I Am A New Teacher - 912 Words

Although I am a new teacher, I believe that the purpose of education is to feed our children with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful and upstanding citizens. To achieve this purpose, I believe that education must operate like a football game. There are four main components in a football that makes a great experience. The first component involves the role of the teacher, the second involves the role of the student him/herself, the third  ¬Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬component involves the role of the family and the community, and the last component involves the use of technology in today’s classroom. As one of the components within the football game of education, the teacher has a specific role to contribute. The teacher’s role is like that of a football coach. The role of a football coach is to create the right conditions for learning to happen and to find ways of motivating the athletes, which is very similar to the role of a teacher. The teacher is the force that drives the educational system. The teacher’s role is to be a facilitator. Being a teacher is much more than just executing lesson plans, we carry the role of a surrogate parent, disciplinarian, mentor, counselor, and role models. Teachers play an important role in the development of students and are sometimes the sole source of a student’s learning experience. What students learn in their formative years can shape how they are in the future. As another component in the football game of education, the student also has aShow MoreRelatedAttending: . I Started The Conversation With A Direct Question953 Words   |  4 PagesAttending: I started the conversation with a direct question of â€Å"So, Ms. Erickson, you wanted to discuss a problem you are having with Maria?† She responded with â€Å"Yes.† During this conversation, I asked indirect questions such as â€Å"What are the concerns that you have? and â€Å"Have you talked to her about why her homework hasn’t been completed?† These questions were at the beginning of the video. At 53 seconds, we were talking at the same time, which I did realize until I reviewed the video. UnfortunatelyRead MoreEducation Is Suffering From Narration Sickness1638 Words   |  7 Pagespersonal experiences that some students don’t learn the same way. Many of the teachers that I have had, have always presented the information through powerpoint or just lecturing, kind of like college, but not all students learn the best through this way. One of Freire s quotes from the article is, â€Å"Education is suffering from narration sickness.† This is an important quote to me from this article because emphasizes that teachers tend to lecture, speak, or narrate what the lesson may be and this is aRead MoreMy Strengths And Weaknesses Of A Teacher769 Words   |  4 PagesAs a teacher, it is always beneficial to reflect over a day’s work, students’ abilities to grasp material, and what improvements could be made. I rated myself basic in 4a for now. Too much was going on at the time of this self-assessment. I have never used the same lesson plans from year to year. However, in times past, I spent at least 30 minutes every evening trying to figure out if my lessons worked, needed improvement, or should have been restructured and retaught. I would look for my weaknessesRead MoreMy Personal Philosophy Of Education976 Words   |  4 Pagesrealize how much they can achieve. 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I strongly believe that all children can be taught, but not all at the same level. All children have differentRead MorePursuing A Doctor Of Education ( Ed.d )984 Words   |  4 PagesIf admitted, I intend to pursue a Doctor of Education (Ed.D). in Educational Administration on a full-time basis through the combined program resulting in building and district licensure. After accomplishing a doctoral degree in Educational Administration, I intend to lead as an executive leader in school district(s), shape curriculum and instructional pedagogies, teach future teachers, and to contribute to the changing landscape of educational research. I believe my experiences as a scholar,Read MoreTeaching Career For The Past Five Years1283 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction I have been in the teaching career for the past five years. My most recent experience has been assisting with planning activities, supervising children, ensuring children s safety and managing classroom environments. Meanwhile, One reason I particularly I have also been responsible for communicating with my co-workers, supervisor, children, and their families. enjoy this career is the opportunity to connect with children that I love. What I loved best about being a teacher was teachingRead MoreMy Career As A Teacher1452 Words   |  6 Pagesrang true to me until I became a teacher. Five years ago I worked as a manager in the financial aid department at a local technical school. Prior to that job I spent 17 years in the business industry in various leadership roles. However, it was not until I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and someone encouraged me to pursue my dream of teaching that my world became complete. The first time I taught a lesson as a student teacher I wanted to pinch myself. I could not believeRead MoreMy First Field Experience At Milton Union High School753 Words   |  4 PagesPaper I am new to the profession of education, but where I lack in experience I make up for it when it comes to my enthusiasm and willingness to learn more. My first field experience was at Milton Union high school, and it was also the most scared I’ve ever been in the classroom. However, when I went to Stivers School for the Arts things got even better—I felt more prepared. This year I’m back at Stivers and so far everything has been good, and I really enjoy working with my cooperating teacher. ThisRead MoreMy High School Teacher1124 Words   |  5 PagesMy high school teacher, a lady, has inspired me to become a teacher. She demonstrated to me how caring, enthusiastic and accessible a teacher can be to students. She inspired me with her unlimited patience when interacting with students including myself. She would approach each student in her own way and gave every student their own privacy when it comes to getting assessment results. I respect her very much as she r espected me and made my final year of high school very memorable. Teaching is a

Why College Is The Best School For Me - 1644 Words

College is a big step in life for those who choose to attend it. Students are taken out of the high school environment and placed into one with significantly more responsibilities and freedom. At first glance, the vast number of choices for which college to attend will seem overwhelming, but with careful research, one can drastically narrow the options down to the specific preferences that the aspiring student may have. In my case, I have come to the conclusion that the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology would be the best school for me because of its rewarding campus life, student body, and academics. When the essay prompt was first explained in class, I had no idea where to begin in my search for the ideal college. The online databases†¦show more content†¦Nevertheless, I am certain that Rose-Hulman is the most suitable for me. Rose-Hulman’s campus life allows for social interactions of all kinds that would assist someone in my position. The campus is in-state, specifically in Terre Haute, which allows for convenient travel between my school and home location. This factor of staying in reach of the people I know here in Carmel essentially places less strain on relationships that I have the role of keeping intact. A steady, communicative relationship with family members and close friends is key to success during college, since many times the burden of school will weigh me down and I will need the support of others to keep going. The suburban campus of RHIT with students having an easygoing as well as productive lifestyle presents to me its most attractive qualities. According to the college’s official website, their campus is very â€Å"small, quiet, and picturesque† (Housing and Residence Life). Naturally with a smaller suburban campus, there will be a smaller student body in which more people will be familiar with one another. As a result social â€Å"cliques† will not be as prevalent when compared to urban campuses, such as those of state universities. My preference as someone who grew up in the small city of Carmel is to be familiar with its

Strategic Decision Analysis with Mrt Model free essay sample

For the period of thirteen days of October 1962, the leaders of both sides spent every single moment to tackle the situation when there was a higher-than-ever probability of 100 million Americans, over 100 million Russians, and millions of Europeans being killed. Given the probability of calamity which Anatoly Gribkov Soviet General and Army Chief of Operations estimated that â€Å"Nuclear catastrophe was hanging by a thread †¦ and we weren’t counting days or hours, but minutes†, (Wiersma Larson, 1997, p. 3) our escape seems like magic. It would be irrational, however, to call on magic when it comes to politics or military. The nuclear war being averted, the ultimate consequence of this event should be counted on the strategic decision of the two men, President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev. The process of making such decision has become a magnet for many researchers including political scientists, historians, students of government and participants in governance. There are many analyses of this issue from various perspectives relying on different models such as Rational Policy, Organizational Process and Bureaucratic Politics. As a case in point, the purpose of this paper is to present the understanding of the strategic decision-process made by the key players in this crisis. Nevertheless, due to the limits of time and space, the focus is on the U. S. point of view only. In other words, this paper will elucidate the decision-process used by President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis by applying the MRT model. As prevalent features in human reasoning, certain cognitive biases during the process are also identified. Furthermore, the roles that information technology could have played in the crisis are discussed at the end of the paper as well. II. Decision-process analysis using the MRT model Let’s start with a brief introduction of the MRT model. It is a set of theories proposed by a group of authors, namely Henry Mintzberg, Duru Raisinghani, and Andre Theoret, which suggests a basic structure of â€Å"unstructured† decision processes. â€Å"This structure is described in terms of 12 elements: 3 central phases, 3 sets of supporting routines, and 6 sets of dynamic factors† (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 246). These elements will be investigated in turn along with the corresponding evidences from the Cuban Missile Crisis. The investigation will be summarized by a visualized model. 1. Central phase 1: The identification Phase This phase consists of two routines: decision recognition, where opportunities, problems, and crises are acknowledged and provoke decision activity; and diagnosis, in which the actor or the decision maker seeks to perceive the factors that stimulate the process and determin e cause-effect relationships for that particular decision situation (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 253). 1. 1. Decision Recognition Routine It can be told from the name â€Å"Cuban Missile Crisis† that the decision President Kennedy had to make in this situation is absolutely a crisis one. It is triggered by an astonishing disclosure that on October 15, 1962 the U. S. reconnaissance photographs by a U-2 revealed Soviet missiles under construction in Cuba. Early morning of the next day, President Kennedy was informed of the missile installations. This should be a severe deception to the President because it was just over a month earlier when Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin had assured Attorney General Robert Kennedy of no offensive missiles placement in Cuba. The discovery of this astounding revelation plays as a sudden and unequivocal stimulus that requires immediate attention and initiating the decision process. Perceiving the urgent of the situation, the President scheduled two meetings on that day to have a close-up at the U-2 findings and discussing how to respond to the challenge (JFK Library). Thus, October 16, 1962 marked the beginning of the thirteen days of the most dangerous period of the Cuban Missile Crisis. 1. 2. Diagnosis Routine The first step in the diagnosis routine is â€Å"tapping of existing information channels and the opening of new ones to clarify and define the issues† (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 254). This step is well-reflected through the two meetings on the first day of the crisis. In those meetings, all the photos of Soviet missile bases were readily on the President’s desk. The ballistic missiles the President was briefed on had a range of 1,100 miles and threatened major population centers in the U. S. including New York, Washington D. C. , and Philadelphia (Wiersma Larson, 1997, p. 9). From the additional films by the surveillance flights, they could estimate the number of Soviet-operated missiles (16 – 24) and these ones could well be operational within two weeks on very little notice. Americans could not sit still facing this apocalyptic vision. Also, the meeting attempted to determine the cause – effect relationships for the decision situation. As a consequence, Soviet’s insecurity on the missile gap between the U. S. and Soviet Union is considered to be the main cause of the crisis. The U. S. response to the situation could have great effect on not only the strategic nuclear balance but also the credibility of American commitment; particularly the President’s most solemn warning to his citizens and allies (Allison, 1969, p. 696). 3 2. Central phase 2: The Development Phase In this phase, a set of activities that leads to the development of one or more solutions to the decision situation is carried out. This set may be described in terms of two basic routines, search and design. 2. 1. Search routine â€Å"Search is evoked to find ready-made solutions† (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 255). Our specific situation, however, are without precedent in history. There was no possibility for a similar crisis happening elsewhere at that time either. Soviet and the U. S. were the only two superpowers that could have such kind of encounter. Thus, search routine was not supported in the President Kennedy’s decision-process. 2. 2. Design routine â€Å"Design is used to develop custom-made solutions or to modify ready-made ones. † (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 255). The development phase jumped to the use of design routine due to the absence of search. In this case, the first action taken is that the President assembled a crisis team consisting of trusted government officials to advise him in making strategic decisions during the crisis. This team was later referred to as the Executive Committee of the National Security Council or EX-COMM. The deliberation of upper echelons of government in this group produced three alternatives for the U. S. to choose: Diplomatic pressures to engage Fidel Castrol and Nikita Khrushchev in a diplomatic stage to resolve the crisis openly. Declaration of open surveillance combined with a naval blockade against offensive weapons entering Cuba. A â€Å"surgical† air strike against the missiles followed by an invasion. 3. Central phase 3: The Selection Phase The MRT model describes this phase in terms of screen, evaluation-choice, and authorization routines. 3. 1. Screen routine This routine is evoked when â€Å"search is expected to generate more ready-made alternatives than can be intensively evaluated†. However, in our case, search was not reported then neither was the screening. 3. 2. Evaluation-choice routine Among the possible three modes of this routine namely judgment, bargaining, and analysis, the use of judgment and analytic approach had clear evidences in the crisis. Through the judgment mode, the option of diplomatic pressures was turned down for being considered unlikely to succeed by most members of EXCOMM. The outlines of alternatives were quickly narrowed to two: an air strike and a blockade. At this point, â€Å"factual evaluation is carried out, generally by 4 technocrats, followed by managerial choice† (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 258). This proposition is demonstrated through the discussion in the EX-COMM from day 3 (October 17) to day 7 (October 21) of the crisis. After great concern on the coverage of the air strike as well as the possible casualties with his top advisors, the President finalized his decision by choosing the naval blockade to prevent the missiles from becoming fully operational. This decision was made publicly through the President’s speech to the nation on day 8 (October 22). 3. 3. Authorization routine â€Å"Authorization is sought for a completed solution, after final evaluation-choice† (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 259). In our case, basically, the President Kennedy – the decision maker – had the authority to commit the government to a course of action. There is still a trace of authorization which is the approval of the Organization of American States (OAS) on day 9 (October 23) as the final step in a formal procedure. 4. Supporting routine 1: Decision Control Routines Similar to the above elements, decision control comprises two basic routines: decision planning and switching. 4. 1. Decision planning For this routine, the decision maker â€Å"attempts to establish some preliminary bounds on the decision space† (Wiersma Larson, 1997, p. 15). In our specific situation, the President constantly concerned about the timing factor and the resources he is prepared to commit to produce the response to Soviet’s move. The act of assembling a crisis team to support his decision is a clear evidence of the President’s planning. A development strategy is also perceivable in his mind. The President â€Å"wanted to appear tough yet avoid a military confrontation† when taking a stance on Cuba and the Soviet Union (Wiersma Larson, 1997, p. 10). 4. 2. Switching routine In switching routine, the decision maker determines the next step to carry out. A good evidence for this is that after recognizing the severe crisis upon the U-2 findings, the President immediately scheduled two meetings to diagnose the situation. 5. Supporting routine 2: Decision Communication Routines Exploration, investigation, and dissemination are the three communication routines that can be delineated. . 1. Exploration routine If not to mention the resembling of the recognition routine, the exploration involves the general scanning for information to build conceptual models and to develop a general data base for decision making. In that case, it is much more 5 applicable to opportunity or milder problems than crisis situation. There w ere no such communication activities in our severe crisis. 5. 2. Investigation routine This routine is used to â€Å"find or confirm information during diagnosis, search, and evaluation-choice activities† (Mintzberg, Raisinghani, Theoret, 1976, p. 61). The mission of reconnaissance at both high and low level of the U. S. over Soviet missiles in Cuba; the meeting between the President Kennedy and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrie Gromyko are excellent evidence of investigation activities during the crisis. 5. 3. Dissemination routine Considering the number of persons involved or interested in the outcome of the President’s decision, disseminating information about the process’s progress is definitely a significant issue. For the highly uncertain effect of dissemination, the information was made publicly to Americans and the U. S. allies only after the President’s decision had been finalized. On day 8 (October 22), the President made a speech to address to the nation â€Å"a flurry of activity ensued† (Wiersma Larson, 1997, p. 14) in Cub a. His decision was informed to American allies and the U. S. Senate leaders on the same day as well. 6. Supporting routine 3: Political Routines Being considered as a key element in strategic decision making, this routine reflects the influence of internal and external political behaviors during the decision process. This can be elaborated by looking at the politics of choice made by the President. From the internal aspect, the emergence of a powerful coalition of advisers arguing for the blockade including McNamara, Robert Kennedy and Sorensen is an important factor. They are the ones in whom the President â€Å"had the greatest confidence, and with whom his style was most compatible† (Allison, 1969, p. 715). The possible external factor should come from the U. S. alliance. The President understood that most allies regarded Cuba as â€Å"a fixation of the United States and not a serious military threat† (Stern, 2003, p. 00) which meant that not just international community but many allies would see an air strike as a mad act in spite of the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. 7. Dynamic factor 1: Interrupts Without unexpected constraints or new options, the specific decision-process in our case experienced a political impasse as an interrupt that caused temporary delay instead. Th is can be implied from the fact that when the President conceived the favor of the blockade, he still could not finalize the decision in the absence of a consensus among EX-COMM yet. There was still a considerable umber of advisors advocating the air strike. 8. Dynamic factor 2: Scheduling Delays 6 As a leader of a superpower, the President Kennedy had much more scheduled engagement and activities to get involved than anyone else. To maintain the secrecy of the issue, he still had to retain this hectic schedule which caused certain delay to the decision-process. 9. Dynamic factor 3: Feedback Delays There was an evidence of the feedback delays at the late stage of the crisis when the President had to wait for the Soviet’s reaction to the blockade’s activation. Considering the choice of naval quarantine alone, however, this was a unilateral decision and no action taken yet which meant that the decision maker did not have to await the results of other actors. Thus, no feedback delays were supported in this process. 10. Dynamic factor 4: Timing Delays and Speedups The time pressure in the crisis discouraged the occurrence of timing delays. The President along with his closest advisors tried their best to tackle the situation while well perceiving the limited time they had. The crisis decision producing vital outcomes would not support the speedups either. The President finalized his decision after ensuring great deliberation being done. 11. Dynamic factor 5: Comprehension Cycles The President cycled between selection and investigation (diagnosis) to comprehend the cost and the effectiveness of the air strike. 12. Dynamic factor 6: Failure Recycles The option of diplomatic pressures was rejected in evaluation-choice as having too low as pay off. Then the decision-process cycled back to the development phase with the discussion on the two other courses of action. 7 Identification Development Search Selection Screen Diagnosis Design Recognition Evaluation/Choice Authorise MRT model of the decision process to the crisis III. Identification of relevant cognitive biases within the decision-process Cognitive biases are cognition or mental behaviors that may prejudice decision quality. These entities can be viewed as predictable deviations from rationality (Arnott, 2006, p. 59). Being considered inherent in human reasoning, their occurrence is still being found in the President’s decision-process regardless of its great contribution to the amazing ultimate consequence. The following part of this session will identify such five cognitive biases along with their negative effects. 1. Anchoring and adjustment The anchoring factor in our case could be the President’s first impression on Soviet missile base installation. This originated in his September 4 statement in which the President had claimed the present of Soviet defensive missile in Cuba but stated that there were no offensive weapons. Moreover, Khrushchev had assured the President of that assertion as well. Therefore, the U-2 finding of Soviet’s building missile base in Cuba made the American president feel being badly deceived. Naturally, a startled anger would be his initial reaction which could play as an anchor to his judgment in the decision process. The proposition that Khrushchev’s deceitful move demanded a strong counter-move did affect the President’s initial preference which was taking out the missiles as soon as possible. If this perception had gone all the way to the final decision, in Robert Kennedy’s words, â€Å"the world might have been blown up† (Allison, 1969, p. 714). 8 2. Complexity Time pressure and other environment factors could increase the President’s perceived complexity of the situation. At the time of the crisis, John Kennedy was currently experiencing domestic political problems. Cuba was the Kennedy Administration’s â€Å"political Achilles’ heel. (Sorensen, as cited in Allison, 1969, p. 712). The finding of Khrushchev’s unhelpful act just not too far off the Congressional elections combining with the acknowledged time pressure during the week of deliberation made the burden of resolving the â€Å"utterly severe crisis† (JFK Library) seem hea vier to the American president. If that stress had not been assuaged by the support from advisors, his decision could have been negatively impacted under strain. 3. Attenuation The President Kennedy and other EX-COMM members simplified the situation by attenuating the probability of Soviet missile sites being operational already. Their discussion was founded on the premise that the missile warheads were not yet in Cuba and not attached to the missiles. This assumption supported the plan of carrying out any air strike prior to the time the missiles became operational. If they had chosen this action and the Soviet missiles had become operational before the air strike, there would have been â€Å"chaos in part of the east coast† (Mc Namara, as cited in JFK Library) which is the total reverse to what we expected and achieved at the end. 4. Escalation Being an air strike advocate from the beginning, the Joint Chiefs of Staff escalated â€Å"a previous unsatisfactory course of action† (Arnott, 2002, p. 11) which was known as Cuba I or the Bay of Pigs Invasion. This was an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the government of the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The Chiefs’ proposition was that the missiles provided the occasion to follow their contingency plans of cleansing the Western Hemisphere of Castro’s Communism. If their argument had dominated the discussion, the President’s decision could not have been the one we all know. . Completeness â€Å"McCone’s perceptions flowed from his confirmed prediction† (Allison, 1969, p. 714). As the first person acknowledging the incident, he argued that â€Å"the Soviets had installed the missiles in a daring political probe which the U. S. must meet with force† (Allison, 1969, p. 714). The findings on Soviet’s acts seemed to be logical and complete for his proposition without the need of further investigation on the actual motivation behind Khrushchev’s move. This behavior could have hindered the thorough vision on the issue to make a rational decision. 9 IV. Discussion on information technology’s possible roles in the case. Nowadays, we all acknowledge that information technology has developed and evolved dramatically to support decision making process from individual degree to organizational or even global extent. Unfortunately, that is not the case when looking back in time to the period of the crisis in 1962. If the President Kennedy and other players in the crisis had had access to today’s decision support technology, they would have reaped certain benefits. The most relevant technology for our situation could be communications-driven one.

Singapores Efforts to Foster and Religious Harmony free essay sample

Singapores racial and religious harmony did not come about by accident or chance. Over the years, we have taken sustained efforts to build understanding, tolerance, sensitivity and trust among the different races living in Singapore. This factsheet gives an overview of these efforts. NE Facilitators may wish to use the information in this factsheet when a suitable occasion presents itself during interactions with your target audiences. Pre-911 Since Singapore became an independent nation in 1965, the government has made racial and religious harmony a key principle of governance. Several laws, policies, organisations and initiatives were put in place to ensure that the minorities were not left out or discriminated against, and that there was integration among the different ethnic groups. The following are some examples: 1. Legislation: ? Constitution of Singapore Singapore’s Constitution provides for every citizen to freely practise his or her religion of choice. It states that no citizen should be discriminated against on the grounds of race and religion. We will write a custom essay sample on Singapores Efforts to Foster and Religious Harmony or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ? Sedition Act The Sedition Act, set in place in 1948, prohibits expressions that promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races. For the first time since independence, the Act was used in 2005 to convict some bloggers who made racist remarks on the Internet. ? Religious Harmony Act The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act was enacted in 1992 to restrain religious leaders or individuals from committing acts that will result in ill-will or hostility between and among different religious groups. Presidential Council for Minority Rights Established in 1970 as the Presidential Council and renamed the Presidential Council for Minority Rights in 1973, one of the councils functions is to scrutinise pending legislation to ensure that the proposed law does not discriminate against any race, religion or community. ? Amendments to the Penal Code A new section, which came into force in 2008, was introduced into the Penal Code to increase by 1. 5 times the punishment a person would otherwise have been given, if he commits â€Å"racially or religiously aggravated† offences. For example, the maximum penalty for causing hurt is two years jail and a $5,000 fine; if the crime was racially or religiously motivated, the person could be jailed for up to three years and fined up to $7,500. 2. Policies: ? Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) Introduced in 1988, the concept of GRCs ensures that Parliament remains multi-racial and will always have some Members of Parliament (MPs) from the minority groups. Each GRC has four to six MPs, at least one of whom must be from a minority group. ? Ethnic Integration Policy Implemented since 1989, this policy helps to ensure a balanced mix of ethnic groups in public housing estates. It sets out the maximum proportion of each ethnic group allowed in each HDB block and neighbourhood (the proportions are tied to the national ethnic population proportions). The policy has helped to prevent the formation of racial enclaves in housing estates. 3. Organisations: ? Peoples Association (PA) Against a backdrop of racial riots and political strife, PA was set up in 1960 as the leading government agency to promote racial harmony and social cohesion. Community centres/clubs were built around the island where all Singaporeans, regardless of their background, could take part in a wide range of activities conducted by the centres/clubs. The centres/clubs provide places where people can interact with one another and build strong community bonds. ? Community Development Councils (CDCs) In 1997, nine CDCs1, each headed by a Mayor, were set up as focal points for Singaporeans to work together and look after their own community needs. These were subsequently reorganised into five CDCs in January 2002. There are special programmes to reach out to the young to develop them as youth leaders who can contribute actively to the development of a cohesive and harmonious community. A Racial Harmony Youth Ambassadors Programme was started in 2002 to get students to participate in and thereafter organise activities that promote racial harmony. ? Central Joint Social Service Centre (JSSC) Operational by 1997, the JSSC is a joint body that enables selfhelp groups and community organisations to pool resources to reach out to all Singaporeans. All its programmes have the same underlying theme – they must contribute to building stronger bonds between the various races in Singapore. To promote interethnic interaction, JSSC also holds seminars, talks, performances and other events where the different races in Singapore come together to learn more about each other. 2 Through such approaches, community bonds continue to be built across races and religions. Since May 2007, the JSSC has been reformed to be known as OnePeople. sg. It has taken on a leadership role by being the leading advocate for multi-racialism (the voice and main resource centre) in Singapore. It has also launched One People Portal, a one-stop access to resource materials on race and religion. 4. Initiatives: ? Commemoration of Racial Harmony Day Racial Harmony Day is commemorated in schools and in the SAF on 21st July each year to remind students and SAF servicemen of the lessons from the race riots that broke out on 21 Jul 64. 1 The CDC functions as a local administration of its District, initiating, planning and managing community programmes to promote community bonding and social cohesion. It also provides various community and social assistance services delegated from the Ministries. Being closer to the ground, the CDC is more attuned to the specific needs of their communities. 2 JSSC offers other programmes, services and activities such as camps, revision and enrichment classes, computer courses, library services, student care, youth dance, music programmes, job matching and career counselling services, and other social assistance services. ? Activities are held to emphasise the importance of racial and religious harmony to Singapore, and increase understanding and appreciation of the cultures and practices of the different races. Inter-faith prayer services organised by the Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore (IRO)3 Organised by the IRO for public institutions, civic organisations and private enterprises, these inter-faith prayer services include those for SAF officer cadet passing out parades, opening ceremonies of buildings, public works and construction projects. Post-911 These efforts to build up social cohesion in Singapore stood us in good stead in the post-911 period. Open and frank dialogues could be conducted among our leaders and the various ethnic and religious groups, even in the face of challenging developments like the arrests of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorists in 2001. This reflected the maturity of Singapore’s society and the strength of our multi-racial relations. The Malay/Muslim community took several initiatives in response to the terrorist threat. For example, the Muslim community leaders were united and committed in the battle against extremism. They condemned the September 11 attacks and the JIs plot in Singapore, and initiated public debates on the importance of moderation among Muslims. MUIS embarked on initiatives such as youth outreach efforts and making madrasah education more effective and relevant. Some Muslim religious leaders and scholars formed the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) to counsel the JI detainees and undertake outreach efforts. The government has also introduced new organisations, programmes and initiatives to strengthen the bonds and links among the different races. Some examples are: 1. Organisations: ? Inter-Racial Confidence Circles (IRCCs) and Harmony Circles In 2002, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US and the arrests of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members in Singapore, the Government announced the formation of IRCCs in every constituency to build trust among the different races and deal 3 The IRO is one of the oldest inter-faith organisations in the world. It had its beginnings in the founding of the Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore and Johor Bahru and was later renamed as Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore in 1961. Its objectives include the promotion of mutual respect and the spirit of friendship and cooperation among the leaders and followers of different religions. The 10 religions recognised by the IRO are Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Baha’i faith and Jainism. with racial or religious problems on the ground when they occur. Harmony Circles were set up in schools, workplaces and other local organisations as informal groups. Over the years, the activities include emergency preparedness to enhance community cohesion in emergencies, visits to places of worship of different faiths, and inter-faith dialogues and workshops. The IRCCs were repositioned in February 2006 to step up engagement efforts with the local ethnic and faith organisations, and to operationalise a crisis response plan for each constituency. The National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony, which provides strategic directions to IRCCs, has been reconstituted to include leaders from the ethnic-based, faith and community organisations. The Committee provides a national platform for these leaders to dialogue and discuss issues on social cohesion. 2. Programme: ? Community Engagement Programme (CEP) This programme was launched on 9 Feb 06 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong because Singapore needed â€Å"an expanded and more coordinated programme† than the constituency-based IRCCs and Harmony Circles. Although the IRCCs and Harmony Circles were useful, the level of activity was sometimes uneven across the constituencies, and tended to be focused narrowly at the local level. The CEP goes beyond religious and racial groups to include schools, businesses and unions. The objective is to create an extensive and strong network of contact points among community leaders so that they can build trust among themselves, have the capacity to reach out as widely as possible in the event of a crisis and maintain calm if tensions arise in the event of a terrorist attack in Singapore. To facilitate the building of effective CEP networks, five clusters of community leaders have been identified: (a) grassroots organisations; (b) educational institutions; (c) religious groups, ethnic-based organisations and voluntary welfare organisations; (d) businesses and unions; and (e) media and the arts. MHA will work with the People’s Association, MOE, MCYS, MOM and MICA (the supporting agencies for the various clusters) to develop the necessary capabilities that are needed to mobilise Singaporeans to sustain the social and psychological resilience in the aftermath of a crisis. The aim is for the various organisations under each cluster to work among themselves and those in other clusters to strengthen the network and bonds within and between their respective communities. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the overall coordinating ministry driving the CEP. A Ministerial Committee on Community Engagement, chaired by DPM and Minister for Home Affairs and comprising Ministers overseeing the key ministries and People’s Association, provides policy guidance and political leadership. The Committee is supported by the Community Engagement Steering Committee which serves as the executive group. The Steering Committee provides operational guidance and ensures the integration of the various community response plans to the Government emergency response. 3. Initiatives: ? Declaration on Religious Harmony Mooted by then PM Goh Chok Tong in October 2002 and officially launched in June 2003, the Declaration on Religious Harmony is an affirmation of Singaporeans’ commitment towards peace and harmony. Though not a legal document, the declaration affirms the values that have helped to maintain religious harmony in Singapore and serves as a reminder to take continued efforts to deepen our ties and understanding with other communities. The Declaration has been given to all schools, IRCCs and Harmony Circles. Singaporeans are encouraged to recite the Declaration during Racial Harmony Celebrations every July. ? Learning a third language in schools The Ministry of Education is encouraging students to learn a third language, apart from English and their own mother tongue. It was felt that proficiency in non-native mother-tongue languages would help to nurture increased interactions among the ethnic communities, friendships between students and ties between neighbours, across race and religion. Several schools are already providing lessons in Conversational Mandarin and Conversational Malay. Apart from learning languages at the conversational level, MOE is also encouraging students to study a third language. It has lifted the eligibility criteria for learning a non-native mother tongue language as a third language.