OPENING ADDRESS BY MR HAWAZI DAIPI, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE CAREVOLUTION PROJECT ON 1 APRIL 2005 @ 3.00 PM AT THE ARTS HOUSE, OLD PARLIAMENT

Mr Jeffrey Neo, Chairman, Children-At-Risk Empowerment (CARE) Association

Dr John Tan, Executive Director, CARE Association

Mrs Lan Teo, Director, Counselling, CARE Association

Ladies and Gentlemen

Boys and Girls

1. The aim of education is to develop individuals to their full potential, and nurture them into good citizens, conscious of their responsibilities to family, society, and country. It should begin with the individual, move beyond the self to the family and friends, and eventually broaden outwards to include the society and nation.

2. The world of work today is characterised by constant change, powered by the twin drivers of globalisation and technology. These twin drivers have broken down physical boundaries between countries, drawn nations closer together, and created greater opportunities for people of different races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds to interact with one another. Besides adaptability and flexibility, a third characteristic is the desire to build healthy relationships with others. These characteristics are essential, not only for survival in a globalised environment but also to thrive in it.

3. The building block of any society begins with the individual of which the foundation lies in his values. When the individual values others, there is a desire to relate well with them. There is an effort to understand instead of insisting to be understood, to console others instead of wanting to be consoled, and to care for others instead of focusing on being cared for. This “other-centredness” instead of “self-centredness” would then translate into the individual placing the community above self, and the nation above all.

4. Our schools have done much to teach our young the skills of interpersonal effectiveness, not only with fellow Singaporeans but also with our foreign friends. Let me cite two examples. The first is from Bukit Panjang Government High. This school used drama to draw students from different cultural backgrounds together to present Huang Mei Opera – the Ramayana, a performance of the Hindu epic as a Chinese opera. The multi-racial cast learnt to overcome personal prejudices and appreciate one another’s strengths when they worked together.

5. My second example is from Qihua Primary School. When Indonesian pupils from the Singapore Indonesian School located in Medan Indonesia visited the school, Qihua pupils acted as ambassadors and learnt how to welcome the Indonesians, look after their needs as well as explain the social, educational and cultural aspects of life in Singaporeto their visitors.

6. Children-At-Risk Empowerment (CARE) Association is to be commended for creating CAREvolution, a nation-wide project to promote “relational literacy” amongst not only the young but also amongst adults, who would then be able to impact their communities, and eventually the nation in general. “Relational literacy” is about attitude and relationship-oriented mindset where people take responsibility to enhance their communication skills and relate successfully with others.

7. CAREvolution’s fundamental principles of Communication, Appreciation, Respect, and Empathy (which incidentally spell CARE) can help our young acquire the necessary skills and attitudes to relate healthily and effectively not only with fellow Singaporeans, but also with others who come from beyond our borders.

8. Through the many events and activities planned for CAREvolution, it can empower the young in our schools to reach out to the many students from China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, and even the Eastern European countries, who are studying alongside them. Our Singaporean youths can use the framework of CARE to indeed reap bountiful rewards for themselves not only materially, but in intangible ways like the forging of long-lasting friendships and relationships. In this way, even if our foreign students return to their home countries, Singapore would have friends within the region and beyond because of a simple friendship forged during one’s schooldays that has blossomed into international networks that would benefit not only the individual, but also the organisation he works for, and eventually to Singapore.

9. CAREvolution’s goals dovetail very strongly with Singapore’s core values where individuals are the building blocks who place the community above self, and the nation above all.

10. It is now my pleasure to launch CAREvolution.