Speeches
Speech by Ms Sim Ann, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Law, at the Finals of the 4th Inter-School Debate Series on International Humanitarian Law held on Saturday, 18 February 2012, at 2:00pm at Jurong Junior College
Mr Christopher Chua
Secretary-General of Singapore Red Cross
Mr Chan Yong Wei
President, Debate Association (Singapore)
Principals
Students
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good afternoon
Introduction
I am delighted to join you today, my first at the Finals of the 4th Inter-School Debate Series on International Humanitarian Law. Since its inception in 2004, this annual competition has become a prestigious event that is eagerly awaited by junior colleges and international schools.
This would not be possible if not for the hard work and strong commitment of the officials from the Singapore Red Cross and the Debate Association (Singapore), who have meticulously planned and executed each detail leading up to the finals today. I commend them for their efforts to help enhance our students’ learning experiences.
I am very pleased also to see Principals, teachers and students from participating institutions. Your presence today does not just signify your strong support for and faith in your students or peers who are about to take to the stage, it also signals your interest and belief in the issue for which we are all gathered here today, International Humanitarian Law.
Importance of a Student-Centric, Values Driven Education
I understand that you had a talk earlier on International Humanitarian Law and I would like to highlight that while it is important for us to enjoy peace, we also need to inculcate in our youths the importance of respecting all individuals’ rights to living in dignity, regardless of their race, language, religion, backgrounds, beliefs or opinions.
This can only be achieved if we first inculcate in our youths, the core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, care, resilience and harmony. It is precisely this that our schools strive to do, to ensure that our students are ready to excel in and contribute to a highly globalised and fast-changing world.
Partnership with Singapore Red Cross in Developing our Youths
In this respect, I am heartened to know that Singapore Red Cross is working hand in hand with us in developing our youths across the age groups, through co-curricular activities and of course, the debates.
There are currently 47 Red Cross Youth units in secondary schools and 44 Red Cross Youth units in primary schools.
Singapore Red Cross has incorporated the “Exploring Humanitarian Law” programme into the curriculum of Red Cross Youth cadets in secondary schools. From what I have learnt, Singapore Red Cross has trained 74 cadets in Exploring Humanitarian Law in 2011.
Through this programme, cadets learn to value human lives and respect each individual’s right to live in dignity. Qualities like universality, neutrality, impartiality and humanity, which are fundamental traits in character building, are inculcated in the cadets.
I am also pleased to note that Singapore Red Cross’ espousal of International Humanitarian Law extends beyond our secondary schools. Plans are in the pipeline to introduce one module of the programme to Red Cross Youth members in the primary schools.
At the post-secondary level, 14 schools are currently involved in the Inter-school International Humanitarian Law debate. Assuming that there are five team members from each school, at least 70 young people would have been exposed to and gained considerable knowledge of International Humanitarian Law with each year of the debate.
The debate empowers students to understand, explore and critically challenge complex issues related to war, rights of civilians and children, and, the protection of people affected by war.
At the tertiary level, Singapore Red Cross, in collaboration with NUS Law Faculty, sends undergraduates from our law schools to participate in international Moots, so as to give them greater exposure and opportunities in the study and understanding of International Humanitarian Law.
Spreading the Message Behind International Humanitarian Law
We hope that the students who are here with us today will not only grasp the importance of International Humanitarian Law, but also take the next step of sharing the importance of what you have learnt with others. Today’s explosion of new media, which our young people are very comfortable with, means another avenue for you to share this knowledge with your peers, friends and family.
The world grows increasingly interconnected and Singapore remains linked to the global trends, shifts and flows. It is important that our young people be conscious and knowledgeable of the developments around the world and the rules and norms that govern the global community.
Conclusion
In closing, I wish the two finalist teams all the best and I am sure we will all enjoy the cut and thrust of the inter-school debate today.