Calling all youth to 'Be the Change!'

Come this Saturday, young Singaporeans are encouraged to step forward to share their ideas, aspirations and suggestions on how to make Singapore a better place to live, work, learn, play and give.

Be the Change! is a youth-driven initiative organised by a team of youth volunteers, and supported by the National Youth Council and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Aimed at Singaporean youth and young adults aged 15 to 35, the project encourages young Singaporeans to share ideas on the kind of Singapore they wish to see in five years. It also calls on youth to “be the change” by making concrete suggestions for change, and taking the lead to implement the changes proposed.

This is the second time the exercise is being conducted – the first national Youth Consultation Exercise conducted by NYC and MCYS was held in 2004 to encourage young Singaporeans to share their aspirations and dreams for themselves and Singapore, and to suggest ways to realise some of their ideas. More than 2,100 youth participated.

This year, the initiative will involve greater youth participation. Led by a team of youth volunteers, the first stage of the process will take place over a seven-week consultation period, where young people are invited to submit feedback, ideas and pertinent issues for discussion. This can be done through channels including feedback boxes, a dedicated website, social media as well as forums and focus group discussions, which youth can sign up for.

The opinions and ideas gathered will be examined and developed more closely in youth-led work group sessions over the next four months, to propose recommendations for change.

These will either be implemented by youth or assessed by relevant government agencies that could support the youth in the initiatives. The private sector will also be invited to review and participate in putting the proposals into action.

Young Singaporeans whom Yahoo! Singapore spoke to have mixed impressions of the project, with most saying that it is too early to determine its effectiveness and success.

University graduate Tan Thiam Peng, 25, believes that the initiative is likely to have spawned as a spillover from the “noise” made by Singaporeans during this year’s elections.

He said, “It’s a good first step, because there’s nothing out there currently that involves citizens as much.” Speaking of the current government feedback unit, Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home (REACH), he said that young people tend to see it as “bureaucratic” and slower in pace, and believes that this new initiative is more likely to resonate better with the young, particularly since it is directed at them.

He added that he is likely to participate in it. “Its effectiveness remains to be seen, but does look like an expansion of policy-making space to youth,” he said.

Copywriter Amos Yeo, 25, was slightly more sceptical of the project, however, doubting that the period boundaries would be sufficient to garner feedback effectively.

However, guest relations officer Zulkifli Ahmad, 32, said that he thinks the initiative is timely as more Singaporeans want to have a say in making the country a better place to live in.

“I’ve noticed Singaporeans are more outspoken these days and it’s good for youths to give ideas and take ownership of their feedback, it will reap in the rewards of making Singaporeans united in the process,” he said.

Youths who want to have their say in Be the Change can sign up for the launch at http://takepart.bethechange.sg.