The arts and publishing, community-based governance, and support for Singapore’s low-income families (October 2023)
“The best kinds of political works ... examine ambiguities and contradictions, where the messaging is never really clear, and which really try to explore as many sides of an issue as possible."
New podcast episodes: The arts and publishing and community-based governance
This month, we hosted two riveting, in-depth conversations on the arts and publishing as civic engagement and political participation in Singapore as well as the future of community and community-based governance.
The arts and publishing as civic engagement and political participation in Singapore (a conversation with Alfian Sa’at and Ng Kah Gay)
With Alfian Sa’at and Ng Kah Gay, we have a thoroughly enjoyable and enlightening conversation about the arts and publishing vis-à-vis civic engagement and political participation in Singapore. What does it mean to be challenged with the unfamiliar? How do we provoke more conversation and action through artistic modalities? And how do we make sense of censorship, self-censorship, and pushback, while accounting for the interdependence of individuals, society, and the state?
Alfian is a Singaporean playwright, poet, and writer, and Kah Gay is the editor of Ethos Books, Singapore’s leading independent publisher. LISTEN TO THE EPISODE.
The future of… Community and community-based governance (with Aaron Maniam)
In this wide-ranging conversation on community and community-based governance with Aaron Maniam, we cover many diverse but related topics. First, we discuss the global state of democratic governance in the context of community-based governance as well as truth and misinformation. We then learn more about his Ph.D. dissertation comparing public sector digital transformation efforts, before a segue into his evaluation of other tools – deliberative polling, panels, and citizen assemblies – to facilitate community-based governance. Finally, Aaron shares his perspectives on web3 platforms and dealing with diversity.
Aaron is a Fellow of Practice and Director of Digital Transformation Education at the University of Oxford. He was also previously on the podcast, exploring citizen foresight work and the influence of language and metaphors on futures thinking. LISTEN TO THE EPISODE.
Support for Singapore’s low-income families
Support for Singapore’s low-income families as well as related concerns over social mobility and social stratification in the country were first highlighted this month by deputy prime minister Lawrence Wong, who spoke at the 10th anniversary of the Social Service Office. He said that the government will provide additional support to families in rental housing on the Community Link programme, to “ensure that no family in Singapore gets trapped in a permanent underclass.” He added that the government was committed to further reduce income inequality.
Relatedly, following the raising of the ComCare income benchmark (from S$650 to S$800 per capita income) in July 2023, and further consistent with the revised income ceiling for the Ministry of Education’s financial assistance scheme, The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund raised its gross monthly per capita household income eligibility criterion from S$690 to S$750.
Finally, in terms of non-government assistance in the form of mutual aid, “The Straits Times” documented a “Giving Circles” pilot project by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (working with two charities, Minds and Shine Children and Youth Services), which aims to – over at least six months – “empower individuals to come together in a group to contribute their time, money and other resources to help a family in need.”
Global news roundup
In the Middle East, Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a deadly surprise raid into Israel, prompting a strong retaliatory response from the country. As the Israeli government – which formed an emergency government – faces questions over the intelligence and security failure, its forces have bombarded Gaza with relentless, deadly airstrikes. Global calls for a ceasefire have grown, as Israel ordered Palestinians to leave northern Gaza and relocate to the south and as Israel blockaded the region and cut Gaza’s electricity supply.
As of October 25, 2023, approximately 1,400 people in Israel were killed by Hamas militants, and about 200 were taken hostage. Israel’s airstrikes and collective punishment of Gaza has killed at least 5,000 people.
Also read about the following in this month’s roundup:
Conservative electoral gains; as well as
Other political and geopolitical news.