhaps it's just something that never occurred to me, that you could go somewhere, like an all-in-one buffet, and volunteer at a whole host of activities. the end objective is to help these people find a cause that they will commit to, and leave the Centre. kind of like a holding area.

maybe these people just havent found their passion in life, or they dont know where are the places they can go to volunteer. but i think it makes it too easy to volunteer. everything is served up on a silver platter and all you need to do is put your name down.

having to go out there, search for a cause you believe in, and then volunteer with them, i think that's more preferable. at least it shows some sort of commitment and dedication, that you bothered to go find and put your name down. perhaps a kind of filter, a natural barrier.

nonetheless, it's good that people want to volunteer.


shift in mindset
i dont remember who i was talking to, but i recall having a conversation about how singaporeans have changed. in the 1990s (or perhaps before that), everything seemed to be about the 5Cs. Cash, Condo, Credit, Car and Club. maybe that has something to do with population demographics and the profile of the working class back then. and how their experiences shaped their expectations of life. a rather materialistic society.

 yet now, while economic, housing and transport issues still feature, there is also a greater awareness about nature and the environment, volunteerism and charity. perhaps the more humane side of singaporeans are developing. after all, it's only after you have secured your next meal that you start thinking about what to do with your free time.

and all this is great (: i guess that's how the Chek Jawa issue really stunned the government and Singaporeans as well.


digging through messy archives
was clearing Siva's office desk on Thursday after the NVPC visit, and we un-earthed a lot of archaeological finds. it made me realise that all that we see now, was the product of many many years of hardwork. there was research done on biodiversity in singapore manyyy years ago. i dont know if there were more research done in the past than at present, but you know, most people dont even think you can work in this field in singapore! then again, most people dont know what biodiversity we have in singapore, nor our natural history.

but i think it's only in recent years that outreach and education picked up. maybe from the time Chek Jawa was discovered and subsequently rescued. and the scientists/naturalists/conservationists realised that hey, singaporeans actually care about our biodiversity and want to know more. and then when data supporting this was presented to the government, reclamation of Chek Jawa was deferred, surprising all, cos i guess no one really expected that the govt would put aside development for something like Chek Jawa. apparently at that time, the climate was really different, and people were afraid to speak up against the govt.


in any case, looking at historical artefacts really put things into perspective. makes you feel so little and insignificant. and i realise the importance of dating my books! so that when i grow old and look through my books, i'll be able to recollect and reminisce.