Coffee & Chat!
Registration opens at 9am at Yale-NUS Performance Hall Foyer.
Mingle with other participants over some coffee and light snacks!
In Singapore’s rapidly evolving political environment, many different groups and individuals are working hard to advance causes that they care about. But too often, we do this in isolation, and with few opportunities to step back, reflect, build solidarity and a caring community of peers.
The Apa Itu Activist? forum is an opportunity for us to take stock of civil society in Singapore and develop the practices that will allow us to facilitate meaningful change in our political climate. We aim to bring together anyone who is involved or interested in social and environmental justice work so that we can foster relationships, exchange ideas, learn from each other’s experiences and strengthen our movements. Its tongue-in-cheek name has been chosen to reflect the fact that Singapore society is still coming to terms with the appropriate role that activism should play in our society, and the forms it can take.
The conference includes morning plenary sessions that cater to anyone interested in active citizenry, as well as afternoon practitioner-oriented workshops that delve into specific areas of advocacy, campaigning, community building, consciousness raising and arts in greater detail.
This forum has been organised by Community for Advocacy & Political Education (CAPE) and several active civil society members.
9 November 2019, Saturday
Yale-NUS College
9am – 6pm
Schedule for 9 Nov
9am
10am
Concurrent Panels
Attend one of the following sessions:
Session 1.1 From Merdeka to Millennials: Doing Democracy in Singapore
Session 1.2 #callpolice and other bad habits: A workshop on empowered citizen action
12nn
Lunch
Check out one of the pop-up bookstores by Ethos Books, and also check out CAPE’s exhibition of books on advocacy and civic participation in Singapore at Yale-NUS Library!
1pm
Concurrent Workshops Round 1
Attend one of the following sessions:
Session 2.1 Toolkits for change: A peer learning platform
Session 2.2 Community organising: From potluck to a people’s movement
Session 2.3 “You don’t need much space to
have sexdo advocacy”: Creative resistance in shrinking spacesSession 2.4 Community care: Sustaining ourselves and each other
2.45pm
Tea Time!
Caffeine and light snacks to power up your afternoon!
3.15pm
Concurrent Workshops Round 2
Attend one of the following sessions:
Session 2.1 Toolkits for change: A peer learning platform
Session 2.2 Community organising: From potluck to a people’s movement
Session 2.3 “You don’t need much space to
have sexdo advocacy”: Creative resistance in shrinking spacesSession 2.4 Community care: Sustaining ourselves and each other
5-6pm
Closing Session
Session descriptions
Morning Session 1.1
From Merdeka to Millennials: Doing Democracy in Singapore
Speakers:
- Chan Wai Han – Function 8
- Daryl Yang – formerly from The G Spot and CAPE
- Thirunalan Sasitharan – Arts Engage
- Wong Cai Jie – Singapore Climate Rally and Fossil Free Yale-NUS
Moderated by: Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh
Activism is often a dirty word in Singapore, where some individuals and groups are typecast as “troublemakers” while others are lauded as good citizens. Whom does the good/bad activist narrative serve, and can it be challenged? An intergenerational panel will discuss what activism means to them, and how the political climate of Singapore has shaped strategies for social change over the years. Were the hopes and fears of artists and activists in the past similar to those of young people today? When we toe lines drawn in the sand, or cooperate with those in power, do we risk co-optation? Are confrontational methods counterproductive? Or are pluralistic approaches necessary for a vibrant democracy? This conversation hopes to reflect on what has changed, what has remained the same, and what lies ahead for Singapore civil society.
Morning Session 1.2
#callpolice and other bad habits: a workshop on empowered citizen action
Speakers:
- Izzaty Ishak (Beyond Social Services)
- Nathalie Pang (Institute of Policy Studies)
- Preeti Nair (Comedian)
- Subhas Nair (Artist)
Moderated by Kokila Annamalai
This year, incidents such as the ban of the Watain concert, and police investigations into Preetipls and Subhas Nair raised the question: do we rely too much on punitive state actions to deal with situations where things get uncomfortable or a problem presents itself in our community? What are the costs of invoking excessive state intervention, and can we imagine alternatives that involve meaningful citizen engagement? This experiential workshop focuses on several real-life case studies in Singapore and invites participants to imagine how democratic practices can transform how we discuss matters of public concern, negotiate differences, and make decisions.
Afternoon Session 2.1
Toolkits for change: A peer learning platform
At this skills sharing session, arts practitioners, community organisers, students and others will share the tools they’ve used to build community, lobby policymakers, nurture counter narratives and disrupt power imbalances in society. Participants can choose to join different conversations and exchange ideas, develop their practice and reimagine possibilities.
Round 1 Booths (Only for 1pm – 2.45pm session)
- How to design and run a campaign? – Ready4Repeal
- Leveraging international human rights mechanisms – Jean Chong, Sayoni
- Organising online and offline peer support groups – The Bi+ Collective
- Lobbying businesses and regional governments– Benjamin Tay, People’s Movement to stop Haze (PM Haze)
Round 2 Booths (Only for 3.15pm – 5pm session)
- Building a campus movement – Suraendher Kumarr, CAPE
- Creating a community of writers – Diana Rahim, Beyond the Hijab
- How to engage mainstream media – Xing Jian, Pink Dot
- Research-based advocacy on laws, policies and The Singapore Budget – AWARE
Afternoon Session 2.2
Community Organising: From Potluck to A People’s Movement
There is power in marginalised communities organising themselves, where change is participatory and ground-up. What are some of the goals and challenges that community organisers have? How do people on the margins – with limited resources, facing multiple barriers – start conversations and create safe, stimulating spaces for reflection, community building and eventually, action? What are the power dynamics at play as they work alongside other actors in civil society, such as researchers or journalists? What are the costs of speaking truth to power?
This session will draw on the rich experience of local community organisers, learning from their journeys as well as providing ideas and inspiration for community building.
Speakers
- Jolovan Wham, Community Action Network (CAN)
- Nurul Fadiah Johari, Penawar
- Willie Yeo, Independent Community Organiser
- Zakir Hossain Khokon, Migrant Writers of Singapore
- Zubee Ali, Community Activist
Afternoon Session 2.3
“You don’t need much space to have sex do advocacy”: Creative resistance in a shrinking space
Civil society groups in Singapore often have to walk a tightrope, navigating repressive laws and regulations, strong-arm tactics and a climate of fear around dissent. How are these difficulties shared and negotiated by others? Many feel that the space for civil society is shrinking in Singapore, with greater censorship, reprisals and erosion of civil liberties. How can we work together to expand this space? This workshop will explore how we can build solidarity, work at intersectionalities and collaborate on cross-cutting issues.
Speakers
- Jolene Tan, Writer & Human Rights Activist
- June Chua, The T Project
- Stephanie Chok, Researcher
Afternoon Session 2.4
Community care: Sustaining ourselves and each other
Civil society work can be challenging, and activists regularly face compassion fatigue, burnout, trauma, or stress. Some drop out as a result of these stresses, while others might run roughshod over their own health to continue their work. Join us for this workshop where we explore the various dimensions of our wellbeing, and together practice tools for better self-care. As we learn more about each other, we will also collectively reflect on how we can care for each other as a community.
Lead Facilitator: Vanessa Ho, Project X
How to get there
Registration opens at 9am at the Yale-NUS College Performance Hall Foyer
If you are unable to afford the fees for the conference, you may request a fee waiver/discount. Do let us know in the registration form and we will get in touch! Do also let us know if you have any accessibility requirements that will allow your full and comfortable participation in the conference (e.g. wheelchair accessibility, sign language interpretation).
All food is halal, with vegetarian options.
apaituactivist.forum@gmail.com