This roundup summarises the most important news stories around the world in the last month (February 2021).
Author: guanyinmiao
A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting. Carlos Castaneda.
Macro inequality and mobility trends, felt inequality, and the case for a healthy degree of equality of outcomes: PhD candidate Nathan Peng Li
The Singaporean discourse on poverty and inequality is advancing, and while he argues that Singapore has done better than most under meritocratic systems, PhD candidate Nathan Peng Li also details both causes for hope and worry.
The Birthday Collective: Going beyond the “essay-writing crowd” and holding conversational space upon “uncommon ground”
What started as a published collection of stories to coincide with Singapore’s National Day has now evolved into “The Birthday Collective”, a not-for-profit that creates and holds space for conversations that matter to the country. With its editor Cherie Tseng, we discuss the collective’s initiatives beyond the “essay-writing crowd”, the value of giving conversational seats to children and centring their voices, and the importance of meeting communities and individuals where they are. We conclude on what she means by the “uncommon ground” and the collective’s plans for the future.
Gerard Sasges and Ng Shi Wen’s “Hard at Work: Life in Singapore” (Book Club, February 2021)
These are the discussion prompts and notes from the February 2021 book club, when we discussed Gerard Sasges and Ng Shi Wen’s “Hard at Work: Life in Singapore”.
The history of the making of youth – and the history of the present – in youth-conscious, youth-centred Singapore: PhD candidate Edgar Liao
Final-year PhD candidate in the University of British Columbia’s Department of History Edgar Liao studies the history of youth in Singapore. His work is informed both by his archival work and his previous experience as a volunteer and youth leader in the youth work scene in the country. After helping us understand the theoretical (Foucauldian) concepts he employs, Edgar explains how Singapore’s youth policies as well as patterns of inclusion and exclusion inform the history of the present. He describes a dualistic discourse: Of the Singapore state empowering youths with resources for development, while scrutinising and policing their activity and activism at the same time.
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