By Owei Lakemfa

CLARA Margarita Pulido Escandell is a 61-year-old Cuban who breathes Africa. When I first met her and she discovered I had a trade union background, she enquired about the African Labour leader, Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu, the founding President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. Sunmonu had spoken at the university in Legon, Accra, Ghana when she was a Masters degree student. His pan- Africanist exhortation continues to ring in her head over three decades later.

Fidel Castro as Cuban leader believed in children and youths and was confident that once the country took good care of them, the Cuban Revolution can never be defeated. Pulido was one of those Cuban youths who came close to Fidel. Her choice of education in Africa after her first degree in Havana was deliberate.

In turn, her country made good use of her preferences, enthusiasm, revolutionary spirit and pan-African inclinations. Her proficiency in Spanish, French and English also stood her in good stead. The Pulido story is a study in how a country works at its overall interests while developing its citizens.

She rose from being a 1982 official of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (of the World) to Deputy Head of Mission in the Cuban Embassy in Ghana by 1999. Later, she was promoted the Director of the Centre for African and Middle Eastern Research.

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In 2008, she was back in Africa, this time as ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union with concurrent accreditation to Djibouti and South Sudan. She stayed four years; then in 2017, returned to Africa, this time as ambassador to Algeria with concurrent accreditation to the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.

When in 2019, then Cuban ambassador, Carlos Trejo Sosa, informed some of his Nigerian friends he was leaving, we expressed some sadness because he was like an elder brother who was never tired explaining the historical links between Cuba and Africa; between this continent and Latin America. Whenever we discussed the sacrifice of thousands of Cuban youths who laid down their lives in Angola fighting the forces of Apartheid, he would tell us stories of people of African descent  like the ‘Bronz General’ Antonio Maceo who were among the leaders of  the liberation forces in the Cuban and Latin American wars of de-colonisation.

When we raised concerns that with his recall, we are going to lose a well-grounded African, he would chuckle as if to say, she who is coming after me is even more African. Pulido’s knowledge of African history and politics are truly wide. When she met journalists in Abuja on Thursday, February 18, 2021, she walked in wearing half boots, knee length overall jacket and confidence; the message and the messenger rhymed.

She began by thanking Africa for its continuous support of the Cuban people in the face of a six-decade aggression and bullying by its giant neighbour, the United States, US. She acknowledged the February 7, 2021 resolution of the African Union, AU, Heads of State Summit which expressed “serious concern about the continuous and illegal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.” The AU in expressing “its solidarity with the people of Cuba”, had acknowledged that the “blockade is the main obstacle for Cuba’s implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable  Development…”

On behalf of the Cuban people, she also expressed appreciation to leaders of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group, ACP and the Non-Aligned Movement whose 2019 Summit of Heads of State in Baku, Azerbaijan, strongly condemned the blockage.

The Cuban ambassador also expressed profound appreciation to countries across the world who at the annual United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, reject the American blockade and unilateral sanctions against Cuba. She particularly highlighted UNGA Resolution 74/7 on the necessity to end the blockage, and noted that: “The United States has ignored, with arrogance and contempt, the 28 resolutions adopted by the UN General Assembly condemning the blockade…”

The blockage, she said, means that Cuba cannot import or export anything to the US, receive American tourists, use the US dollar for foreign exchange, use credit from financial institutions or import life-saving medicines.

Pulido who was a one-year-old baby when the US imposed the blockade, revealed that just between April 2019 and March 2020, contrary to the United Nations resolutions, the Americans  carried out about 90 coercive economic actions against Cuba “with the intention of intervening in the country’s internal affairs and in clear violation of the freedom of international trade and navigation.”

These, she said, included imposing punitive sanctions against 27 companies, 54 vessels and three individuals for transporting fuel to Cuba despite the fact that none of them were of US origin. In the one year period, the US blockage, she said, cost Cuba an estimated $5,570,300,000 while the accumulated quantifiable cost over the past 60 years is $1,098,008,000,000.

The blockade, she said, is so inhuman that when in 2020, the Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma (Ali Baba) sent emergency COVID-19 supplies to various countries, including Nigeria and Cuba, the airlines, for fear of American sanctions, refused to deliver those of Cuba. To her, the blockage is actually a genocide.

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Pulido said despite these pains, Cuba in true solidarity with the rest of humanity in 2020, sent over 3,000 medical workers, including doctors and nurses in 38 medical brigades to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in 28 countries and three non-autonomous territories. This, she said, has led to various international figures and organisations like the Nigeria Labour Congress, nominating the Cuban White Shirts for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.

The ambassador said while the Biden administration promises to be better than that of Trump, even under the Obama administration, the Cuban Embassy in US was not allowed to use the banks.

She, however, said Cuba is always ready to relate with all countries provided that this is based on mutual respect. She added that Cuba is an ever hopeful country: “We are ever optimistic; were we not, we won’t be alive.”

Despite the stifling blockade and sanctions, Cuba, is a model of development. Its 14-15-year-olds are 100 per-cent literate; life expectancy is 77.87 years while it has run free and qualitative healthcare and education for over 50 years. Its physicians are 5.91 per 1,000 persons; infant mortality rate is 4.1 per 1,000 live births; unemployment is 3.8 per-cent; government debt is 17 per-cent while 1.5 per-cent live below poverty line compared to about 11 per cent in the US.

So why is Cuba insistent that the blockage must be ended? Pulido replied: “We are not requesting this just for ourselves, but mainly for our children; children everywhere, are the future of any country.”

Vanguard News Nigeria

SINGAPORE: Growing up, 18-year-old Nur Ayuni Abdul Rahim had always kept to herself.

In primary school, her older brother often came home with tales of how she had been bullied by other students. But she had never said a word to her family.

“It’s quite hard to understand what she’s feeling or thinking, and she’s not the type of person to express herself,” said her oldest sister, Nur Azian.

The bullying broke her family’s hearts. And their hearts took another beating when Ayuni’s primary school approached them when she was 11, suggesting that Ayuni transfer to Grace Orchard School, a special education school for students with mild autism and mild intellectual disability.

“We thought she was normal, but just needed to work hard,” said Azian.

Ayuni’s family had always known she was a slow learner, but it turned out that Ayuni had mild intellectual disability, a developmental disorder that makes it harder for her to grasp concepts and solve problems.

They also grew used to her silence.

After all, she was part of a large family, with 10 other siblings and even nieces and nephews living in the same house. Their flat in the western part of Singapore – home to 16 people – was often a boisterous place.

After Ayuni began to attend Grace Orchard School, the family noticed a change in her – she started coming home looking happier.

And one day, as Ayuni was helping to shower her niece Farisha, Azian heard the unmistakable strains of a familiar nursery rhyme echoing through the bathroom door. Ayuni had started to be trained as a childcare aide and was singing the nursery rhymes she had learnt to Farisha – something Azian had never heard her do before.

Azian had never imagined something as simple as a nursery rhyme could make her so emotional, because hearing Ayuni sing out loud – naturally, and without prompting – was a testament to how far she had come: From a quiet, reserved girl, to one who can handle children with confidence, and harbours hopes of becoming a childcare teacher one day.

PRICELESS OPPORTUNITY

The seeds for Ayuni’s journey to becoming a childcare aide were first sown in 2014 when Grace Orchard School wanted its students to gain some work experience in a childcare setting.

At the time, the school provided four training tracks for its students – horticulture, retail, hospitality and F&B – and they were keen on exposing students to more areas of work.

“Not all of them are suitable, and not all of them are interested in these four tracks,” said Lisa Goh, Grace Orchard’s principal.

Imagine having to work your whole life in something you’re not interested in at all. That’s why we felt that we needed to give our students more career choices.

The school, which operates under the umbrella of voluntary welfare organisation Presbyterian Community Services (PCS), reached out to PCS.

As a trial, some Grace Orchard students began visiting PCS childcare centres a few hours a week.

And in 2017, to take the programme further, a pilot scheme was launched to formally train a pioneer batch of three students as childcare teacher aides. Their role would be to help teachers with routine tasks such as feeding and showering the children, and give additional support to the teachers during lesson time.

The structure of the curriculum that includes a mix of classroom training and hands-on experience at a PCS childcare centre in Jurong was jointly developed by PCS and the school.

Before they graduate from the programme, the three selected students – Ayuni and two other girls her age – would also be sent out as interns to different PCS centres.

Throughout the process, a job coach from Grace Orchard as well as a PCS trainer would work with the students, visiting them at the centres to observe and guide them.

During each of her visits, PCS trainer Gomathey Veeramari, who prefers to be known as Gomy, has one-on-one reflection sessions with each of the students to give her feedback on what was done well, and the areas that need improvement.

“It’s very important to do regular monitoring of the students, to check on their overall performance and to discuss with the principals and teachers how their performance can be improved further,” she said.

It would take three years for the girls to complete the programme, which Lisa said was necessary as every task required of the students was broken down to help them understand better.

For example, instead of simply telling the student to feed a child, the student would be guided to first take the food out, scoop a certain amount onto the plate, check the temperature of the food, spoon it into the child’s mouth and wait for the child to swallow before repeating the process.

“They need that length of time and very specific instructions,” she explained.

But three years to train only three students?

Lisa stressed that they were more than happy to invest the time and effort in the students.

To see the life of a child change… I think it’s just priceless. You can’t put a price tag on it.

“If I can train these girls to be independent and contributing members of society… I think it’s something worth doing, regardless of how long the time is.”

ALREADY WELL-TRAINED

When the school first broached the idea of the programme to Ayuni’s family, Azian remembers being happy to give it a try. At the time, Ayuni had been working in her school’s training cafe and was planning to join the F&B track.

But her sisters had reservations about it.

“I used to be in the F&B line, and I know what it’s like,” said Azian. “If a customer were to complain or approach her directly in a rude manner… she’s not the type of person who would talk back and she’d just keep quiet.”

“Also because we have a lot of siblings… our mum trained us to take care of each other,” added Ayuni’s fifth sister, Nur Amirah. “So she already knew how to do things like changing diapers and showering the children.”

Amirah added that although Ayuni had initially wanted to stick with F&B so that she could continue schooling with her friends, she was happy that Ayuni eventually made the decision to try out the new opportunity.

“It was something new, and not everyone got the chance to be in childcare,” she said. “I thought she was lucky to get in.”

“I did not like to work in the kitchen, and I was scared to talk to the customers,” Ayuni chimed in.

I like talking to young children. It makes me happy.

​​​​​​​

DETERMINED TO MAKE IT A SUCCESS

When PCS centre principal Kelyn Soh received word from her manager in February that came April, a new intern named Ayuni would be joining her centre as a childcare aide, her first instinct was excitement.

“Even before they told me about this programme, I had already thought to myself: What if one day the early childhood sector could employ people with special needs?” she said.

“I was determined to make it a success.”

She had always believed that people with special needs should be given opportunities in life. Besides, she knew there were many benefits.

For one, these aides – who would have already gone through two years of structured, detailed training – would come in already knowing what they needed to do, and how to do it.

In comparison, no formal training is required for one to become a programme helper who would typically take on a similar role in the centre as these aides.

But Kelyn also knew there would be challenges.

“My concern as a principal would be my team, because I need them to support this programme as much as I do and to buy into the idea,” she said.

My second concern would be the parents. I didn’t know if they would be receptive to it.

Some of her teachers, she said, shared her concern about the parents. But she knew that was something she would have to take as it comes.

At the same time, the teachers also wondered whether the aide would slow down their work process, or have trouble understanding their instructions.

“When we react to children, at times we need to be very fast,” she explained. “So the teachers were concerned that it would be an added load for them having to take care of the children while taking care of the aide as well.”

She worked with Grace Orchard School to help address these concerns.

Prior to Ayuni’s arrival, Gomy also came down to conduct a workshop for the teachers to help them understand how they could make her feel welcome.

In addition, Kelyn interviewed each teacher personally to make sure that Ayuni was placed in a class where the teachers would be more receptive to her.

We just wanted her to feel loved and accepted.

WATCH: A special kind of teacher (Dur 7:31)

A GIRL OF VERY FEW WORDS

Ayuni remembers being nervous on her first day at the centre.

Having gone through two years of training, alternating between lessons in the classroom and taking care of children at another PCS centre, she knew what she was expected to do. But being in a new environment made her uncomfortable.

“When I first came, the children didn’t want to talk to me,” she said. “They would move away and look at me from afar.”

“Inside, I felt scared.”

When she was nervous, she preferred to do her tasks in silence, and she had to be reminded to speak more to the children.

“She was a girl of very few words,” said Jean Ngoo, the teacher Ayuni was assisting. “The first day, whenever I spoke to her, she would just say, ‘Okay, okay, okay.’”

Jean remembers being concerned that she would have to spend extra time guiding her. But as the days went by, it got easier and easier to guide Ayuni.

“When I tell her something, she remembers it very clearly. And when I teach her something new, she’s very willing to learn, and can take feedback well,” she said.

“As she got more comfortable with us, she started speaking a lot more and she doesn’t need reminders anymore.”

Being more communicative was also something that was emphasised during Ayuni’s weekly reflection sessions with Gomy.

“I would tell her how to start conversations with the children,” Gomy said. “Let’s say during lunch time, I would tell her she can say things like, ‘Do you like what you are eating? Can you tell me what is in your food?'”

Kelyn, being new to this childcare centre herself, empathised with Ayuni and made it a point to keep an eye out for her.

“She was scared at first, and she was worried that she couldn’t remember all the children’s names,” she said.

“It was like that for me when I first came to work. So many classes, so many teachers. It was so challenging so of course she would feel the same way.

“It’s normal.”

“When I did my rounds around the centre, I made an effort to intentionally look at her, make eye contact with her and smile,” she added.

“Soon, I realised that whenever I smiled at her and caught her attention, she would smile very brightly.”

THE CHILDREN LOVE HER

Today, Ayuni is in the final months of the programme before she graduates. To the children, she is Teacher Ayuni, no different from Teacher Jean and the other teachers in the centre except for her long ponytail and the green apron she wears that identifies her as a teacher aide.

She loves to sing songs to the children, and does the accompanying hand actions with gusto.

She knows the quirks and fancies of each child in her class, and can rattle off all their names on request.

When CNA Insider visited the childcare centre, a boy’s head turned the moment he heard her saying his name, and he ran towards her.

“Psssst!” He pointed at her with his finger, grinning.

“Psssst!” Ayuni mimicked the sound and action. When she smiles, it lights up her whole face.

“This one is my favourite,” she said, as the boy clambered onto her lap, giggling, and reached out to touch her face.

Ayuni has blossomed during her internship here and has even exceeded expectations by starting to read to the children, a task that was not initially in her job scope.

“The children love her so much that sometimes they run to her instead of to me and my Chinese teacher,” Jean said, laughing.

Ayuni’s relationships with her colleagues have also blossomed, but a special place in her heart is reserved for her principal. Every morning when she reports for work, she makes it a point to knock on Kelyn’s office door and greet her.

“If I don’t greet her, I feel like something is wrong,” she said.

“I like Ms Kelyn because every time she sees me in class, she keeps smiling,” she added. “So I smile back at her”.

Whenever Kelyn has to miss a day of school, Ayuni would, without fail, text her to tell her that she misses her.

“She would always ask me how I am, if I have eaten, and remind me to take care of myself,” Kelyn said.

She has such a beautiful heart… as beautiful as how she looks.

“She grew to be so close to the children, they love her and she loves them. I feel that she is no different from any other teacher,” she added.

“Nobody can tell that she has special needs.”

WOULD OTHERS GIVE HER A CHANCE?

When Ayuni and the other girls from the pioneer batch graduate, they will be guaranteed employment in PCS centres. PCS has also agreed to guarantee the graduates from the subsequent batch employment in their centres.

But beyond this, PCS hopes that other preschools would be willing to take them on, according to PCS executive director David Lim.

“We want to make them our ambassadors… to show other employers that they can do it,” he said.

Currently, PCS is in talks with a preschool anchor operator to open up their centres to the students who graduate from this programme. They also hope to expand the programme and are planning to convert part of one of its centres to become a place for the students to undergo classroom training.

But David acknowledged that getting other preschools to give the likes of Ayuni a chance can be a challenge.

“Some preschools are sure to have some apprehension, especially those who have not worked with people with special needs before,” he said. “Some people have this misconception that people with special needs are those who are very severe… But these students have higher ability.

“We have seen that they are more than capable to serve in the childcare setting.”

In anticipation of parents’ concerns, the PCS centre in Jurong that was used for training the three girls invited parents down to meet the students. They were pleasantly surprised by the parents’ reaction.

“When they met the girls and got to see who they were, they were actually very positive about it,” said David. “We assumed it would be our greatest challenge, but it turned out differently.”

Back in Ayuni’s centre, Kelyn knew that it was only natural for parents to be worried about their children’s safety and well-being.

“From a mother’s perspective, it’s understandable. I want my children to be in good hands. So the preschool would need to assure parents that the childcare aides are well-trained and are able to take care of the children safely,” she said.

So far, parents whom she has spoken to about Ayuni were receptive and welcoming. She is also glad that Ayuni’s presence gave her the opportunity to spark conversations with parents about people with special needs.

“Some had this misconception that people with special needs have a different look, so they were surprised that she didn’t look different. That’s about it,” she said. “It is a good opportunity to raise awareness that there are some who are able to function normally and contribute to society.”

Kelyn also hopes that Ayuni’s presence would give rise to conversations between parents and their children about those who may be different – something which is already beginning to happen.

“My son is starting to stereotype people… perhaps those with abnormalities in their facial features, or people with no hair. So I tell him not to label and to just accept that they are different, but no less equal,” said mother of two, Cheryl Lim, whose younger son is in Ayuni’s class.

“I wouldn’t want to let him know that Teacher Ayuni is someone with special needs, but rather she is someone who is there to help him in his daily life and his learning,” she added.

BEYOND EXPECTATION

After months of seeing Ayuni come home from work smiling, and hearing the sound of nursery rhymes echoing through the house as Ayuni sang to her niece, Amirah decided to go down to the centre to visit Ayuni for the first time.

She had a day off from work, and wanted to see her sister’s transformation with her own eyes.

As she approached the centre, the general hubbub of children’s voices grew louder. It was a busy time. The children had just woken up from a nap, and the teachers were getting ready to feed them a snack.

In the thick of the action was Ayuni. After serving cakes, she sat down next to a boy to help him eat his snack. She was smiling at something the boy was saying, and laughed when he made a face at her.

As Amirah peered into the window to watch Ayuni at work, tears sprang to her eyes.

“We only know the stories of what she does at work, but this is beyond what I’ve expected,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if she would take care of other children well… but she’s doing great.”

The tears flowed again when Ayuni came out to meet her.

“I’m so, so proud of you,” she said, dabbing at her eyes. “You’re doing very well. Keep it up.”

Ayuni laughed shyly. “I want to cry too,” she said.

She is sure that she wants to continue in the early childhood sector. And she says she has hopes of one day becoming a fully-fledged childcare teacher.

Her sisters know of her dream, but they also know there are challenges. There will be courses and diplomas she needs to complete in order to be certified. They do not know if she is able to complete them.

But given how much they have seen Ayuni progress, and how far she has come, they hope that one day, she will succeed.

GENEVA: The United Nations human rights investigator for Myanmar urged the UN Security Council on Friday to consider imposing sanctions and arms embargoes as a UN rights body adopted a resolution calling for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release.

The United States, which imposed its own sanctions targeting Myanmar’s military on Thursday, took the floor at the Human Rights Council to urge other UN member states to follow suit.

Special Rapporteur Thomas Andrews cited “growing reports and photographic evidence” that Myanmar security forces had used live ammunition against protesters since seizing power almost two weeks ago.

“Security Council resolutions dealing with similar situations have mandated sanctions, arms embargoes, and travel bans, and calling for judicial action at the International Criminal Court or ad hoc tribunals,” Andrews told the Council. “All of these options should be on the table.”

READ: Protesters defy Myanmar junta after US imposes sanctions

READ: Myanmar anti-coup protests resume despite bloodshed

The 47-member forum met at the request of Britain and the European Union to consider a resolution calling for the release of ousted Myanmar leader Suu Kyi, and for UN monitors to be allowed to visit. It was adopted unanimously, although Myanmar, Russia and China envoys said they “disassociated” themselves from the resolution.

“With this resolution we would like to send a strong signal to the people of Myanmar: the protection of their human rights matters to us,” said Austrian Ambassador Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger on behalf of the EU.

However, the resolution’s language had been watered down somewhat in an apparent bid to get detractors on board.

In a letter read out to the Council earlier on Friday, some 300 elected parliamentarians called for UN investigations into the “gross human rights violations” that they said the military had committed since its coup, including arrests.

“The military also shot people protesting, invaded the ruling party’s offices, confiscated documents, records, and property,” said the letter, read out by British Ambassador Julian Braithwaite.

It said a telecommunications bill being prepared by the military was intended to restrict access to the Internet and mobile services.

READ: Setting aside divisions, Myanmar’s ethnic groups unite against coup

READ: Biden targets Myanmar generals with sanctions, asset freeze

US Chargé d’Affaires Mark Cassayre said: “We ask all Council members to join the United States and others … in promoting accountability for those responsible for the coup, including through targeted sanctions.”

China and Russia – which have close ties to Myanmar’s military – said they opposed holding the session at all.

“What happened in Myanmar is essentially Myanmar’s internal affairs,” said Chen Xu, China’s ambassador.

Russian Ambassador Gennady Gatilov said: “Attempts to whip up hype around the situation in Myanmar need to cease.”

Supporters of Suu Kyi clashed with police on Friday as hundreds of thousands joined nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations in defiance of the military’s call to halt mass gatherings.

More than 350 officials, activists, journalists, monks and students have been detained, according to Nada al-Nashif, deputy UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Myanmar Ambassador Myint Thu said Myanmar would continue to cooperate with the United Nations and uphold international human rights treaties, adding: “We do not want to stall the nascent democratic transition in the country.”

SINGAPORE: A recent paper on religion in the Republic by researchers from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) threw up a finding that was both surprising and disconcerting: Almost half of young Singaporeans said they were open to religious extremists posting their views online.

The paper, released about a month ago, showed that nearly 46 per cent of the respondents aged 18 to 25 would allow extremist views that deem all other religions as enemies to be published on the Internet or social media.

Even so, almost all of this group (97.2 per cent), in responding to another question, said it was unacceptable for religious leaders to incite violence or hatred against other religions.

Still, the fact that young adults here are more open to religious extremist views online is a cause for concern since it could lead to undesirable consequences and may even have an impact on national security, some experts said.

“Given the rise of self-radicalisation in terrorist incidents, hate speech, and Islamophobia both globally and in Singapore, it is comforting that the majority of Singaporeans would not allow religious extremists to post their views online. But the significant quarter of the population, as well as higher proportions among the young, who would permit such freedoms is worrying,” said the paper’s authors Dr Mathew Mathews, Mr Leonard Lim and Ms Shanthini Selvarajan of the IPS, a Singapore-based think-tank.

Singapore Management University (SMU) law don Eugene Tan, who writes on race, religious and terrorism issues, said that being receptive to such ideology means people are potentially at risk of being on the “conveyor belt” to violent extremism.

Mr Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib, the director of the Centre for Interfaith Understanding, noted that younger generations — especially in a “deeply plural society” like Singapore — need to know that non-violent extremism can have negative consequences too. Such form of extremism refers to extremist views or behaviour lacking the element of incitement or calling for violence.

“(Non-violent extremism) can seed prejudices, breed distrust, cause segregation and lead to hostility. It will not take much to spark violence when the general population is rife with prejudices, distrust and hostile perceptions and attitudes towards an out-group,” he said.

Something of interest to national security would be how this openness shapes the social and political attitudes of young Singaporeans, said Mr Muhammad Faizal Abdul Rahman, a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies’ (RSIS) Centre of Excellence for National Security. He questioned:

Extremist content promotes the belief that humanity is in a perpetual state of conflict. Would this realisation make young Singaporeans appreciate better the necessity for emergency preparedness and safeguarding religious or racial harmony?

However, IPS researchers Dr Mathews and Ms Shanthini wrote in a recent commentary on the survey findings that “to suppose that the young are not concerned about maintaining religious harmony is simply not true”, as they similarly hold a disdain for religiously motivated hate speech.

READ: How should Singapore teachers manage issues of race in the classroom? A commentary

WHAT YOUTHS SAY

Many youths spoken to agreed that they are indeed more open to extremist views online, but said they have faith in the ability of themselves and their peers to draw a line at views that incite hatred or violence.

They attributed their openness to their exposure to ideals of freedom of speech and expression — something that the IPS researchers also cited as an “important societal value”, especially to millennials.

Others felt that youths here have been “desensitised” to such views, precisely of the freedoms they have enjoyed on the Internet and social media.

Mr Jiang Haolie, 23, coordinator at student-led group Community for Advocacy and Political Education based in Yale-NUS College, said that just because many youths do not believe in the censoring of religious extremist views online, it “does not necessarily mean that they endorse such views”.

“I think it points to a more mature view of younger Singaporeans — that censoring offensive or uncomfortable views do not actually nip hate speech or extremist views in the bud,” the Yale-NUS College undergraduate added.

Mr Matthew Soo, a law undergraduate at SMU, argued that most people his age would be able to recognise “clear” instances of religious or racial extremism, given the “constant emphasis on racial and religious harmony” here.

On why he and his peers are more open to these views, the 21-year-old pointed to the current social media culture, which has perpetuated a “social justice warrior” generation where pockets of young people use the Internet as a platform for change in social issues. Conversely, there are many who also “really cannot care less”.

“This may be a case of apathy, desensitisation and a slight sense of complacency. Youths today may not feel that there may be serious repercussions arising out of this kind of religious extremism online,” Mr Chun Win Ee, a psychology undergraduate at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), said.

The 27-year-old noted that extremity has almost become a norm in people’s online “double lives”.

As many have seen people posting intolerant comments about numerous issues with no repercussions, this has led to youths possibly thinking that religious extremist views are also the norm. He added:

I also think that such online religious extremist postings are underappreciated as a threat because it seems as innocuous as the typical hate speech that we see online on other issues. And that makes it so much more insidious.

Ms Lo Hoi Ying, a 22-year-old NTU undergraduate in communication studies, spoke about being desensitised to such online views herself. But she said this is because she knows what the religious extremists are saying is “drastically different from what we have experienced while growing up in Singapore”.

I am open to such views, but I also know that if I see these posts on my Facebook, I will just scoff and scroll along because I am not interested in whatever they have to say.

Ultimately, the youths interviewed generally believed that they are ready for open and honest conversations about race and religion. And to them, that is the best way to inoculate themselves against extremist views.

READ: Maintaining racial harmony requires us to have a frank discussion about differences, a commentary

Mr Soo said: “If we cannot have open conversations about (issues of institutional racism), the efforts to promote greater racial and religious understanding run into a (brick wall), where we are simply preaching to the choir instead of addressing the genuine disaffection within or between groups.”

While Ms Lo conceded that people can fall for views meant to incite anger and cause societal tensions despite adequate education and information, Mr Jiang felt that young Singaporeans are mature and educated enough to engage in a discourse about racial and religious issues, rather than “sweeping them under the carpet”.

“Resilience is not nurtured by isolating ourselves from extremism, but by exposing ourselves to it, engaging with it, and repudiating it,” Mr Jiang said.

A WORRYING ISSUE WHICH NEEDS EXAMINING

While youths interviewed believe that their generation is well-placed to handle such issues, some experts pointed out that discerning what are religious extremist views may not always be so straightforward.

“Often, a person may overestimate his ability to be clear-headed or discerning about such materials that they come across or consciously seek,” said SMU’s Associate Professor Tan.

Dr Paul Hedges, an associate professor in interreligious studies at RSIS, added:

Extremist views are found online, and in many cases it is not too difficult to find them … As such, what needs to be done is for all people, not just young people, to be given the tools to critically analyse such views and see their deficiencies.

In June 2017, news reports highlighted how unsavoury characters can exploit technology to radicalise anyone, regardless of their backgrounds and where they come from.

These people can also prey on youths’ vulnerabilities such as their emotional needs. Young people are also particularly susceptible as they may be going through an identity crisis at that particular stage in life.

READ: Lessons in unmasking the exclusivist ideology in terrorist networks, a commentary

Mr Faizal from RSIS reiterated that it is “crucial” to examine the underlying factors as to why young Singaporeans are more open to online extremist views these days.

He said it could be down to youths feeling that the vastness of the online space renders blocking all extremist content impossible, or they could feel that Singapore’s “social cohesion and education have empowered them with the necessary mental firewalls to recognise and resist extremist content”.

Ms Sun Xueling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and National Development, said that the paper’s findings reflect youths’ desires to view all types of information available, whether it is healthy and unbiased, or not.

READ: Why the use of women and children raises the stakes in the fight against terrorism, a commentary

“The belief is that everyone will be discerning, and will do the right thing regardless of the types of information he or she is exposed to … However, what we see on social media is that there are individuals who can be very biased when it comes to views on race and religion and who use the virality of social media to spread their biased and often hate-filled views,” added Ms Sun, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir-Ris Punggol Group Representative Constituency (GRC).

READ: Critical thinking, a needed nutrition to resist the virus of falsehoods, a commentary

She pointed to the recent massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a gunman opened fire in mosques and killed 50 Muslims. Australian Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, had acknowledged that his extremist views were based on what he read online.

Still, National University of Singapore (NUS) sociologist Tan Ern Ser argued that the majority of young people, if given the opportunity to be exposed to different perspectives and openly debate issues, “could be persuaded to see that perpetuating hatred and killing innocent people is not the way to address legitimate concerns and perceived social injustices”.

Mr Imran, from the Centre for Interfaith Understanding, noted that the IPS paper’s findings show that young Singaporeans in general may not have sufficient understanding on what constitutes religious extremism.

He does not think young Singaporeans are more accepting than their older counterparts of violent extremism, but there “might be a gap in perception” of what non-violent extremism is.

“This is worrying, but it also calls for deeper reflection why this is so. One possible reason is that there is some confusion on what constitutes extremism,” he said.

READ: Hate cannot be an appropriate response to the Christchurch shootings, a commentary

Dr Mathews, senior research fellow from IPS who co-authored the paper, said that social media and the Internet have become powerful tools for people to express their thoughts rather freely.

“Some just don’t want the Government to be increasingly regulating that space. Also, many millennials believe that they are able to counter extremist views and engage in debate with differing views, so why restrict what can actually be a useful platform to bring clarity?” he said.

In his commentary with Ms Shanthini, they urged people to understand the liberties of free speech in relation to the potential ramifications of extremist speech. Such speech “dehumanises and strips groups of dignity and self-respect”, and its publication also “dilutes opportunities for productive discussion”, they wrote.

“While the younger generation certainly appreciates the value of freedom of expression, they should also be cognisant that some discourse should not be accorded a platform, especially in multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore,” they said.

“Nevertheless, millennials should certainly strengthen their ability to navigate social media and counter extremist discourse offline or online.”

TABOO NO MORE BUT FAULT LINES REMAIN

Racial and religious issues have traditionally been taboo subjects in Singapore, especially after the racial riots that erupted here in the 1950s and 1960s.

One notable example was the Maria Hertogh riots in December 1950, triggered by a court’s decision that a young girl who had been raised by Muslim adoptive parents should be returned to her Catholic biological parents.

The May 1969 racial riots, which spilled over to Singapore from Malaysia, leaving four dead, drove the point home further on the explosive nature of race relations.

More people have been openly discussing such issues in recent years, especially as social media becomes more pervasive. However, there is a concern in some quarters that many Singaporeans have become complacent about race and religion being potentially divisive issues.

Some youths acknowledged that while they know of the racial riots through what they were taught in school — such as via Social Studies lessons — they may not have enough appreciation of the fragility of racial and religious harmony in Singapore.

“The events are so far behind us, and given the decent levels of racial harmony that we grew up with, we do not see racial tensions as a huge threat,” said Ms Lo.

Mr Chun said the lack of actual exposure to racial conflict in Singapore has “caused us to take our harmony earned through blood for granted”. “We don’t appreciate how such (extremist) posts can affect our community’s psyche. We are rather oblivious to them and take them lightly,” he added.

Unlike most of her peers, Ms Low Wei Ling, 25, experienced firsthand what it was like to live under the spectre of a potential terrorist attack while studying in the United Kingdom.

In 2015, the research analyst was caught in the middle of a security lockdown in Brussels amid fears that the Belgian city would be the next to be hit in the wake of coordinated attacks by the Islamic State (IS) in Paris.

She then got involved in her university’s chaplaincy team, where staff of different religious groups came together to support students and hold events to bridge gaps between people of different faiths.

Ms Low, who returned to Singapore about a month ago, is now a youth ambassador at inter-faith group Roses of Peace.

The group started as a student-driven initiative by Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Abbas Ali Mohamed Irshad in 2012, when he was a student at SMU. Ms Low said:

I wanted to do something to promote this understanding (among religions) and make people more proactive.

Dr Mathews noted that older Singaporeans who had lived through the racial riots would have seen firsthand how extremist speech could cause substantial chaos in society.

“Of course, if more who are young see what happens elsewhere and the effects of unrestrained freedom of expression, I am sure they will understand why some restrictions are beneficial to the overall ability of people to debate freely,” he said.

THE WAY FORWARD: ENGAGE THEM YOUNG

In light of the IPS survey findings, those interviewed suggested that more can be done to educate and engage young Singaporeans — perhaps even starting from primary school.

NUS’ Dr Tan said that education on racial and religious issues should start “the sooner, the better”.

As children are already playing with others across ethnic and religious lines, he proposed that pre-primary and primary curricula reinforce messages of racial and religious harmony not only to children, but their parents too.

“In regard to extremist views, children could be taught to think about various scenarios that could threaten social harmony, and what they could do to unite as Singaporeans, to look out for one another, regardless of race and religion, and not to accept hateful things said about other races or religions in Singapore,” he added.

Ms Joan Pereira, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, said young Singaporeans need to be educated that “as a small nation, we have zero tolerance for individuals or publications which aim to incite hostility or violence among different religious groups”.

Ms Pereira, who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee for Culture, Community and Youth, added:

I do think we have come a long way in terms of racial and religious harmony … Education should therefore equip our young with the skills to be more discerning and understand the dangers posed by some of these extremist views.

Improving youths’ media literacy is also important, said NMP Lim Sun Sun.

People need to be reminded of the biases that work against them, and resist adding fuel to the fire when they come across alarmist or extremist views, added Professor Lim, who is the head of humanities, arts and social sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

Assoc Prof Eugene Tan, Dr Tan Ern Ser and Mr Imran suggested organising more forums and events targeted at young people to discuss these issues. These can go beyond existing initiatives such as the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles, which are local-level inter-faith platforms formed in every constituency to promote racial and religious harmony.

Mr Imran added: “The (IPS paper) should not generate panic, but calls for introspection and should move us to do more to help shape a healthy narrative for social cohesion, while highlighting the dangers of religious extremism. This has to be done both online and offline.”

Meanwhile, Mr Irshad, being the founder of Roses of Peace, has already organised numerous interfaith symposiums and forums over the past few years.

He pointed out that youths do not want to listen to lectures or talks about the theological aspects of religion or race.

Instead, the forums organised by Roses of Peace rely on a curated list of panelists or speakers — from religious leaders to fellow youths — who can discuss how their respective faiths drive them to do social good.

He seems to have found a successful formula, with more than 100 youths turning up for each session. He said that he settled on this format after noticing that forums discussing religious topics were usually attended mainly by older Singaporeans.

Moving forward, he has been invited to join a student advisory committee at a primary school in the western region of Singapore. Roses of Peace also plans to pilot a programme called Peace Education Through Altruism and Leadership, or Petal for short, in schools here.

He said the primary school’s aim is “to have an inclusive environment” which “focuses on race and religious harmony”. “Even at the primary school level, we’re looking to have conversations — even primary school kids are very open these days, they know a lot of things,” he added.

Well aware of Singaporean youths’ desire to have open and honest discussions on race and religion, Ms Sun nevertheless noted the “difficult job” facing security agencies, which have to make judgment calls on issues that could harm racial and religious harmony, and whether they could potentially disturb public order.

“We need to strike a balance. On the one hand, we cannot have a free-for-all situation so that an individual can say anything he wants, step all over another and expect the other not to react or retaliate,” she said.

“On the other hand, we also do not want a situation where civil and considered discourse on all matters related to religion, race, or a group’s values or orientation be avoided or tiptoed around so as to avoid any possibility of causing offence.”

She added: “While we aspire to greater freedoms, with the stability and prosperity our society affords us, I hope that we also (spare a thought) for those who may be impacted by our decisions, impacted by our words, and also those who toil to safeguard what we have.”

SINGAPORE: Singapore entered Phase 3 of its reopening on Monday (Dec 28), just three days before the end of 2020. This comes after one of the requirements for moving to Phase 3 – having more than 70 per cent of Singapore residents on the TraceTogether programme – was met on Dec 23.

Social gatherings of up to eight people are now allowed in public, up from five. Similarly, households can receive up to eight visitors at any one time.

At malls and large standalone stores, capacity limits for venues have been eased, from 10 sq m per person to 8 sq m per person.

READ: COVID-19: Social gatherings of up to 8 people allowed from Dec 28, further reopening of activities in Phase 3

When CNA visited Junction 8 in Bishan in the late morning, restaurants were filling up, but there were only a handful of groups with six or more people – mostly students and the elderly.

For student David Lim, who had gathered with a group of friends to play volleyball and have lunch, the changes were much welcomed.

“It’s pretty epic because now we can play volleyball in groups of eight. Before, we could only play in groups of five – which was three versus two. That wasn’t very fun,” said the student from Nanyang Junior College.

Phase 3 has also come at an opportune time, according to 14-year-old Rachel Yeo, who was with five other friends from her gymnastics team. The last time the group of six met was at the start of 2019.

“We haven’t seen each other in such a long time and it’s good because it’s just in time before the school holidays end,” the student told CNA.

At the food court, a group of seven people in their 60s and 70s sipped tea amid animated conversations.

“We are enjoying this because previously, only a few people could meet, but we have so many friends. How to manage?” joked 72-year-old Diane Goh.

READ: 70% of Singapore residents participating in TraceTogether programme: Vivian Balakrishnan

REVISED SEATING IN HAWKER CENTRES

In line with the start of Phase 3, the National Environment Agency (NEA), NEA-appointed operators, and town councils have revised markings on seats and tables at the dining areas of hawker centres to accommodate group sizes of up to eight people, said the agency in a press release on Monday.

Access control and interim fencing at more markets will also be removed in Phase 3.

In general, tables with eight seats or fewer will no longer have any seat markings, but tables with more than eight seats will still have some seats marked out.

This is to ensure that dining groups do not exceed eight people and there is 1m of safe distancing between groups, said NEA in the press release.

READ: COVID-19: Hawker centre seat markings revised, restrictions at some markets to be removed in Phase 3

At Tiong Bahru Market, which had its access control and interim fencing removed in November, most diners kept to smaller groups even though the markings on seats and tables were removed.

Mr Josh Tan, 29, and his five colleagues were having breakfast at the market on Monday morning after going for a walk at the nearby Henderson Waves.

They had originally planned the outing before the Phase 3 announcement and intended to go ahead with just five of them, he told CNA.

“Just nice the news came, then we thought we could invite more people,” said Mr Tan.

“It’s good that more people are able to go out together. Especially with Chinese New Year coming, it’s a great thing.”

Mdm Lau, 72, who declined to give her full name, was having her weekly Monday morning gathering with her neighbours at the market.

Before COVID-19, the group used to gather at different markets across Singapore every Monday in groups of eight to 10 or more, she told CNA.

“I’m happy. No need to go and choose and invite friends, and can sit (at) the same table,” said Mdm Lau, on the new regulations.

While they have been meeting as a group of five for the past few months, the group decided to bring another friend along this Monday, with the new Phase 3 restrictions allowing six of them to dine together, she added.

“It would be the best if we could meet in a group of 10 people,” her friend Mdm Lim, 68, added in Mandarin. “It’s been a while since we have been to this market together.”

F&B OUTLETS READY FOR BIGGER TABLES

At Ngee Ann City along Orchard Road, capacity limits have been eased from 8,000 to 10,000 people.

Diners in the malls along the shopping belt mostly stuck to groups of fewer than five – in part because seating to accommodate more than that had not been set up yet.

However, other restaurants that CNA spoke to said they were prepared to seat and take reservations from bigger groups.

READ: COVID-19: F&B businesses welcome Phase 3 announcement, say customers hungry to dine in bigger groups

Chairman of The Prive Group Mr Yuan Oeij said their outlets have made changes to the restaurants’ layouts.

After it was announced on Dec 14 that Singapore would enter Phase 3, there was “a flood” of reservations and bookings, he added.

“In terms of preparation, it’s just the routine tweaking of our layout and seating, to ensure we continue to adhere to the usual rules of safe distancing,” Mr Oeij told CNA.

“Also given the festive season, there will be even more pressure from a minority of customers who do not understand safe distancing sufficiently and want operators to break the rules, and we want to ensure we are ever vigilant against such pressure.”

Mr Oeij also attributed the uptick in reservations to the end-of-year festive season. Empress, a Chinese restaurant under the group, has also seen an increase in bookings for large tables in anticipation of Chinese New Year.

At restaurants that have already optimised their seating layouts, operations will not look too different.

“To respect the rule of having groups one metre apart, not much is (changing) in terms of capacity … It’s just about accepting bigger groups,” said Mohammed Sufi Hassan Jubri, chief operating officer of The Black Hole Group, which runs restaurants such as Tipo Pasta Bar in Kampong Glam.

“It’s more about handling customer expectations because with bigger groups there might be longer service times and waiting times,” he added.

To deal with a potential surge in numbers, the group has also implemented digital queue management systems to avoid lines at its doors.

INCREASED CAPACITY AT ATTRACTIONS

Aside from shopping and dining, Singaporeans have more to look forward to in Phase 3.

Attractions may seek approval to raise their operating capacities from 50 per cent to up to 65 per cent, with measures in place to prevent crowding in popular areas.

More than 10 attractions have expressed interest or submitted their applications to do so, according to Ms Jean Ng, executive director for Attractions, Entertainment and Tourism Concept Development at the Singapore Tourism Board.

As of Monday, five attractions have received approval for the increase in capacity, namely: Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Cable Car.

WATCH: Some Singapore attractions to allow more visitors when Phase 3 begins

The capacity of Wildlife Reserves Singapore’s (WRS) four parks will increase with Singapore’s move to Phase 3, said its spokesperson.

“We are planning for the revised capacity and to cater for the enhanced numbers, while keeping to the safe management measures to ensure a conducive environment for everyone to enjoy our wildlife parks,” said the spokesperson.

Additional measures at Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo will include an increased deployment of safe distancing ambassadors, especially during peak days, the spokesperson added.

“We have always enjoyed steady support by the local community, the majority of whom experience our parks in a safe and socially responsible manner.

“We would like to urge visitors to continue to adhere to the safe management measures in place, including safe distancing and wearing of face masks, as we enter the next phase of recovery.”

MORE ALLOWED AT CONGREGATIONAL AND WORSHIP SERVICES

For congregational and other worship services, capacities will be increased to up to 250 people, MOH announced on Dec 14.

Live performance elements will also be allowed at such services, along with religious rites or prayers conducted at places of worship, with the necessary safe management measures in place.

READ: Up to 250 people, live performances allowed at worship services in Phase 3 of Singapore’s reopening

The Singapore Sinhalese Buddhist Association (SSBA) told CNA it currently has approval to accommodate up to 150 devotees, but it is working towards getting the green light for 250.

That would bode well for the mass gatherings it has in the pipeline. SSBA’s President U. W. (Siri) Amarasuriya said it is holding some events this week that will likely attract more than 100 devotees, but another gathering on New Year’s Day could attract “possibly at least 150 devotees”.

More attendees will also be allowed for marriage solemnisations at home, with the hosting household now able to invite up to eight visitors in Phase 3, excluding members of the hosting household, the solemniser and vendors.

Previously, a total of 10 people, including members of the household but excluding the solemniser and vendors, were allowed.

LARGER AUDIENCES ALLOWED AT LIVE PERFORMANCES

Under Phase 3, up to 250 people are now allowed at indoor live performances, in zones of up to 50 people each.

The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay said it is ready for the transition because it has been piloting larger-scale performances since November, after getting the green light from authorities to do so.

“As this is something we have been gradually preparing for … we have not had to make any additional changes to our manpower requirements, capacity limits or seating configurations for our shows next year,” said Rachelle Tan, director of Venues & Planning at the Esplanade.

It noted that the live performances it has organised so far have all been well-attended – “an encouraging sign that audiences do cherish the opportunity to return to live arts experiences”.

READ: Groups of up to 8 allowed for sport activities in Phase 3

The Health Ministry had also earlier said that the capacity for outdoor live performance pilots is being expanded from 100 people to 250 people.

This comes after live performances were allowed to resume on Nov 1 and some venues began piloting larger-scale performances.