HIV/ AIDS project - Edwin Fu

I had this idea for a HIV/ AIDS solution since last year. I finally fleshed it out satisfactorily (it's under my project menu). Will be actively engaging various agents and organisations related to my cause to make it a reality.

Most service projects start out as an emotional response to injustice in society. For Ms Saleemah Ismail, President of UNIFEM Singapore, she first heard of the child prostitution situation in Batam, Indonesia, where underaged unconsenting girls are forced to engage in unprotected sex with, often violent, older men; some of the men come from Singapore. She felt strongly about helping those exploited underaged victims in Batam's sex trade, and so sought the help of a few female friends, the partnership of various relevant organisations and groups, to effect social change. She managed to bring about a change in Singapore's legislation whereby having sex with minors below age 18 overseas or in Singapore constitutes a crime. She is currently working to change society's attitude towards maids, for the maids' employers to give them a monthly day-off.

These agents of social change start their social projects in response to a social problem. Having seen the need for change, they move ideas, people, resources to meet that need.

I started on my HIV/ AIDS project in a different way. Have you ever had an idea you thought would absolutely, certainly, positively change lives? I have. The idea for a HIV/ AIDS project found its way into my head, and grew, becoming clearer with each passing day, until I absolutely have to work on it.

Before I did my research, I already had a clear view of how my idea would manifest in practice: I want a system whereby people could get HIV tested and optionally choose to display their HIV status, such that in every sexual encounter people would have accurate relevant information that would help them make good decisions. Once enough people opt to declare their HIV status, there will be social pressure for others to be more transparent about their HIV status and sexual history, for government and people to be more aware of and responsive to the HIV/ AIDS problem.

After conception of the idea, I had the great fortune of being able to attend SYINConnect 08 which really inspired me to work towards making my idea a reality. The sharing of experiences by others, those who initiated their own service project and suceeded, gave me a realistic framework for what I had in mind to do. The passion and enthusiasm of other youths who sincerely want to make a positive difference in their communities truly inspired me to be likewise. The importance of a good idea, support network and guidance towards making a project succeed cannot be understated.

I will continue to work on my HIV/ AIDS project. Tune in for updates

SYINConnect 08 Reflections - Edwin Fu

I went to SYINConnect expecting tedium and unmitigated idealism. I went because of the premise of networking opportunities with other youths who are likewise enthused about moving ideas, creating social change. I came away with deeper understanding, wider perspectives, greater motivation and drive, with the comfort and inspiration of the support network, with the idea that I can make a difference.

I will try to sum up why I feel so inspired:

SYINC brought together youths who are passionate about creating social change in their community. This establishes a network where members of SYINC can mutually engage, learn from, share with, to create sustainable social changes and lasting friendships. The youths I met are really driven and passionate about serving their community. Some have great ideas, others feel strongly about certain issues and want to create changes. SYINC sought to build on and strengthen these potential connections, and so tapped on existing social networks like Facebook where participants can keep in touch. What a fantastic idea! Should I have social initiatives that need interested participants, the SYINC community will be the first place I will turn to. Together we can better lives. This is truly a community of people you can depend on.

SYINC selected a panel of illustrious speakers, many of whom have modeled the way as agents of social change. This must have been a difficult feat, to mobilise so many outstanding leaders to take time out to their busy schedules to share their experiences. All of the speakers thought me one thing or another. Their success stories, how they overcame adversity to realise their ideas, are so inspiring. We can do the same to achieve similar successes. The fact is that there are so many avenues whereby one can receive support and aid. With a great idea and passion, one will also attract capable and enthusiastic people. To me, ideas are precious assets, and SYINC is there to help nurture these ideas for social change. The common theme of the SYINConnect speakers is that ideas can make a huge and lasting difference. One step at a time, with determination and passion, with help from others, we can make a difference in our community.

After SYINConnect is SYINCubate, where youth-led projects for positive social change will receive dedicated support from SYINC in the form of seed funding, access to networks, and tailored mentorship. This would exponentially grow my social initiative and take it to the next level of actualisation. SYINC is sincere about helping us build and expand our ideas indeed. With all of these support networks, it would be difficult to fail.

THIS IS SYINCREDIBLE!!!

SYINConnect 08 Experience - Edwin Fu

SYINConnect was held at Republic Polytechnic, which is huge; easy to lose oneself within. When I found my way to the venue, I saw Heather Chi, a senior and previous Chairperson of my magazine club in RJC! She is also a member of The Choice Initiative and is proactive in working towards improving social conditions.

The conference kicked off with the arrival of the guest-of-honour Mr. K. Shanmugam (Minister for Law & Second Minister for Home Affairs). He gave a short speech about the difficulty working for social change, how youths can play a part with the assistance and empowerment of organisations like SYINC.

Next up, media guru Viswa Sadasivan, CEO of Strategic Moves, gave the keynote address, which was on leadership and governmental support. On leadership, he talked about walking the talk, putting the mission and team above self, being accountable above power, listening instead of hearing; doing the right thing instead of being right. He mentioned multiple intelligences and how an individual's diverse capabilities in that regard need to be recognised. In his opinion, the role of the government is to work in close partnership with the civic society to meet the greater aspirations of youths, "liberalise opportunities for people in their own spaces of intelligences".

The morning plenary session followed, with Viswa Sadasivan, Melissa Kwee and Aaron Maniam discussing about youth participation in creating social changes.

Brief biography on each speaker:

The speakers had different experiences to share and different values to espouse. Melissa proclaimed to be an idealist and believed everyone had an innate moral sense. Her belief was that Singapore society is caught up in an overemphasis of pragmatism. She is working on empowering teenage girls through Halogen Foundation's Youth Leadership education program. She emphasised consistency in action and values, citing a personal dilemma over whether her organisation should accept huge amounts of donation money from organisations where values clash such as Singapore Pools, tobacco and alcohol companies. Viswa talked about shifting values in society such as society's gradual acceptance of gambling. He spoke about change-makers creating social action such that shared interests of government and civic society are bridged and a win-win is achieved; in his words, "advocacy does not have to be adversarial". He suggested a referendum conducted by the government to get a sense of the public interests. Aaron talked about the qualities of an agent of change - he must consider the long-term, diversity of values and note the importance of conversation. He shared his own desire for change being like a feeling of something lodged in the head, an idea that keeps getting clearer until it must be expressed.

The morning plenary session was followed by morning workshops which were issue-oriented. Workshop programs included topics such as public health (sanitation) by Arun Kumar, Executive Director of World Toilet Organisation; climate change by Howard Shaw, Executive Director of Singapore Environmental Council; ethical consumption by Jared Tham, Founding President of The Choice Initiative; HIV/AIDS by Dr. Paul Ananth Tambyah, Associate Professor of National University of Singapore; human rights in Singapore 101 by Siew Kum Hong, Nominated Member of Parliament; water by Low Theng Khuan, a volunteer of Waterways Watch; UN youth engagement by Kephren Ayanari of Syinc; intellectual disability by Daniel Tan, Chairperson of MINDS MYG; poverty by Michael Switow, Co-Founder of ONE (Singapore).

Unfortunately, I could only choose one workshop as they were held concurrently, but SYINConnect is such that we can tap on the other participants' enthusiasm and expertise, so no worries. I chose the HIV/AIDS workshop as I did do and am currently doing some related work.

Dr. Paul Ananth Tambyah, an Associate Professor from National University of Singapore, hosted the HIV/AIDS workshop.

He gave a very comprehensive lecture on the history, science and condition of the disease, as well as an introduction to Action for AIDS (AFA). He gave a case study on a mutation of cell receptors that causes HIV immunity in 1% of Caucasians. This invalidates the punishment philosophy that people who engage in promiscuous sexual behaviour are and justly should be punished by the disease. At present, the goal of HIV treatment is to increase T-cell count and reducing viral load to zero such that the effects of the virus are delayed as much as possible. The modes of HIV transmission include unprotected sexual intercourse, vertical transmission (mother to child) and injection with HIV positive blood. The groups discussed briefly about the topic of AIDS and brought up the issue of stigma, the use of education to combat stigma and bring about awareness. We did an interesting thought experiment on the decision to extend the life of only one AIDS patient - a maid, a surgeon or a care-giver. The scenario expanded to further flesh out the characters. the surgeon is a homosexual, the care-giver is a part-time prostitute, the maid is rich. This emphasizes the moral complexity involved in AIDS assistance. Who do you help first? Different people give different answers.

The afternoon plenary session followed, with Elim Chew, Jack Sim and Alfie Othman discussing about social entrepreneurship for change.

Brief biography on each speaker:

Social entrepreneurship is a combination of business principles with the ethics of social objectives. A social entrepreneur is someone who influences others to stand up, seize an idea and implement it. The three plenary speakers are all outstanding social entrepreneurs. They are success stories and their proactive, unwavering philosophy is one to model. Elim Chew talked about beginning with small steps to achieve great success; to have a vision and to focus on it. Social entrepreneurship has provided her with many opportunities to tap into a global network. Alfie Othman portrayed the social entrepreneur as someone with a capitalist mind and socialist heart. He needs to notice the gaps in society, then use his business acumen to move financial capital and other people to implement the idea that will fill those gaps. He needs to walk the walk, to model the way. Jack Sim talked about his own difficulties in getting government funding to achieve his dream of hosting a World Toilet Summit. Undeterred, he came up with a solution that came at no financial cost to him. Such obstacles can always be overcome with creativity. if you have the idea and passion, you will naturally attract capable people. He also emphasized that "the most common mistake is to forget what you are trying to do". The mission should not be about you, the mission is to help other people. Stay on course for the mission.

The afternoon plenary session was followed by afternoon workshops which were skills-oriented. Workshop programs included topics such as public education by Louis Ng, Founder and Executive Director of ACRES; selling a vision by Deepa Chaudhary of World Toilet Organisation; goal setting and project planning by bogdan Imre, Project Officer of Asia-Europe Foundation; using online media by Choo Zheng Xi, Chairperson of The Online Citizen; arts for social change by Sha Najak of Migrant Voices; adventure learning by Daniel Tan, EXCO member of Raleigh International Singapore; building partnerships and alliances by Saleemah Ismail, President of UNIFEM Singapore Chapter.

I chose to attend the workshop on building partnerships and alliances. The skills seem especially relevant: "building effective partnerships and alliances is a powerful way to bring credibility, scale and even funding to your projects"; "navigate the world of community groups, government agencies, philanthropic foundations, and other stakeholders".

Saleemah talked about how she confronted the Batam sex trade problem which she felt strongly against. The problem was the widespread prostitution of young girls in Batam, and her idea was to form partnerships with different local stakeholders to press for a new legislation that will punish locals that fuel the demand for the sex trade overseas. Her efforts involved partnership with different groups of stakeholders, positioning it differently according to her audience's different interests: the public, media, government institutions, NGOs and social activists, and international alliances. She worked with all levels of society to create awareness and build consensus. Youths can act as movers and shakers, and it was students who embraced the project as their own and hosted their own exhibitions, road shows, online campaigns to highlight the problem and incite change. Public will is most crucial force to effect change. Media was also used as a formidable tool to create awareness and press for change. Online tools such as blogs, instant messaging tools, and offline media such as road shows, exhibitions, youth conferences, newspapers, helped to reach a wider audience. International organisations can be a great source of ideas and advice. Look for avenues for dialogue - Saleemah approached the different countries' chamber of commerce for advise on legislation. She succeeded in making the legislation a reality within her planned schedule of 18 months. She is currently working towards making weekly day-offs compulsory for domestic helpers.

The youth conference ended with a SYINCafe session, where participants formed small groups and shared their thoughts on social action and their future plans. Future programmes such as SYINCubate, where sustainable social projects will be given funding and mentorship, were highlighted as well.

In all, a meaningful and motivational conference. It is the start of something great~

NYAA Gold Award Interview - Edwin Fu

Today was my National Youth Achievement Award (Gold) Interview. National Youth Achievement Award involves youths between the ages of 14 to 25 years undertaking a variety of voluntary and challenging activities in each of four areas, namely Service, Adventurous Journey, Skills and Physical Recreation. In addition, it is required to organise a Residential Project at the Gold level. The criteria for an Award are those of self-improvement and effort as participants are judged on personal achievement and individual capabilities.

The interview was very casual. It was a one-to-one interview and I ended up explaining briefly each of the section activities I undertook. I was asked about National Service and to relate, in my opinion, the most difficult section attempted (it was the Residential Project for me). This probably took up at most 10 minutes. The interviewer then requested for me to upload some of the pictures from my NYAA experience when I get back for the purposes of the Award Ceremony to be held on the 3rd of October. The interviewer talked briefly about the future plans of the Gold Award Holders Association (GAHA) and on the Award Ceremony itself.

I started the NYAA (Gold) scheme in the middle of JC1 year (you know, the time when academic pace starts to pick up...) and completed the project in the middle of the next year in 2007. I had previously completed NYAA at the silver level in secondary school, so NYAA (Gold) was a progressive step in a familiar direction. For my NYAA (Gold) scheme, I gave tuition at Henderson Student Care Centre for Service, embarked on a 4-day exploration expedition for Adventurous Journey, organised a large-scale Sports Day Event for wheelchair-bound participants for Residential Project, learnt cooking for Skills, and went cycling for Physical Recreation. It was certainly a challenging experience in retrospect, especially in concurrence with academic demands for GCE A Level preparations.

NYAA (Gold) required a writeup on how I have benefited from participating in the NYAA Scheme (less than 500 words); I tried to express from the perspective of my experiences how that participation made a difference in my life as follows (I hope this is helpful for those tasked with the same):

You are only young once, and once is enough to make a difference.

I think what makes NYAA so successful and meaningful is the central theme of ownership. The NYAA scheme empowered me to chart my journey of self-discovery. At the age of uncertainty, I learnt to make a positive social change, to recognize and water the seeds of my passions, and to seek the avenues of self-development by tapping on my community. I acquired skills and developed personal qualities of independence, accountability, perseverance, self-confidence, compassion and resourcefulness. NYAA highlighted these opportunities of growth that lied within my reach, and challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to embrace them. The structured requirements of the NYAA scheme provide clear achievement goals that emphasize different learning experiences, skills and personal qualities. I might not have ventured to make those positive changes in my life and others’ if there was no NYAA scheme to help frame my experience. Perhaps because of the guidelines, I was able to build upon the general themes of the different sections – residential project, service, adventurous journey, skills and physical recreation – to think originally about how I wanted to mould my NYAA experience to fit my personal goals, to maximise learning. Ultimately, I got to do what I loved and that made the experience personal and meaningful.

More specifically, I carried from the experience a greater love for community involvement and voluntary service for social causes that I nurtured from my NYAA (Silver) days. Before then, community service used to hold little meaning for me. I participated without reflection over what I had achieved. In time, the joy my actions brought to others impressed upon me the value and meaning of my contributions. I started to see voids in society where assistance can be rendered, where my role as an agent of change is needed. NYAA challenged me to organise a successful large-scale residential project, and the experience, its accompanying obstacles and setbacks, serves to equip me with the skills and confidence necessary to excel in future projects. Volunteering can be an immensely rewarding experience; the eager smile of the children I tutored, the laughter of the handicapped participants having fun, gave me true satisfaction. Through the service experience, I grow more appreciative of all that I have.

More that just learning new activities and skills, this experience has been a beneficial baptism by fire; my struggle led me to improve and add to my strengths and overcome my shortcomings. As I logged my involvements and reflections in the Award Diary, I found that I have progressively matured through the experience. Youth is no longer an excuse for apathy; I recognise that I can truly make a difference. The completion of the award is a commendation to a golden experience, in struggle and joy both.