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G$Cu,mr,r,mumm$ Commonwoalth

Commonwoallh

Stantord Club

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ofSingapore

Communlty

Competltion

Competition

Book Prize WendyTan,

E3say Wddng

cG 4905

Karyn Yzelman,

Charis Chong,

Chuang Ying

cG2Dn7

Comml3slon On Stl3tainable Dovolopm€nt

E$ry S€locfons Loy Sye Yue(

Empowering

Competition

"What ASEAN

',l/{hat ASEAN

GSK€OB

GSK€DB

Esaay Writlng

Ecsay Wrlting

Nivia Soetrisno,

Cheng Nien Yuan, cG 31/08

Competltlon

Compotition

Gladia Hotan.

TimothyToh,

cG 48/05

cG 2An7

cG

11/08

ilUS Stlrlsnts' Polldcal urddng Competdon Maft,1 T€h.

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AndyTay,

cG 0r/07

cG 4Bl05

Michelle Wong, cG 04/07

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glotrli.ed Borld, global cllizon8?

Gladia Holan.

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piisonels of our past." Comhont. Luu Thuy Linh,

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pre3€nt" (Sahatna G.ndhl) II3cu8€. cG22n7

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la history mol€ than the 6tudy of Teresa Ng,

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Evelyn Chew,

Anbh Mohanty,

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Josnae Chew.

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"tallult" ahould iavar ba laad in aducadon. Dbcltte.

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Pch Chu Ming, cG 2AlO7

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soft, white lissue She gazed at the blue shoes lying in the box. How lovely they looked, sunounded by -lhese puzzled. sent to her? shoes had Why were they her brow. She was etched over however was frown A gloved she recalled their story. a hand, the blue satin with As she fingered a story to tell! such She remembered how it had Eined that day, forcing her to take shefter in the little haberdashery. The blue shoes had been sifting in the shop window for as long as she could remember. Ever since she was a

little girt, she had seen the shoes at the display window. They had the palest blue saaps, shimmery and sparkling, with tiny blue flowers at the toe. The heels, a good three inches high, wBte a beautiful darker shade of blue. The shoes seerned to have a special relationship with her, for they wer€ her cornfort and solace in the ever changing landscape of a busy and growing town. While the shabby buildings in the town had been replaced by newer ones, and the people grew more sophisticated with each newfashion trend, the shoes had always remained the same. Somehow, Sara never had the time or chance to enter the small shop. That day, hor/ever, in the shelter of the shop, with the rain beating outside, the shoes seemed to beckon her' Her heart started pounding loudlyfor reasons she could not unde6tand. They had seemed to be calling out to her, begging her io find out their secret. At that moment, she took a deep breath and asked, are these shoes for sale?'The owner of the shop, a petite, silver-haired lady froze, while her duster fell from her hands. She shook her head, while she quickly hobbled away, mumbling, "Theyre not for sale. Theyre not for sale." Sara had picked up the feather duster; her curiosity totally arouied now. By then, she determined to find out the story ot the shoes. As she retumed the old lady's duster, she introduced herself. She recalled how the old lady gave a litue gasp, while her eyes widened and started to tear. Her expression had started to softened as well. lt still confused Sara that he. name could have such an effecl on a stangerSara then asked her about the shoes again, and why they had remained unsold and on display all those years. The old lady hesitated before answering. There was a look of sonow in her eyes, and it was obvious that the blue shoes reminded her oI a painful time she had gone through. Sara had not wanted to place the old lady in a spot, and she felt guilty for doing so, so she apologised and tried to change the subjecl However, to her surprise, the old lady had insisted on telling her the story. Sara still remembeted how sad the old lady looked as she told her the story behind the shoes. The old lady talked about her daughter, and how she had gotten engaged to a wealthy and afnuent man. Her daughter had been really happy, and loved the idea of a new comfortable liie, but had been teribly ashamed of her mother who was a lowly saleswoman, unable to provide the luxurious and extravagant things the daughter desired. As her trcdding drew closer and closer, the daughter gradually transformed Fom a simple' workingdass girl into a modern, sophisticated woman who feft that her mothe. embanassed her' She did not want io have any association with her uninteresting and impoverished mother who was old-fashioned and had outdated values.

The old lady had insisted on her daughter wearing a more traditionally designed dress' and that she followed the'tl.aditional bridal rules'. Her dauqhter scoffed at her mothe/s ideas and had retused to adhere to such pn'milive c stoms. This had led to a huge argument, which eventually led to a huge falling out between the old lady and her daughter.

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Hor.,/ever, in spite of the falling out, the old lady had still wanted to give her daughter a wedding gift. old lady had told Sara how she had spent her all her savings to buy a pair of shoes for her daughter' The

shoes had been her wedding gift to her daughter. They \./ere blue - her daughte/s favourite colour. The old lady had chosen the shoes iJit was similar to a designer pair her daughter had wanted. She had given her daughte. the shoes to wear for the wedding, bot her daughter had retused to wear lhem, claiming that they

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she had also refus€d to talk to her mothet again' were cheap and had absolutely 'no class" Mortified'

to the old lady as sh€ continuod on witi her Tho old lady was heart-broken sara's heart went out in h€r shop window and that as long put tne utue storv. The old lady tolO ner Oaugnter tnaiitre-wo'ia "troes bv he'' lovEd \ and alwavs be Elcom€d tt"io"igt'te'

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c{ied Sh€ had comtoned the old lady' and quickly Sara remembored watcfiing th€ old lady as she sara rernembered talkins to th€ old !",iti".iilsiJ i"ror."o"t tn? iieltoo' *ts getting naried was still something nnnougn "' ;"J pL;nea hti *taiing to. ryrq{ol' there "r'*ne;"i'" ladv about hot.v she telt. "n"J to offer h6r, her manased sireni-nriire sara was tatkins, but . she o6n "n" the old lsdy would be dav' sadness in ner heart' l;ping that one ilil'",,,t rr"t"it". 5"." fiad left that day reunited with her daughter agah

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she could not help but ruin her flawless make up As Sara rem€mbefed that day she met the old lady, i" to rnt'y tt'e old lady had sent her this pair of blue h"lE#-s:# p,liJ ,p $," u"j"trlr "no!", puotlO pounding hoart' she norctJ irt" nite at tne bottom of the box with a "rre her tears flowing down all the way to her tttis t,nJls;e i"tt"o to oDened the creased papet """p' "na read lirgeous wfiite wpdding gown The note had

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il;;.';;.;ilAtttlh, "Dealost Sara,

you did not know m.e.lhen' I know tvho you wsrc' I I am than^iut lor the day you enteil,d ny shop Though l n happy vou did t think wu should know that (nutdnl bolieve mv ears wnen you taihli i;u' yiu were ne nrs lervn I have ever tdd that story to

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After wu had left that day

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me not to give about what you had said Do you still @membet2 You told 'and that reattv ancourased me t atso o"ii-rn"v

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did not appcciate vou ly:Ildaughter ! know vou tt trcasu'e and vou b wedt ror vour weddins houshi td giu" aiireciate tnese snoes' aid that you will leam to lovo them bide ani t at'av" oeti*e that on hor weddins dav' every ir.'oaiit*" you had how rcmember iJi,-i"^"lniw n^i*"a' somelhing blue'' I ";;';t;t oM, should have 'somelhing new exquisit@ an you, goni-iuii" poai necktace (somothing..otd' weanng told me thdl you were using"o,"thing ii"ia *it (som;thing bonowed) But you seemod wetbino oown lsomethinq nevl ana bohijnii v[i' Br," so r'',"t sh to wu mv deat "smnd daushter' remembet thdt

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She was hope{ul and oplimjstic' and That dav, Sara walked down the aisle confident and conteried lire in such a i;-lt ;;-|; Jii" urul srro"s had tausht her so much about thorsh li had changed if they felt as 6 tell she ft"ue t"ny fr* tn.y short while. and she w"" "tol,ies As she full ci'cle had come titfle bit. r" irt..V"" oi n", g;"ndmother, eveMhing her, even if it was only a"ur" and.she day' to hersetf lt was her v€dding walked down the aisle towards her an;io,-"'Jioot, s'L "tiled gown' her bonowed veil and her lovelv' blue it.i Jlano-"unr" oro p"a'r-",-tt'ein"* '""ading shoes.

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A darkened room. The curtains arc drawn. The sun has set A figure huddled by a huge solid black mass-it seems to be an armchair. The air is cool, a mere 28 degrees. The solitary creaking of the elecl.ic fan's motor cuts through the silence- Listen caretully and you can hear the air-conditioner calmly puffing away to itsetf. I cannot wait

lo close my eyes for I have had a bad day...

I have a bird's eye view over the place. lt seems to vaguely resemble tandom computer games that I played before. Everywhere, there is this sparkly, tingly star dust. I can almost imagine hearing a have the twinkling noise whtn lhappen to look in the direction of a particular place. "This way to the Town of jostles "Bo-peep's Place", and as though to emphasize lor my attention, signpost screams- Another signage its point, a shiny anow was squirming in the leftward direction- I see Mother Goose smiling jovially at me lrom behind her golden spectacles. I meet Jack at a corner. I skittle past Georgieporgie, nanowly missing the gaggle of crying girls. Three Blind Mice bumped into me and mumbled their apologies. I nearjy got the shock of my life when I saw tlvo children tumbling down the hill... after which they got up and apparently seemed alright and walked awayl I chanced upon a straw house, a stick house and a brick house. And then appeared the most delicious looking house of all-a gingerbread house. I was in the act of stepping closer to it and inspecting it when I was rudely woken from my reverie by a sh.ill

''

"COIVIE AND EAT!''

Blurry-eyed,

I

walked out of the room and left my 'unfinished dream' behind

Today the teacher asked us what we would like to be wheo we grow up. I did not know the answer and I was laughed at. Angry, sad and hurt, I came home and went at once to the room to think

would become a professional singer and everyone would want to know who I am They would like my songs and my singing. lwould be critically acclaimed. And they would not laugh at me--ever again; I

Or I would become an author and create my own magical best-selling series. I would earn lots of money and I would have the money to buy the things that I need and if I have enough' what I want; I would become an athlete and climbing would be my sport l would be so good at it that I would represent my coun!ry. I would try to do my country, my team and myself proud. lwould win some prizes. I might even get into the top three positions. Everyone would want to be my friend They might even want my autograph -.; Oa I would open my very own shop or stall. lwould cook delicious food and earn rave ratings from food critics; or I could create my own items to sell, like customised clothing and apparel or stationery and start a new kend. I could be a kendsetter! Or start up a business that would take the market by storm and begin an 'economic revoluiion'!

ln my thoughts, I can achieve everything and anything l am, all at once' a singer, an author, an Ido lwin many prizes and accolades lam known people me---€specially my family My brand name support well-liked. Many the world. And I am all over is not difficulHn my worid that is. lt in the world brand names competes with all the other famous athlete and an enhepreneur. I am good at eveMhing that

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I am reaily comforted by these thoughts. I relax. I give a satisfied

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smile-though small that it is. I stop

crying... But, I hive spent m,_rCh energy thinking about all this improbable things. I am tired. I slowly lose my [;in;f thought as my eyelids grow heavy and my body weary' I finally give in and I fall asleep It is a diferent day. A different time. And I am of a different age. I suddenly find that I do not treat boys

the same way I used to some years back. They no longer are my'soccer buddies'' I blush when I play basketball wit-h the guys. I can hardly look at them straight into their eyes when I speak to them-l'm more interested in thek sh;;s... Or my shoes, or the ground. Though I do not like the V,/ay some boys flirt, I do not tell them so. Rather, I avoid them. I show concern for a particular pe6on, but I do not dare io tell him the truth, the real reason behind my actions. For I am

afraid-l

am afraid that he does not feel the same way

Butinmythoughts,lbravelyconfessmyinfatuationfortheboytohisfacelmaketheflrstmovel

initiate the relati;nship. I fe€l good. I like myself. I do not feel awkward. I have confldence. I walk with a spring in my step knowing ihat he;ctually likes me too l smile. I laugh l am more mysell than ever' I have no inhibition; for I do n;t fear rejection. lt all does not matter to me for I am not scared. I dAIg to be myself' Some$mAs, I can even imagine myself being the heroine from a film o. a show or a book that I have just seen or read. i pretend to be her-alt her good traits but less bad ones..l can do things that I usually do joy of not do. I can save the world. I can experience emotions that I have not experienced-love, loss and the I will And in the end, I want to do. reconciliation. I can be anything that I want to be. I can do anything that always triumph over 'evil forces'.

ln my world, everyone is beautiful and able-bodied. Diseases will not exist. Accidents and injuries will be unheard of. There wili be no such thing as negative emotions like jealously, sadness, sorrow and anger. Anxiety will not exist as there,4ould be nothing to worry about And love, would always be requited' studying is not everything- Whether or not one attains Everyone studies v'/hat they want, when they want to.

ln my world,

a degree is not a

concern'

stress is non-existent. The traits that are the most important ale one's chaaacter, behaviour and attitude. we would not be discriminated by our skin colour, by our race and religion, by our academic ability, by our physical ability o. by our physical appeamnce.

And yet, after a thorough search ot my skull and my heart; afte. looking at the empty corners of these places where the answer doe; not even exist, I know that I will never do all this and everything that I wish for will not happen in real life. lwill never be like that. ln,.act, I have never been like that. The world would also never be like that. For it is too perfect, too imaginary, too good . How is it possible that I always think of the impossible when I am in my favourite place? It is simply absurd. sometimes, I even chid myselffor thinking such thoughts for they are totally unrealistic. And every so often, I wonde. whether l'm going crazy or whether I have schizophrenia ..

I reckon that it is because ! feel safe when I am in it- lt is and has always been my sanctuary' lt comforts me, shelters me and protects me. lt is like a'mothed to me A second home-my second home And the best thing about it is that it is mobile. I can'carry' it with me wherever I go and whenever I need to escape from the cruelties of reality, I would 'take' it out and nose-dive straight into it

It has accompanied me through my life, though at different stages of my life I used it in

different my songs, my life lt my feelings, amounts. lt stores my thoughts, my fantasies, my dreams, my experiences, full nothing and undoubtedly of which is is me, and I am it-this hollow empty thing that sits between my ears pape. stuffed full of upon cabinets most likely to be full of dust and cobwebs. This thing that contains cabinets which catalogue my life. This place where it is so cluttered that sometimes I wished I had upgraded to a new Version so that all my experiences can be recorded in soft copy. This is the place where everything I have said is recorded. where eveMhing that I have not said is kept even closer to my heart-in a locked drawer to which only I know the hiding place of the key... This place where time slows down like sand that tfickles down an hourglass in slow motion. This place where I love to be... My favourite place is inside my head... where I can be free, where I can be me

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You see them everywhere along Orchard Road on Sundays. Foreign domestic workers, employed by 1 in 7 households, have become a norm here. One would think that they would be treated as well as other foreigners living here- Alas, my naivet6 was crushed when I interned at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Singapore last yea..

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My internship proiect focused on the mistreatrnent ol many female foreign domestic workers, or "maids" as lhey are commonly called, ranging f.om psychological abuse to physical or sexual abuse. Lea.ning about theirproblems, my project group decided to look for ways to aid their plight. It took numerous detouE before we came up with a multi-pronged approach.

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We b€an by going to

primary schools to give talks to the students on appropriate behaviour towards maids. However, reaching out to maids themselves was tougher than we anticipated. We decided to print and distribute thousands of cards with contact numbers of embassies and aqencies offering help-lines as well as tips on what to do in the event of abuse.

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However. we realised that we needed to reach a wider audience. So we chose to produce a short video clip featurinq interviews of maids who were staying in a shelter foJ domestic workers d

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I will never forget my interview with Luzviminda. lt was the most moving moment of my p.oject. Her words kansported me into her life and struggles, and ltruly felt lor her- He. tears brought tears of my ownShe told me how she had been swindled into working as a maid- She spoke of having an envious new mother for an employer who falsely accused of he. theft. She spoke of waiting over a year for the police to close her case. Finally, she spoke of her son, crying dovm a crackly phone line for his mother to come home-

That day, I lamented for Luzviminda and her young son- I was incensed with ihe wild accusations thrown at her by a spiteful employer and outraged by her lack of rights in my country.

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Luzviminda gave a face to issues I had become desensitised to. All I could do was to offer solace in a hug and shared pain. Her eyes told me my little acts were appreciated, yet I fell a sense of helplessness that I could not do more. Questions ran through my mind - could loreign domestic workers be covered under Singapore's Women's Charter? Could the Legal Aid Bureau offer help?

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Before my internship,

I

had considered reading law in university. Howeve., that interview with

Luzviminda was a turning point. Many in society need help, and I would not want to lead my life ignoring it. A career in law would not only be interesting and challenging but meaningful as well. An education in law would equip me with the prcfessional skills to offer more than a hug o. words of comfort. I know many youth have idealistic ambitions only tc change course later, but I am determined not to fo.get Luzviminda's eyes and her story.

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Background l\rao Zedong's revolutionary exhortation that women held up half the sky in patriarchal China st resonates with relevance in modern Singapore. For without the women who contribute to the various circles which we call the family and community, the sustenance of our society would be impossible, let alone tt progress we ve enjoyed for decades. But what makes the role of women particularly special? lt must be noted that despite having made rapid progress over the years, Singaporean women still continue to fulfill traditional concepts of wifehood ar motherhood while seeking the freedom that comes with academic and economic fulfillment. That is to say lh-, female caree.ists or workers who strive for excellence in their jobs are not only expected to marry and manage a family evehtually but also replicate the same standards in their roles of wife, mother and daughte As paragons o{ versatility, it is certainly worth paying tribute to the countless women who go on to tireless contribute to various social, political and economic fronts. Secondly, women have certainly come a long way since independence. The number of women politics, higher education and those holding top corporate positions in various businesses and industries has risen dramatically into the 2lsrcentury With greater empowerment and participation, women are in a bette' position to shape their community with their expertise and influence. The women who give Perhaps the most visible aspect of a woman's contributions would be to her own family, which forn the basis of the community and country. Women as caregivers ofthe young do more for the community wh€ they provide a stable home environment for the nurturing of an entire generation of children than do anyone

else, for the future of Singapore can only be at its brightest when its tuture guadians are raised with support and encouragement of a loving home.

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And it is an undeniable fact that when it comes to childcare responsibilities, women make up the vast majority of full time stay-at-home parents, not to mention the mothers who undertake part-time to fulltim careers while bringing up their children to be the best they can. Sacrifice would be an appropriate word here, for who is not familiar with the Singaporean career woman who forgoes any earliea aspirations she had in her profession for the sake of her growing family?

As volunteers who dispense of their time and seavices to various causes, women are cedainly invaluable to the smooth functioning oftheir own community. Women, whether students, housewives, wo.ker

or retirees, participate actively in diverse associations which allows them to not only give back to tf community but also to endow others with the capacity and inspiration to further enrich society in their own A fitting example would be the female volunteeF who are membels of Community based groups sucn as the Women's Executive Committees and the Singapore Women's Association, where they are given opporkrnities to contribute 10 women's welfare and help enrich the lives of themselves and others "through diverse range of cultural and recaeational activities, and community services."

The women who empower and enable empowement "Singapore belongs to the women as much as to the men. Never have lhe oppoftunilies to contibute be€ befter, especially as political leaders and activrsts. Regardless of ou background and ability, each and every one of us women can make a difference. So, step forwad and be counted." l\4rs Lim Hwee Hwa, Member of Parliament (MP) and Minister of State for Finance and Transpon. sums up the necessity of women's initiative and our ability to empower oLlr country. lndeed, following PrirnE

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irinister Lee Hsien Loong's call for mo.e women to participate in politics, there has been an increase in number of female Members ol Parliament (MPs) The General Elections held in May 2006 saw an 8yo increase in the number of women MPs. 17 ol the 85 MPs, or 20 percent of them, are wdmen, of which four serve as political office holders, a significant enough number in our small city state. Just by their willingness to establish ihemselves in the predominantly male world of politics, female politicians encourage greater politjcal awareness and participation in local polilics as wqll as in the alfairs of their local community

Certainly, the female politicians and other community authorities arc the catalyst of change and empowerment in the community. Women MPs are well-known for their inclination to pay great attention to concerns affecting women, and through their positions as leaders work towards the betterment of the lives of women, children and families while bringing awareness to social issues that concern them. For instance, local female politicians such as Dr Amy Khor are firm believers in engaging and reaching out to Singaporean women, empowering them by formulating their opinions into policies and promoting economic independence amongst women th;ough education and employment opportunities, as the women's wing of the People's Action Pa.ty (PAP) righttully claim with pride.

Forging togethe.ness within the community Fertr]aps one of the best showcases of women's contributions to the community along with thelr strengths can 6e lound along racial and religious lines. singapore might be a multi-racial society, but the manialtiances and organizations that offer helping hands or provide support with a special locus to a certain ethnic g.oup would tunc{ion at their best if their own membefs banded together. And women certainly play a leading role in the running ofsuch programmes.

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For example, The Singapore tndian Development Association (SINDA) organises literacy programmes

for lndian mothers and housewives without a basic understanding of English as well as a women's empowerment programme which aims to promote setf-confidence and independence among women so that

they a.e able io better manage their family relationships and develop their personal strengths. All these activities are often conducted by female instructo.s for women who put the skills learnt to further enhance the well-being of their families. The women who create, head or work for the various self-help griups gathe. together for the good of their racial community, furthering st.engthening the network ofties thai supports the racial gfoup from within.

The Fulu.e As of 2006, Singapore is on equal footing with other wealthy and developed countries' wherc social progress is keen and economic advancement the norm for most levels and groups in society. surely women's proipects have never appeared brighter in an increasingly economicalry vibrant and libe€l society, but at the same time we witl undeniably have to undedake more challenging roles both in the present and future within ,.{ill bring the community. Changing d;mographics, along with conflictjng expectations of the female identity new issues for the woman playing an active role in her community, and as MP Ms lrene Ng puts it, \rr'omen must be prepa.ed to take in dive.se views and respond to the needs of our changing society "

Firstly,singapore'srapidlyageingpopulationmeansthatinthenearfuture,thestrainoncommunity

resources oi serviies (such as greater healthcare costs) could increase. As more eldedy suryive, and when demographics indicate rising numbers of unmarried persons, many morc women, particulaaly the older generition and the tower in;ome bracket, will find themselves in the vulnerable position of being old and or widowed, with few financial resources to fall back on in old age. lnc.eased burdens might be made iingle -fulure generations of women who with limited time and money support their retired parents and on grandparenis along with their own children as fewer potential workers are born to take responsibility for the economicallY inactive.

Secondly, there have been mixed opinions about women,s roles that will persist into the futu.e, women are called to be productive both at work and at home. society wants modern career women who eafn money fo. their familieg and contribute to the economy but it seems we also want traditional wives and mothers who devote themselves to their families and thus sr-rstain the community's stability- But trade-offs and unforeseen consequen@s will come along with cooflicting standards- A successfully educated singaporean woman now has to juggle several goats such as completing her studies and doing well in her iob while fulfilling kaditional expe-ctations of devoting more of herself to her family as compared to her brothers oI her husband. ls this at all possible?

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As pillars of their community, women in the futu.e, young or old' rich or poor' able or disabled' will ou of necessity and willingness be more tightly woven into lhe fabric of the clmmunity. They will be engaged ar prime economic contribubrs as Singapore prospers, as leaders in a political climate more inclusive towards women. and as the focus of social debates especially with the inescapable rise of single-hood and declininc fertility. The country's women would surely find themselves increasingly instrumental to the solutions societ offers for the dilemmas we face in the future, but with greater involvement comes greater power ano influence, something the women who heid up at least halflhe sky for millennia could very well have excellent use

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Deforestation lssues in Asia When I was presented with satellite images of the remaining forest cover in some countries during a ceography lesson in Secondary school, the image of fire blazing in the forests came to my mind. Yet soon after, a cold shrill went down my spine.

By conddctino a simple research on deforestation on the lnternet, the data provided screams that approximately gO% oi the forest in the Philippine archipelago has been bulldozed in recent years! With much m;dia and iniernational €ttention placed on the loss of foresled area, one must agree that deforestation is an acute problem especlally in Asia. Efiorts to prevent and mitigate the effects ot deforestation inclode entitling people with land ownership rights and engaging the community in ecotourism. However, the effectiveness of such measures is debatable.

Defo.estation is commonly referfed to as the use of the forest by cutting wood for fuel, subsistence farming through slash-and-burn techniques and even la.ge sca'e commercial logging. These activities cause a temporal removal of forest cover. Deforestation is also known as forest decline, fragmentation or degradation and land use conveFion. Deforestation is considered as an ecologic€l disaster as it reduces the bio-diversity of the land. without trees trapping precipitation, deforested aleas are now playground slides for surface run-off which send water directly to the oceans. This decreases the rate of evapotranspiration and amount of rainfall received. There is evidence in North and Northwest China whe.e deforestation has led to a drop in annual precipitation by a third between the 1950s and 1980s. Plant g.oMh is inhibited by the lack of rai;fall and land may be left barren in extreme cases. Defo.estation also directly affects the soil quality through leeching processes. The livelihood of subsistence farmers may eventually be affected when they are unable to harvest their crops.

By tracing the root cause of deforestation, one will find that deforestation is often due to logging

activities. This highlights the much debated topic on whether short term economic gains should precede that ofthe long term gains from environment conservation. Examining this issue at a micro-level, one may accuse the iltegal loggers of thei. Iack of concern for jn countries such as the environment.-They exploit the land by logging trees to meet the demand for timber china and lndia. Logging appears to be the most convenient method to generate income as timber is readily availabte for the vi1;ger; in the forests. With an unregulated market, the problem of "The Commons' arises. There is no monetari value is attached to this common resource and hence, no direcl costs involved. This inevitably leads to exlessive logging beyond the rate of.enewalofthe trees. Fu.thermore, the conservation of natural resources is not perceivtd ;s a priority amongst those that exploit it. Instead, basic necessities, such as food, health and education, take pfecedence. lhis is not surprising since subsistence loggers are often

from low income groups in developing nations who view the lack of basic necessities a greater threat compared to the e{fects of environmental degtadation

There have been many recommendations by expefts to combat the issue of deforestation- one of the suggestions includes introducing property rights or rights of access to natural resources foI the villagers. This soivls the problem of'The co;mons' by fbrcrng farmers lo internalise the cost of the damages they do to their tand. When farmers are bestowed ights, they are encouraged to engage in long-term planning of the use of land to ensure its longevity in bringing income for the family and {uather generations ahead. Faamers will have more incentive to conserve the state of the land and engage in longer term agaicuhure activities. The roots of the crops grown bind the soil and prevents soil erosion which is a common problem associated with land degradation. Furthermore, engaging in agricultuaal activities may become a good substitute for the need

O(}eulmwmmu/oRDSm(1 to work for commercial loggers. The size of the logging industry shrinks when the amount of available lan( and pool of labour is constricted. Even so, encouraging the introduction of rights to the people may still not be feasible as logging stil' remains a more lucrative trade. lndonesia proves that timber still remains as one ofthe most lucrative trade ir the country as she is the world's largest exporter of tropical timber. The logging industry contributes US$5 billion annually to the national income. The aftractiveness of the proflts involved continues to act as a barrier for the loggers to stop their trade.

Another recommendation suggests that conseNation projects can be funded and initiated in the forcsts as localvillagers are often incapable of baring the direct costs involved. Even so, not all conservalior projects are embraced or carried out successfully- A classic example is in the Nam Ngum catchment area ir the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The conservation programme to develop an integrated agroforestry system was only supported by 20 to 25% of the people in the village fiver years after it was introduced. Thi. may be due to the lack of understanding of the importance of environment conservation- However, feedbacl collected by the Mekong River Commission, Bangkok, reflects villagers' views that the extra labour involved generated instfficient profits tojustiry their efforts. This shows a conflict between the aims of the villagers and those of consejvati-on projects. Hence, such policies may not be welcomed and supported by the people. By enlarging our view to a macro-level, one may find fault in the govemments for their systematic failure to enforc€ laws'to reduce the country's appalling rate of deforestation. Legal timber harvesting affectr 700, 000 to 850, 000 hectares of forests per year in lndonesia but, with illegal logging, the overall logged arei jumps to 1.2 to 1.4 million hectares . Even though an official ban has been erected on the export of raw logs frcm lndonesia, there are reports that timber is still regularly smuggled to Malaysia, Singapore and othe neighbouring countries. This problem arises from the presence of underpaid government seryants an( cunning businessmen who overlook environmental regulations in the case of self-interest-

One cannot underestimate the power of politrcal commitment. Political will is essential to initiat( projects to help dive.sify the economy to decrease the dependence on the logging industry. The governmen, may have to intervene and limit the destruction caused by the large scale commercial loggers which undoubtedly, create the most extensive destruction. Political commitment must be dedicated to ensure tha illegal logging is stamped out. This is imperative as illegal logging constitutes approximately 75% of th( logging industry in lndonesia. Thus, political commitment is essential in kick-starting environment conservation effods-

Political stance on this issue is also important in shaping the minds of the people and promoting sustainable development. An example is, paradoxically, China, which is one of the largest consumers or lndonesian timber. Previously, the government enlisted the work of every healthy citizen aged from eleven k sixty to plant three to five trees a year. Though the effectiveness of this project may be questioned, the Chinese government claimed that at least 1 billion trees have been planted in China every year since '1982. Even though this project has been dropped, China still declares March 12 as its Planting Holiday. This show! that political will is like a muscle that is capable of inducing positive changes jn environment conservatior. when exercised correctlySetting our sights further in the quest for effective measures to prevent land degradation and for lan( rehabilitation, one can find greener pastures in ecotourism- The EcotoLlrism Society defines ecotourism as 'tesponsible kavel to natural areas which conseNes the environment and improves the welfare of the loca' people"Ecotourism adds commercial value to environmental conservation. lt encourages inhabitants to protect the natural surroundings in its most pristine form for those seeking naturai beauty. lt generates tourist dolla, both directly and through peripheral activities in cottage industries p.oviding both a form of emptoyment and .. source of income for the villages. As ecotourism does not require large expense of land and prohibits the logging of trees, it is suitable for smaller communities living in the forests. An example is the Sukau Rainfores Lodge in Malaysia featuring jungles, paddy fields and rivers. B0% of the staff is local so as to ensure loca participation. They usually work as cooks or tour guides. Furthermore, a free medical check up and treatment for Sukau villages was held in 2003. This shows that there is a possibility that businesses can create . positave impact on the community. Ecotourism allow the peopie to attain economic progress whilst livin! alongside the forests- This shows that there is a sohltion to both economic conservation and economic development. 10

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Eco'tourismnotonlyprovidesanaltetnativetotheuseoftheforests,itcanalsocontrjbuteinthe

Centre purchase tree seedlings retraUititative aspeAs too. Tfie Sukau Ecotourism Research and Developmenl

r"""f tommunity and encourage guests to rehabilitate a sixty-four acre site: This shows active

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on the land caused by logging.

the No doubt the ideals of ecotourism seek to create positive changes to the environment; in reality, By catering group of consumers actuar ouicome may oe different. Ecotourism serves a small, albeit growing, may have to be scale development posh large facilitieq and seek luxury that tourists ioiin. conu.ntionjr limitation to the amount of Ir,]"0 out. ifri" in"uitably undermines the environment. This shows that there is avillages ofren need external progiess that can be achieved lrom ecotourism. ln addition, g"in" ""0 ihe project. without retevant skilts, expertise and capitat, villagers may be i -equipped lrrnp "rirt induitry. Funds are needed to build guesthouses and communication lines are """iit"*"-to "n'""Jtourism promote tne site. The ;uccess of Sukau Rainforest Lodge may be attrjbuted to the expertise of its

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" again. He-nce, with difticulties in setting ecotourism in a country, the aims of ecotourism in"ot" iogging may not be successfully achieved.

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Eventhduglideforestationseemstobeaproblemthathassurfac€dintherecentcenturydueto

olobalisation and hiqher demand for qoods and services, it is certainly a myth that should be debunked Many t"i" heed from tho;e in Tokugawa Japan during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries' iouon."nt" ""n .ng"g.d in long-term planning to halt and hopefully, reverse the effects of deforestation from it "-"nogrn" the use oi timber and engaging in efficient land use. Japan now boosts as pr"uiousl"ntrri"-s 6y "ubstituiing friendly country and paves the way in the development of sustainable lne of the most environmentaliy

not be i""t'norogi"". rti" example servis to show that iong term planning is necessary and benefits may can be achieved. immediaie but with dete;mination and patience, the goal.of restoring our environment Oetorestation has been an issue of concern for a loig time and with accelerating rates of deforestation recently. it deflnitely cails for attention

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ln this modern complicated world, ASEAN seems to be a big unreachable association which deals with grown-ups' politics and economics. !n our small perspective of life and global world, ASEAN looks as though it has no direct effects to us, youths. Well, let me share with you my personal view To me, ASEAN is an identity, a sense oftogetherness and never-ending similarities in differences. I was fifteen when I made a lifechanging decision of studying abroad in Singapore' leaving my family

behind in lndonesia. I had never felt lonelier ihan my first day in boarding school. My mind was full o{ uncertainties and fears. I barely passed my nights withoul bursting into tears. To my sr-rrprise, I was welcomed warmly to a family * the ASEAN scholars' family. From orientation activities to the.sharing of experiences by the seniors, new scholars were led to discover their strengths and independence. Amazingty, scholars from different AsEAN countries got together through the journey with our broken-and-nolsogoad English. I think at that time, we all figured out that there were so much more than just different nationalities and languages. We felt as lhough we were one, with ASEAN pledged as our identity

At first, this new environment gave a weird sensation- I would never have imagined eating dinner together with a Filipino, a Thai and a Vietnamese, all at one table. Yet, I felt a sense of togetherness thal stuck us together, creating an understanding beyond races and nationalities lt was as though at that moment everyone realised that we were all in this together and we could depend on each othea because we understood others feehngs. I used to think that sooner or later the international friendships wo.uld face a road block of differences. I can say that we did find differences but we found a surprising amount of similarities. After all we were of the same age and iong distanced neighbours. I learned that we cried over the same Korean dramas, idolised the same bands, and faced failures in our first months heae. Even so, we did appaeciate the differences we hao by teaching each other general sentences like greetings in our language With that, we embraced both the similarities and differences that existedMy experjence is what I think ASEAN is a{l about on a small scale. I realise what I had learned for the

past two years was what ASEAN countries received from the association too.

The significance of the acronym 'ASEAN' eludes most people walking down the st.eet. One will b€ lucky to find a passer by who actually knows what ASEAN stands for, much less what ASEAN means to him. l, sadly, was one of those people until Education intervened and made me dig a little deeper anto the activities and aims ofthe organization. I am glad I did, and I can confrdently tell you now exactly what ASEAN means tc me, a young third-geneEtion citizen sheltered under its umbrella. ASEAN, first and foremost, is an idea in action. The purposes of ASEAN are, truth to be told, overtl) idealistic. [,/any social and economic issues have yet to be resolved. A aecent example is the 2007 Burmes€ anti'government protests, in which ASEAN was placed under inte.national scrutiny and criticism for maintaining its commitment to the notion of nonjnterference, despite its aims to strengthen democracy anc protect human rights and freedoms. However, I believe that even though ASEAN is idealistic, it is working t( fulfil these ideals. ASEAN, io me, is not stagnant; it is m action. The ASEAN Charter, adopted just last year, is 12

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public. lt aims to ensure that all evidence of the organization working towards improving the lives of the penalty, abandoning the policy of nonthus or face iitt comply with ASEAN agreements i'Sge1r1 peace the region' "orntriu" and stability in interference. This is an important step to finding

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ASEAN also repfesents unity. Ruled by the colonial powers lor centuries (even Thailand, though not a made us colony, did not escape loreign intervention), we never enjoyed true autonomy until much later. This was born as ASFAN moie'aware ot ttre n&d to p;event any other power f.om taking away our independence; and the economic itre answer to ttrat need. coordinating as a region, we couoter-balance the influenc€ of to we are had .itit.w suoemowers like china and the united states. Like ten chopsticks bundled together, like the ASEAN Oieii.' rnOiviauaffv, however, we are insignificant. A united ASEAN benefits all. Agreements Free Trade Area reap lhose benefits

ManyofUsareignorantofthewayASEAN'Sworkissointunewithourdailylives'lwasthesamebut

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after knowi;g in depth ;hat ASEAN is all about, these ive letters mean so much more to me than they used to. I have hope thateach year ASEAN will get closer to the South-East Asia all of us dream of'

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Accordingtoastudyin'Nature'(February212008issue),newinfectiousdiseaseshaveemergedat

an increasing raie in recent decades, and in future are l;kely to arise in "hot spots" such as Asia and Latin Ame1ca bef;rd being rapidly transferred to Western countdes- ln Asia, SARS and the avian flu are examples of such emergi4g dls-eases.ban Singapore find a role to capitalize on these developments ftom an economic development perspective?

Emerginginfectiousdiseaseswillcontinuetoposethreatstopublichealthinsingapore,with

detrimental s"ocial consequences. Nevertheless, the development of more new infectious diseases can be capitalized upon to boost singapore's biomedical and public health enforcement industries. The meny taces in Singapore also have a paat to play in impaoving the efficacy of vaccines and cures'

To begin with, the increased infectious disease research necessitated by accelerated rates of emergence oinew infectious diseases would greatly boost Singapore's already thriving biomedical sector;

to maintain or incaease its current investment in biomedical sciences. Phase tlvioi Singapore,s Biomedical Sciences initiative aims to establish Singapore as a 1eader in five disease areas inclu-ding infectious diseases by attracting world class clinician scientists to singapore. To do so, we Singa,-pore woutd merely need

have established strategic partnerships with muftinational companies to devise cures for infectious diseases. ln January 2006, for instance, combinatoRx singapore, set up by Boston-based biopharmaceutical firm combinatoRx Inc and the singapore Economic Development Board's (EDB) biomedical investment arm

Bio'One Capital, ag.eed to invest 5$32.6 million to develop drugs to combat infectious diseases 25 companies, including Eli Lilly, GlaxosmithKline and Novartis, currently have research centres or corporate labo;atories in Singipore. Furthermore, the industrial output of the biomedical sciences sector has been steadily increasing: having quadrupled from 5$6 billion in 2O0O to S$23 billion by end 2006, accounting fo. ovef 5 per cent of singapore's GDP. ln 2008, the EDB brought in s$932 rnillion of investments in fixed assets and s$245 million in total business spending for the industry. These examples and figures illustrate that increased outb.eaks of new infectious diseases will likely trigger increased investments in infectious disease research. Manufacturing output is slated to increase concomjtantly, given the trend of increasing manufacturing output. The amount of investment and tevenue which could be generated' together with longterm benefits of attracting international talent and collaboration- building a pool of skilled talent and keeping updated with cutting-edge research in othe. countries- would definitely make Singapore a forerunner in infectious disease research.

Furthermore, Singapore's multiracial polity has tremendous potential to facilitate the development of vaccines and cures e{ficacious for specific genetic make-ups. ln 2003, a team of scaentists at the Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, found that South Chinese SARS victims possessed a va ant gene coding for a protein HLA-B*4601 that increased the severity of SARS symptoms, and was absent in most European populations, where few SARS cases were observed. The findings established that individuals or gtoups with different genetic make-ups may tespond differently to new strains of infectious diseases; therefore, cures or vaccines will most likely need to be tailored for specific genetic make-ups Local born Chinese of mainly southern Chinese descent, indigenous ethnic Malays, local born lndians from both North and South lndia' Eurasians and Southeast Asian or northern Chinese immigrants are some examples of the diverse ethnic groups represented in Singapore. Because of Singapore's administrative efficiency and readily available means of disseminating information to the general population, it will be easy for Singapore to raise public awareness of the need for accelerated infectious disease research, solicit for contributions of DNA samples from the population and distr'bute them to relevant research institutions for analysis. This would increase the chance of Singapore successfully developing a range of ethnicity-specific cures for infectious diseases, which 14

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nrofits in the Dharmaceutical industry as the drugs would be in demand worldwide among count es due to movement of br"ips, given that infec,tious diseases spread rapidly between

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trm..dcnt inlectious diseases would also generate economic spin-offs for the area of public health

technotogies for the expedient identjtication and quarantining ol infected individuals To ittust;te, in mid-April 2oo3 du.ing the SAR5 outbreak, Singapore was the first thermal imaqinq cameras adapted from military technology to monitor temperatures of *r"irJ .i Cnanqi airpoi oicrossing its border with Malaysia. ST Electronics then received numerous irom other Asian countries. Each device was priced at US$85 000. ln addition, to a bird ffu test kit that could detect the i.i"'u"i""i"" i^n"""ta, Iocal company Veredus Laboratories pioneered Organisation' and sold to lli]r-"rrri" r" three hours. The technology was approved by the Wodd Heath disease screening industry can u'. Asia, the Middte East and Europe. Evidentiy, the infectious diseases to perfect its niche in .".iii"ira *oao *arket. singapore could take advantage of new infectious " i""iJlr"l-r."rr".roou. aoaptinq ii to detect various symptoms and strains of viruses, thereby creating a -"nror""-"'it industry that would protect Singaporeans and satisfy global dem€nd for i"Jtli""n"-rr."ttt .irr"nino uqrip{nent. Also, quick quarantine measures made possible by effective screening technology itrr""t. lo pubiic health within Singapore. This would encourage continued travelling inio *"rrJ the iin-oaooie. wnener for woik or leisure, even dudng periods when infectious diseases are on the loose 'n have. country can into the travelling reduced impact that I"gioi ihL *ouro ,"auce the negative economic

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Theincreaseinnewinlectiousdiseasesisaninevitablereality,singaporestandstoreapimmense oenefits from this trend because of its established research infrastructure, multinational in marketing singapore;;;;;;;hi"; and larqe qenetic pool easity available for analysis Past successes cures augur well for disease infectious researching i"""l"p"J'""*""'"g"tec-hnotogy and attracting companies building its pool of must continue singapore tn. iuii oi oion1"o'i"at scienjes in Singapor;. [.4ost importanly, singapore's wrll further afflrm that etforts i"Lni"J "fo""f biomedical scientists to arive hdigeoous research economic

status as a world-class infectious disease reseaach hub

Singapore is an economy that is constantly remaking itself to best capitalize on the developments developments' around us.iryhat the study terms "emerging infeclious diseases (ElDs)" is yet another of these "We now rise up must Loong' from which our economy can benefit ln th; words of Pnme Minlster Lee Hsien progress years and of to the iatest challenge, and by remaking our economy, Iay the basis for many more these first understand prosperity for Singipore." i-lowever to 'flnd a role' ior Singapore, we must developments in full. factors" The study finds that ElDs are driven "largely by socio-economic, environmental and ecological flu ,,a ,cost avian of human economic divetopment." As such, diseases Iike SARS and the hidd;n and are

positive externalities, or the unintended third party spill over effects f'om under lack of consumption of meoi"ai services (vaccines or regular checkups). Alternatively, a.developing country's livestock. or lack of ability lo reseafch and develop vaccines, failure io educate farmeF in close contact with in these to frat the spread of such diseases, may be possible causes of this positive exte'nality "Oiiity l"u""a ov ,ioeFprovision of certain services \'vhatever the cause of the problem ' one thing is certain iiconstitutes an instance of market failuae, and to resolve it would be to more efficiently run the economy -".i"i, a solution. Firstly, in p.evention: H;, ;;;; id.;ft itriee areas wnere ttre economy can be devetoped as undertake When such Raising awareness ot the necessary precautions that those in Ellprone areas must

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precautions require medicar services, prevention wil arso entair making avairabre vaccines and regurar checkups affordabry. secondry, in rimiting the spread of ErDs by en-suring tne quict diagnoses"anl quarantinlng of those infected, in line with the study's emphasis on tie -criticaineed for health-monitorinol Finally' in keating patienrs intected with ErDs to minimize the cost to society. r" o,c"i t" these lhings, any sorution must arso be abrero accuratery identity where thesJ hot "ii'" spots', or """"rpiiit rtupione areal are This will necessitate the 're-allocation of resources ior 'smart surveillance' of emerging oG""!! rr"t"pJt", '.. -including targeted surveiflance of at-risk peopre to identify earry case crusters oipolentiatty new Eioi belore their large-scale emergence." Of course, ii is here that singajore can Rnd its rote. Firstly' to address the need to raise awarcness of preventative precautions, singapore can rearn from an e-heatth qllldlls in southeast Asia as a way to disseminate urge;t information to rocal ll^l"r .industry h"ads in devetoping countries at the grassroots tevet. Such an oniine portat woutd proviOi l::^1"r:.:-1o -yl,:S: rnTormaron on precaulions necessary to minimize the risk of the disease, arert vilagers in .trot spots; ot the need to obtain vaccinations, and alow vifiagers to schedure appointments for iheckups, ;d"i rake this digitat informati;n widety available,'tire project coutd tie i" ti iir."riong O".i"ii"p ::yi:?:;_|"--.j9"r lo Per unrkr programme, which aims to provide low-cost computing services to underoevelopeo count'rieJ singapore wourd invest in providing severar low-cost taptops to viiage rteuo"-"t n" rowest organisationar levels, and providing the basic education necessary to use them.

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Secondly, to address lhe need for_health monitoring, efficient diagnoses and treatment, Singapore could increase our existing investment to the buirding of ho;pitars aoroad,"as we as expano tnis smaller-scale clinics as wefi, pe.haps modefied after the pory;rinic system. Ttrese crinics wourd be connected +heatth portat,.which woutd alert med'icat woriers of any symploms reported by vi age l"^1"_ neacrs'"1lr:T:1,,:,1"0 anc,.drrect them accordrngry. This project wourd minimize the risk of thedisease spreading by isoratiig cases of infection and imposing quarantines, as well as collect vital research information and data about the

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Finafly, to address the need for treatment, singapore wourd invest in research and deveropment locaily, utilising the research and data obtained at the iredicar cent.es ao-aJ. singapore as an R&b hub wouh then develop and provide vaccines and treatments to its hospitalg and ;linics-overseas, which wouid this three-prong approach woutd buitd a comprehensive network inrougt wh-h :::gntially, .hot spots', exchanging information, anO iroviOint ."1n,,"ooruss the EtD probtem, identifying 1191-L" rrearment srmurtaneousry. Thus far, however, the most important qlestion his yet to be asked - How wouri this netwo.k benefit Singapore?

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lncreasing.our medicar prcsence overseas wourd draw attention to singapore as an internationafiy renowned medical hub. capitarizing on this attention, rnvestment to the domestic medicar tourism sector (h6 provision of high quality healthcare to affluent tourists in search of treatmenty would bring in increased retuins. The..research and devetopment of vaccines in Singapore *orlJ p;;u th. for iumerous p"te;i; medicines-and high-revenue exports ofthese tr"_"t.u-nt". tn aooition, tne piogram'mes in deveroping couniries could be tied to trade deals oivind sindapo.e firms freer access to theie riarkets, proviOing- temasei anC Holdrngs and crc,more redite- gro-unosior ror"ign inu""tr"ni. FiJry, -uii ri"iirport"nfly, the prevention q EIDS.wi minrmize posirive exiernatities and wetfaie to io"t"ty, hetping to create a :l1,.lj:"lT::l nearlny economic environment, providing high_value added employment "oit"in clinics ;nd nir"p,"lt"f" uO."O, ensuring the resources are besi altocetea to maintaining a dise;s;fr; ;o;kf;;ce, and creating the stabte conditions required for herping underdeveroped co.ntri;s devetop an to, the entire regionar economy_ lndeed, Singapore can most certainly capitalize "au"ni"g. on these Oevelopmenti.

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An eight-year-old scribbles on the wall in his room excitedly, leaving p.oud scrawlings of trees and people. When he turns seventeen, he paints the wall in varying shades of red and black, a supposed reflection of his maturity, a sign of rebellion, a precursor to adulthood. He turns twenty-eight, and decides to get rid of the colours he now finds hideous, whitewashing it all away. Yet when he is sixty, he embellishes the wall with wallpaper, preferring the comforting patterns that richly adorn the room.

One wall, yet with the many transformations it undergoes over time as a percon grows. One political scene, yet with-the many transformations it undergoes over time as a country grows. As a cosntry grows, so does its political scene - the latter is a perfect mi.ror of the countrfs situation, the country's society, and the countqy's maturity. When a country is first formed, in its teething stages, its political scene is similarly immature. The scribbles on the wall are simply insuffrcient to even put in place a basrc system to bring about social stability. ln limor Leste, a newly lormed country in Southeast Asia in 2002, its political scene was anarchic when it tirst started out, with the military even having to inteNene, juggling the problems of.ebel militants and an identity-starving peopleWhen a country's political scene begins to stabrlise, il is only often after a protracled period of time, lvhen its people have begun to mature, and with the requisite factors of a stable democracy already in place, such as education, and a comfortable standard of living. Only.then can the full benefits of a stable political system be savoured, with the government in power focused only on the welfare of the people, and the efficient running of a country. ln Singapore, after many years of political struggle and economic hardship, it is now nearang what would seem to be a golden age, in which comforting datterns and trends may be observed - a stable political situation that begets greater economic growth and prosperity. Many may disagree though, and quesiion the seeming lack of political opposition and the dearth of political awareness - issues that are crucial in determining the political health of our country. Nevertheless, one cannot deny the benefits that this stable potitical situation b ngs.

ln between, of cou6e, are the natural g.owing pains that a country's political situation would most likely experience- The shades of red and black on the wall of politics that are the protests, revolutions, and political mischief are also reflections of a country that is tottering into maturity, beginning to be aware of their political rights, and the political process. ln democratic countries that hoid political elections, biased electoral systems or rigged elections are these unsightly colours, wherc measures to prevent these misdeeds have not

been fully internalised. ln the Philippines, its govemment is often shaken by corruption charges against various peasonnel - even current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has faced impeachment charges, with previous presidents like Joseph Estrada coming under fire before- But as maturity beckons, and as it comes, these memories of a haunting past will be forgotten, whitewashed- Coffuption and other scandals that rocked the political system and society would soon be forgotten, and the country begins to move forward again. As time passes, a wall in a room would take on different facades - reflections of the personality and idiosyncrasies of its owner- Similarly, as countries mature and develop, their political systems and situations evolve, being influenced by various events and phenomena, such as the general psyche of the population. To clarify, the age of a country does not proportionately determine the maturity of a population and its political process. Rather, the emphasis is on the time that is needed and requked for the evolution of a political system into one that is better and stronger. The different facades each wall may take on reflect the diversity of various political scena.ios that are possible too. The different designs of wallpaper encompass the many successful political systems, that are all distinctive and unlike each other. Whether welfa.e-based, forward-looking, or eternally truth-seeking, the various modes of goveanance appeal to various peoples, and contribute to the overall diversity of countries we see in the world today.

17

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Language is, in itself, a curious paradox. It is intended to melt down barriers but is also, at the"saire time, a divisive medium Language exists for two directly contradicting funciions, firstly, to facilitate communication between different parties, and secondjy, to ,"pru""nith" unique and diverse identities of different communities and societies Given these two ctashing functions, it is apparent that having a common language would have both negative anJ positive repercussions. However, while a shared language would, to some d;gree, facilitate ease oi communication, it would incur far greatet costs' in the form of a loss'of diversity. Therefore, since the cons far outweigh the pros' the world would mostly nottumout for the better if everyone spoke the same language

One major problem with

a

uniform language

is the loss

of .a .key cultural

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Effective thesis statemenU stand.

component, theiebtcompromising cultural diversity. Languages play a vital role in defining

diffe;ent cultures and communities, establishing a unique identity and setting one community apart from'one another. A case in point is that of the Japanese language, which is made up of gentle intonations that result in the spoken tongue bearing ciose similarities to the soun;s of nature - of rustling trees and the soft chirping of insects This clearly brings out and puts emphasis on the harmonious nature of the Japanese peopte

a pejce-loiing aftitude that pervades their entire culture

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and points to their shinto

background a;d elements. The language is a key part ofwho they are and the culture they belon-g to. To have a shared language would rob the vaaiety of cultures around lhe world of their d;stinct identity, ihus reducing the world to a state of homogeneity and stripping away the cultural differences and the diversity that rcnder our globe colourful and beautiful' Different languages also cteate a sorl of heatthy pride in one's own cultu(e, as sholvn from ttre french'J niin opinion of their elegant national tongue A common language would effectively get rid of such pleasurable sentimenis that one ought to leel when speaking a languagethat allows one to identifywith one's roots and background. Having a homogenous language all across the world is also detrimental in lhat it does not fully'cate. to tie needs oi different cultlres- Different societies have different and specific needs, which are often best communicated in their own languages For example, the Chinese, who have always been more conservative than their Western counterparts' tend to expiess lhemselves in subtler and more de'icate ways, employing idioms and symbolic phrases to get their message across- lt would be diffictrlt for them to express themselves properly in straightforward Western tongues Iike the English language Also, due to geographicil necesiity, the Eskimos, who live in a perpetual winterland, have develop;d over forty words for'snow", a feature that would not be included in languages spoken by those who do not spend every day of their lives in a region that is blanketed with snow Given lhat each country and cultuae has very different needs, and that one culture may not share in, and therefoae may not understand, the sentiments and needs of uniform ianguage would not better the world, fo. it would be woefully another, inadequate in terms oftrying to encompass and meet the needs of different cultures

Give specific examples for

stronger support.

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To have everyone speaking the same langoage would also mean that many of the most beautiful writings in the world would not be able to exist Many renowned literary pieces are so wellloved precisely because they make use of the nuances unique to their chosen lanquage to get their meaning across to their readers. Shakespeare, with his talented wordplay and amazing expressions, would not have paoduced quite the same plays had he written in a different tongue. A modem Chinese poem, entitled "Tien Wang" crude isty t'teg is beautiful and inspiring when read and recited in chinese but sounds piece has process the of translation' and laughable when translated into English in the not haiku is simply lost haliits meaning. Similarly, the expressive simplicity of a Japanese different up of present when it is not composed in Japanese. The design and make ianguages contribute deeply to the gaeatness of woaks written in those tongues, and what 18

Good observation.

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sounds impressive in one language may not seem so to another. Therefore, should everyone speak the same language, the world would have a great deal to lose, for it would not witness the birth of literary masterpieces that are all the more amazing due to the use of languages that convey their meanings. However, a common language is not without its merits. A similar language would one of its fundamenial objec{ives -to enable easy communication and this newfound meet convenience would call forth a plethora of benefits, for example, in the economic sectorFirstly, a common language would facilitate intemational trade, since it would break down language bar.iers that ofren hinder transac{ions and interactions between firms ftom lwo countries thai speak difierent languages. The example of how many Western businesses are unable to break into the rapidly-rising Chinese markets due to their lack of proficiency in the Chinese language, .esulting in a frantic scramble to master the complex language, shows how much more convenienl things would be if there was a common language that everyone could speak. There would definitely be increased kade, thereby benefiting both the suppliers and lhe consume.s alike and theretore more solid and firmer links would be established within the global market. ln addition, a common language will allowthe poor to break out of the vicious poverty cycle and ascend the socieeconomic ladder, as they will not be kept backJrom prosperity by a lack ol knowledge of the language ol the reigning economic superpower. ln the past few decades, \,vhere the United States established itself as a world economic hub-, the key language employed in economic circles was none other than English- The poorer parts of the world therefore sulfered for a sizable quantity of the poor could not master English and were familiar on,y with their respective mother tongues. This negative scenario could be easily averted if everyone spoke the same languages and therelore canied out trade with that very tongue. This would help the world progress further and close the rich-poor divide.

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This paragraph is too lenqthy.

The lundamental assumption oI this argument, howevet, is that the language ba.rier is the oniv thing that will hampe. and comprcmise economic progress. lndeed, this is not true. Policy mismanagement, trade barriers and un{air economic policies contribute as much, if not more, to the vadous economrc problems the world faces today. Furthermore, a common language would mean that developing Asian countries would lose the edge they now possess over more developed rivals like the European nations, America and the United Kingdom, as they speak the language of rising Asian powers such as China and lndia, and this would give them the upper hand in b.eaking into their quicklyprogressing economies and markeb. A common language would negate the advantage that poorer.egions ofthe globe are beginning to enjoy.

Another argument for a common language would be its positive impact on diplomacy. lt facilitates effective negotiation, for count es in conflict can now talk over disputes more easily, without their messages being lost in translation. This will deeply accelerate the peace process and prevent disagreements from being exacerbated However, things are not as easy as they seem. Speaking the same language would prevent miscommunication during mediations and negotiations, but this does not mean that a compromise or conclusion can be achieved effectively still, since many conflicts, such as lndia and Pakistan's dispute over the states of Jammu and Kashmir, and the AraSlsraeli conflict, encompass countless sensitivities and complexities, which a.e no less difficult to work throuqh. As such, a common language would do little good for the world in terms of international diplomacy, and therefore would do naught to better the wo.ld.

ln conclusion, it is not undesirable that there will be gains available if everyone were to speak the same language. However, the dramatic loss of intangibles that would also result from this situation far outweighs these merits, and therefore, a homogeneous language would not be better for the world.

Content 26/30 Language: 15/20 Total Mark: 41l50 Well done! Very onjoyable to rcad! 19

Perceptive point.

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The arts are an integral part of socjety and can be employed for various means' The decorative role of the arts, tirough appearing to be its primary function' is only one of the many roles that the arts play in our world. Given that there have been attempts by artists t; harness its potential for catalysing change through their paintings, it is mther unfair to say that the arts cannot change the world. As outlets of expression, the arts have A decent opening. the capacity to influence a large audience through their visual appeal.

To begin with, most people accept the idea that the arts make the world more beautiful- Thd seems to be confirmed by the abundance of examples of aesthetically

pleasing paintings. This ranges from the Sistine Chapel frcscos to the modern day Colour iietO piintings.-ttot only are they aesthetically pleasing; the peacefulness' serenity and calmness th;t'radiates'ftom Vermee/s'The Kitchen L4aid" or Millet's "The Gleaners" reminds us of the simple beauties in life. Likewise, the bealty and the softness of the colours emploFd bl John Constable in his landscapes bring out the beauty oi everyday scenes from the countryside. Whether all paintings make the world more beautiful though, is indeed questionable. Some critics may argue that a painting as non-naturalistic as Good Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" does not contribute to making ou' world a mo'e consideration of beautiful place. The dark, pessimistic canvases of Francesco Goya, in the minds of some, balance. present no appeal and are therefore downright ugly. Despite this, it has to be noted that ieauty is in the eye of the beholder. What one person considers beautiful might not correspond to the iaste of another. Even so, the vadety that exists within the -arts itself would mean that the tastes of all could be satisfied. Moreover, the presence of a few "ugly" works does not negate the beauty of the others. lt is with this perspective that it is safe to conclude that the arts do indeed beautify our world Aside from beautifying our world, the arts have the capacity to inJpire change This is especially so, since the arts appeal to us mainly through our emotions rather than reason. Thi di€ctness of the work of art reacfies easity to the emotional co'e of our beings, thereby making it a powerful means of communication. This is effectively such as Picasso's "Guernica" The screams of the writhing, exprissed in paintings -nimals bring across the brutality of war that the artist is against on oistortea Rgurei ano top of tha{ the large scale of this monochromatic wo.k fills the vision of the viewer, theretore overwhel;ing and shocking the viewer' Here, the artist triggers an emotional response instead of objectively nanating the events of the bombing On a less serious note, the bright, vibrani colours employed by Mondrian in "Broadway Boogie Woogie' infects us wiah the a ist's enthusiasm lot jazz and New York City As characteristic of lvloie could be other abstract art, the colours and texture of the painted surface is enough to move the said about how viewers and to change the way they see life. Although the response of each individual is painting could change the personal, it is the collective effect of such works on society that can spearhead change' world. E.g. effecl ln addition, the arts can act as a window to the world, highlightang issues that can of Guernica, be improved. Paintings, like Courbet's "Stone Breakels', help us see other people (or Goya's minorities) and theii culture as something to be admired, revered and someday sketches, etc. understood. Many artists also see themselves as socially engaged, incorporating issues in their works. However, it must be noted that painting alone cannot stop global warming or the spread of AlDs for instance. The arts can only bring our attention to these issues and evoke our social conscious to make us respond to the issues- Ultimately, it is the people who are the agenls of change. Perhaps one of the reasons why the arls do not appear to change the world is that the effect the arts have on us is more subtle. Rather than acting as an explosive agent, the elfect of the arts is more slowburning, and can insidiously alter the way we think. lt is for

this very reason .that the arts were under tight control in the Soviet Union and

in

Communist China. Artists were only allowed to paint works that 'seNe' society and in line with what the Party catled "social Realism", for the governments feared that the works 2A

t$Qunnnsunmr,rnnmmqS mioht incite a rebellion. Likewise. Hiller's burning of "degenerate" works ol art arose out of paintings by Kandinsky, for example, could conupt the soul As the tnj b"li"f thut

be physically or immediately obsewed, the impact of art on the way we effects cannot"b"tr"a think is easily overlooked. Nonetheless, the arts have the capacity to change social

Good examples employed.

perceptions.

What change can the arts inspire though, if the viewers are not receptive to the ideas? Uninterested vis..,/ers could easily miss the socio-political themes in lhe paintngs of artists such as the lndonesian artist Dede Eri Supria. The sense bf isolation in the works of Edward Hoppe. could even be taken at face value by viewers lvho do not see any value in delving into the artistic intentions. Despite the proliferation of adistic images through the mass media, interest in the arts in general is not high, especially in societies where money-making is valued over the arts. Not only that, the lack of access lo works of a.t also severely limits the impact the work can have on the world. The storing of valuable paintings in private vaults also conkibutes to the problem. With regards to access, measures have been taken to address this. ln China, museums have waived their entry fees. Still, it is a running joke thal many Chinese visit the museums tor the air-conditioning and not the aft. As such, the message that the aris have for society might be lost, and change would-lno tonger follow. Even so, optimists believe that the various moves to participate in the arts, such as the setting up of an arts school in Singapore, point to the growing importance of.the arts in society. As can be seen, the arts can change the world while making it more beautiful in the process. The arts allow us to better appreciate our world- lt is a force that will continue to shape society and our experience of the wodd. That said, it is up to us to open our hearts and minds to receive the messages the arts have to convey,

Total: 41i 50 Good work, Teresal Points are well-substantiated.

Art, music, literature - infinite forms, most beautiful. lndeed, the myriad works talling into these three categories epitomise the most beautiful ot Man's creatlons, the appr;isal of the worid th.ough aesthetics, tune, and poetry. Artistic creations are born of a human desire to depict thoughts, feelings and observations in the mosl exquisite offorms, Yes. Original to satisfy the human need for beauty and creatavity. At the same time, however, lhe arts ideas? Good fulfil many other roles, providing a conduit like no other by which to explore the human roles/factors to condition, to preserve subjective expedences and to define entire cultures.

consider.

one lunction of art, music and literature is indeed to express Man's need for Good that you

beauty. Van Gogh turned a simple night scene into a riot of swirling colourc; impressionists qualified art s allow realistic contours to melt away into bold strokes of emotion, while realists depict the role of beauty. worlds as they see and feel it from the most picturesque of angles. Traditional Chinese painters suggest lush landscapes with mere brush strokes- From folk songs to the popular music of to-iy, musicians have used tunes, rhythms and beat to suggest wonderfully the imaginative landscape of the mind - Irom the powerful idea of an ancient and treasured cultJre, to graceful images of swans gliding through waler, to the common expefience of

all packaged into beat and tune. From Shakespeare to Chekov to today's gene.ation even the now-famous J.K- Rowling, writers have sought to "poeticise" human existence with lyrical prose and vivid imagination. lt would be much easier for an artists' musician or writer to simply transcribe his thoughts or observations without embellishment; yet the very fact that Salvador Dali's 'The Persistence of Memory" is a wtrimsical figment of his imagination, and Milan Kundera's "The Joke" is not a factual account of one man's

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and oersonal history shows that Man craves beauty' embellishment arts the thtough [i"faing tlrtt riro,"" of his creative energy' he expresses

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powers used to satisfy his need Aside from serving as an outlet for Man's creative The best Yes! es'sential in allowing Man to explore the human condition r.l. u"rt". tn" and temp€rament "rt" aie those which delve into emotion, mood rii.Llri" Good examPle. hold popular acclaim today precisely because of their relevance 6rr"rl"o""r. tort" authoritv love' " l""u"t"till p"rt"inil'g to the human soul discrimination' not only an Excellent Point. conceots which continue to preoccupy us- The most beautiful artworks capture joy to .ooJ-"i tit" artlsis; the viewer is catapulted from sorrowoftoMonets from the cheerfut colours -"Li*rtofv as he moves from work to work' created by Picasso's brush' The best faces human i"rii"i"iJ t"1t" ",irie oisiointeo themselves in the mind rr"i" off"o tun." "nd lyric; that stay with the soul' which 'epeat word Through art, music and literature' human ie,G;;iy, pit"n ror pii"tt, word for exploted in ways which. cold factual or logical Good are in"irgl't and experience tat;h, simply because the nuances of the human mind require the comparison. ,n"tu""" "outo"n"u", to elucidate them *",.th of *hit ind "reativity is prese'ved Good choice of The essence of what an individual observes, feels or thinks' therefore' word in ttrrouorrart'musicandliteratureinthemostsubjectiveofforms.Theartistsdonotattempt "obtuscate'. rational or thought with logical ti";siiv of his experience oi emotion i; in a his experiences poignant of he endeavours only to capture the most most ""*o"i"iion; tost beautifui. All the arts are highly subjective' built f'om the soul of And *t'iJ i" io genuine too. into the orhefs draws rhat i"ri"d-into a pactage or sound, sighl or wo.ds iil'iiii*io"jr arts lie the of importance of the ariists experience The beauty and iri""i"tiof"

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elaborate on the impacvinfluence " powerful of such art a More pragmatically, art, music and literature are the pillars of culture' (despite its from are distinguishable .""n" oio"inin! "us' versus 'them". Abo.iginal tine drawings a violin; subjectivity) on .laDanese Dnnts it a qlance; one twang of, string will set an erhu apart from ctiltural society. Lrigr"g" i"d th" wie]ding thereof' ca; immediately be identified with specific identities these because identities o,o"uo"l u"n has a need to form community-based of self and give him a context in which to set his existence A man I""illut" to fi" home nor """"" riinlui" Jtu,. to fuv claim to is liie a baby bird hatched in mid-air' with neither of collective imagery! the enormitv piffling against.all individual d,i of the world, a and music art' contelit' ln this civilisation. Therein lies the importance oi one's roots reafllrm which boundaries a"nning the demarcations of cultural ;i;;;1;;; and seicultures uniquely apart from one another' Precisely because ioentities co-mmunaf oitln"ii t".utv ina tn"k ability to explore the human condition and to preserve subjective with the Nice summary of J,i"iii,*., tini"n r,l"s oeen exptained above, art, music and literature connect your argument. collective their tina" ot uach individual within a cultutal group and immortalise t

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To argue that art, music and literature seNe the sole function of expressing Man's human need for bea;ty would be to neglect their invaluable role in the exploration of the pr."urvation of subje-c{ive experience, and definition of the myriad of human "onJition,iri"t co-exist on thi; world. Art, music and literature are appreciated by all Or ought to be quality At the same appreciated! ""ftri"i mantinO, across cuttures and geography; there;n lies their universal people with shared groups of bind literature and types of art, musii for equally rich allow enrich and "o""in" level, the arts irr."rl.i".. tooether. on an indrvidual of art' music forms only with the dealt has, however, ."[i.Jiuu .l