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ThePossibilityIssueBro'.rdcr Pcrspectives ispublishcd by School ofThoughtI '12 MiddleRoadd0S-01, Midland House,5 ngapore I 88970,www.schoo ofthought.com.sgte +65 63348773. fax+65 63 37 2434

Subscription ratcs for 2009$45 (l0 issues, JanlarytoOctobe,Forsubscript onenquir sand backissues, email:broaderperspectves@schoo of thought.com

The Broader Perspectives teanED TOR lN CHIEF ElizabethKonliz@schoo of thought.comCREATVED RECTOR Shiao YinKu (y n@schoo of thought.comSALESMANAGER YeeTongyee@school-of -thought.comDEPUTYED TOR

CONTR BUT NGWRITERS

JoselinBau,YuezhiLe,BaeyShiChen, NadlaMahINTERNS

Sonia l(wek, xuYuQin,Am aRazakDESIGNASSISTANT

PRINTER

SOLED]STR BUTORRghteous nternat onalSubscript on Services,71 Ub Crescent#05 09 Sinsapore40857lte:+546323 I833 fax:+65 632 3 I838emajl:michae [email protected]

j BR0 aDER PERSPELT VES thepossrbrlry rssue

ogf

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ff.""-"n,peoprenndGPa terribly pessimistic subject.

-|

we see GP as a study in possibilitiesand consider knowledge as the power

we study world problens like poverty, r'ar, teforism, en

"imnm'nrJl dcarrJrli"n. ri;lFd 'rir$..rime. dis, rimination...Throush ou lenses ofsritb reaiism and dishearten-

ing h ends, we see the rlor'ld at its \rorst and lcarn io iakc a 'lnaturc" view in uDderstandiDg

I tha t the wo rld is ta r from perfect and probably going to renajn that $'ay, or get '!orse.

' 'Tt\ Yet, at School of Thougll,It

'oor''"""''tike a paradox (an apparen contra.iction that

hold,s dccpcr truth), but hrowins ille prcblems and seeinsthe world, watu and all, is r eally thc kcy io siDultaneously

to feel and act to irake a ciange. :::'l';:*:::: j"j::J:ffi::ijil:il:fril:jfing all the possibilities for making things better: all the

ftom pcoplc having an opiDion and taking a stand that isinfbrmed by reality. In this sense. freei.g your mind to the n)aiad opportunitics for nak-ing a difference cones from grounding it in understanding and facts that mayappearcornpletely hostile to even a sliver of hope.

This is why we have choseD to erplorc possibility h this issue, through the lenses of rcalitrand hope, ofproblens and sohrtions, ofobstacles and change. h fact, $ do not want thisissue to be jut abort GP, we watn it to offer yotr a new perspective on lite, )'our lile in particular, as ihe acadenic year ibaws to a close. We hope you'll take the words of Emily DickinsoD who said "I dwcll in Possibilities" to heaft and see the possibilities of every sinsle day

to challenge yourself, understand more, win small vicioics, rn.kc a brcaLthroush, noveahead, encourage soneone else, give your parents and teachers sonething to cheer about,

and nake yourself prcud to be you. Here's to gnnd possibilities nl eve.r ordinary dnyl

,i$oa"o"oouoooor*orororalu, I a

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r. --dCULTURE WATCH F\'!f,

?18

HOW HOLLY\(/OOD DOESHAPPILY EVER AFTERGet th low-dornon thc ways Holl),-sood hrs slraped our cxp.trtions olhos lile ought ro nork (dsopposedto ho$ it re,lqturns ou0

HO\( r',O(REALLY) CHANGE THE WORLDAnyon.rn printa placdrd orblame theI]A! but it takes a spccial breed ofpeopleto actuallv mlk r diitir.n..0

065'IHINGS TO I(NOWFIVE REASONS WHYTHINGS DON'T CHANGEV'hat mainr.ins the status quo?

COMPREHENSIONMAI(]NG BUSINESS MORALCan ethicalbusinesscs help save the rvorld?L

,g A MATTER OF OPINIONARE WT CLOSER TO SOLVINGOUR ENVIRONMEN'IALPROBLEMS TODAY?A cynical industrialist atrd an optinisticNGO a.tilist flc oftl

10FEATURE ATTTICLE

Heaven is (Not)29

a Place on EartlCall it Paradise, Zion, NiNana, 34

[T';+ 'l'Ur.

:', - 4!o

Marxk Classless Society, Utopiaorjust plain old vanilla Heaven.

Everybody wants to build aperfect world right here right

"fi;:Jil:i::t;ff;?i:-" 38

LOCAI,/GLOBALGROWING POSSIBILIllLSWhdt are the paths Singapore musttake for the door ofpo$ibility indprogress to remrin open to us?

S(ILLS SECTIONUSING CONTEXT TOCREATE ARGUMENthree simple ways to us. contert to builda brc!d cohesive ar8ument.

ON 2ND THOUGHTRF]THINK THF,MILLENNIALGENERAIIONArc yc ndking mountrins out ofmolehills whetr it.omer to today'syo(ths?

SPO'I'LIGHTTHE RISING SUN'lhe LDP's lo$ may bc lapin!sain

${rHAT'S'T'HE POINT?TAI(ING RESPONSIBILI]'Ylts tim lorvictims to bite thc bullet.6

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FiveR'Whv'Dorft

5 THINGS TO I(NOW

The French have a saying, "The more

things change, the more things remainthe same." Sorry, true believers - theyhave a point. Despite headlines filledwith thrilling technological discov-eries and major political summits,the status quo largely remains as is.

Things still fall apart and the centrestili wiil not hold. Bummer, huh?

lcxl :1ncl illlLslrrtionsbI SHIAO-YIN I(UIK

BROADERPERSPECTVES thepossibihtyissue

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Not ''Give it to us, Lord, butnot yet.' St ArlgLrstine-smost fanious plea to Codfor cliastity coukl be tak

cn equally as atr iDdictmcnt ofourgenemi corr-

Enough

Courageardice h the r:ce oftindamcnial chaDse- Manyof sin theory would give ou| whole |carcd suflolt iod.astic refo.m but our actions speal volun.s loDd.rthaD ourNords. When it conies to the crunci ofmaknrs the life-alterins decisjols necessa.] lor changeto Iaplcn, rnaDl ofus cave iD to insecudties and.eteat lo oDr patisaD corn.N. Psychologists blame iton tle so called "cDdo$Drcnt cffect" - r!.here tlielict tlaL you os,n or arc. paft ofsomethingleadsyouto oveNalue it. lbis neaDsthat cvcn if)ru don't liketlie {.a) the status quo ivorl$ presentll, the nronr.nisomeoDe proposes to ore.harl it, }'ou ntay perverselydcfcDd the status quo because you have becorne Loocornfortable lrith it over time. Study afte. studl bleconomists also rcveal a status quo bias": nhether it isgivnrg Dp flasticbagsor adjustingone's insu.-

"nc, p-d1. .,.otrc 4r ' , r l, r"d '" Jdnt'. *lu -\' r btlie default option. BehalioLrral cconomisis bcli.vcotr. irertia is caused b1 ou. lendency to tocus on thcpain ofloss more than the pleasure oi itaii.

EXAI'IPLE: The rewiling of the Obama healthcarc plan. 2oo8 polls shoNed tliat oDly 29% olloters thoughi thc American healtlica.e systemwas good or etcellent. Yet. aftcr obania annouDcedplJn ."urJ.:. I . u'" ha,rl rl ' l'. l l,.J-"s\\r, n, | |2ooo.puI :n i.rrrdl|'r ',,o-el!.'1 ooo^lAn rr'caDs now claim they are satislied witi llcir cuncnt

{..:r.i

;,,

Not PromheDt jounuEnough

Andrcw Gilligan onces.id, P.otlc di'iDg inAffica is nor nc$', butpeople bcnrg $rcft outMoney

to s.., killed tu five minutes frorD a big irale t|atcarnc up thc bcach, that is Dew." Cute sells. l nediacy sclls too. But $'hat does Dot go do$rl well withtlc doDor public arc long-tem, coDplex emergencies with too manydifficult tolitical or listorical re!erencs. And even thosc who bccom. ihe flarour ofthe moDth, their time in thc linrcligbt is sooD overaDd tuDding dies up. UDfortu alely, most aid agcncies or chansemrke.s on the g.ourdof hor{ to hishiisht their issnes and need ol nroncyeiTcctivcly to ovcNhelned journalists wiLh lilnitednelvs stacc. Big oryaDisatioDs like UNICIIi ard S16deci s sans Frontiircs \icld media pEsence becausethey have accunrulatcd a war ch.st large enougli tolire a professionalcr, r L, n icalions tcaDr. $'iih suchexpertise, corning up with cnlchy sLU. .tivcs or cn'I JLs .h" r , l! ,l , l ir:F' o l"r l r'' r- Dirn:rcffcct" to the cause, tugging aL hea.L (and tursc)st lss are Do problen. ltisjuslloobad illouarca slrLrggling, unlnorm NGo or a hapless civil seNant worldng in an cqurllyhafl.ss developins Dation

E)i,\ltPLll: The plight of Uganda. Consid.r.db) Odam as the xorld s worsl lbrgotten humaDitarian c sis, the childreD of Northern Uganda borc i|.brrnt ofi|cir country's cifil $'rr $'ithout ant notice1lom the world forl8 y.ars. Thatis, urltil Oxfan llewi! r"mor , br iti'\ d 1,c,. u' l.r vir '", lur .'.u rr i12c)05. Mirrer eventuallygoi an audiencewith BritishForeign Secretary Jack Straw $'ho agrccd to make apublic statemenl ol tbe issue.

HELENMIRRENON V'HAT SHE

TIEALTI I CARERETORM

IIFMANDABROADFR PFRSPF''I VF 7

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NotEnough

IntegritySURFTHIS L'he po$,cr clitc oftbc norld have given us no short

**$

ageolsunmits iD cxotic locations, glamourous rd campai8Ds and stifirg speeclrcs to prcr they care aboutsohing problenN. It would be too haNh to accnse then

^r. urlpl-r- 1rr" nrlrtrJnF il I F t;c4 ol pa rng

global needs. They do care but they sinply do notcarc cnoDgh. Few leaders hare shown they arc willhgto go thc tull djstance and mke the toughest sacrificesreccssary to scc the stahs quo clianged once and forall. l'ie recent 2oo8 c8 Hoktaido sunmit was ladenwith accusations of lwo$isy: envircnment.il e\pertsestinated tliat the iarge cnrbon tbotlnnrt'and sumf-tuous 18{ish banquets olthe extralagant surnnit mncontmr] to the ligh Dinded discussiols about reducins carbon emissions and dealins with spinllirg foodpiccs and famine nl the deleloping wo.ld. No amountof technology or money throwr at a problem can Iillthe moral blaclhole dus by comfronised intesri$. '1ola.s and hall a t.illio. dollars in wcstcrn forcisn aid

later, the co tinent oi Atiica is still pooro than ever.Accordirg to World Ba keconomists, $c ironyisthathigl r' inrlu{. Jr "r ign ,i'1.rcder 'l F tualin " t^\crDance nr A{rica by encouragjDg grali andbribery.

ljXAMPl.l,l: The wastage of 2oo4 tsunuri aidmoney. l'ie Indian OccaD tsunami that affected 13count.ies gererated a rccot.d US$12bilion nr aid. Yet,: r-.'r. J""n th r' ad ,, or llr^,.ards ^f.\uranrlictitns are still living h tents.In ]Ddoncsia,31) to 40%of aid tur1ds $re tainted by g.ali. NCOS Save thcChildrcn and Ofam had to Mite off about soo,Lroowo(h ofbuilding coDtracts thaDk to unscrupulouslocal building coniractors that they lircd who took theaid mone!- aDd built ridiculoDsly flimsy stnctues for

Not Ai thc 2oo9 Microsoft'sColcmmcnt tf,aders Fo-rum lor tbc Ameiqs,

forner U.S. Presidcnt Billclinton u.ged MicrosotaDd other prominent tech

EnoughTechnologycompanie.s to apply thcir innolative thinkiDg lo i{orklproblems outsidc thcir immcdiate scope like climatechnnge, AIDS, iunger andhcaithcare. TechDophiles blieve fiat globJl prublenr arc one tantastical iNentionawa,v fiom behs solved cheap rew enerst sources to.lcvate Puefto Rico's standard of living? Anaznrg naDo

bols that can eai tluough the olerJlowing landnlls irr IDdia or patch up thc lrcle iD the ozone la)er? tsut real engnreerins banicN stil mean such technolosies will olbe appearing wil]rin t|c ncrl fcw decades. Tlia*nrly,naDy developnrg countdes h rcaliry rcalise drat theirprcblens do not need an nr$ediblc tuturisdc nrventioD,just grcater acce$ibility aDd mastery of existiDg ones.Prcpaid calins cdds, sohr panels, free mobile rcarnins and mobile ba*ins hrre draniatically tnnsfornedvillages in india, Argertim and Uganda who nlaoagedto get hold of thcm thanks io innovative social eDterpreneurs and NCOS. StiI, thc tcchDolosical sap is for-nidable: ln Japan, 861 patents arc graDted per millionp-upl' hlr rF- in Je'F otir- c"urFn l,rr ILbFr b

o In 2oo2 86% {)l lhe lro d-s total nrvcshncnt iD Re-scarch aDd Developnienttookplaceonly in rocounhics..ds lons as drat sap is not closed and prcblems of accessibilirt_ dcpcnd on the largesse of iDattentive developednatiol]s, nrany problcrns lril continue as they are.

l.\ \IlPl l: tick .rf tsmtmi rlclection equipmcnt in -dsia. Er?cnsive tsuDami detection technoioLia l r " LJFpr' 4 low tr inr \ ln-gnvprnrlprLur,uln

a.

D.LIGHT

DIGITAL

siaD island of Jam h 1996, but thedata collcctcd wd not sent to thecentfal governmcnt iD Jakafta be-

cause tle telephoDc linc had bccndiscoDDected in 2o0o. Olicials in

tries such as l dia, I'Ialalsia and Thailand, ?s there rJrc in $c rndiin O!eln corntar.diotlcir

{re$ery in the Pacilic. Such a seis'nograph $as iDstalled on the lndonerLu-s-L-^--i--

J:*arta aere aledd to lhe ealthquake that caused the giant \a!esby rcadings film the country'sothcr 6(l or so seismoglaplis,but a lack ofdaia iion the "r,5;,llspecialised Java statioDpreveDted then tron issui.ga tsunani war irB that lrouldha! srved thousands .,l]ives.

BROADER PERSPECTIVES the posslb lity issue

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5 THINGS TO XNOrx/

NotEnough(Risht)Incentivesmther stick io thc loftier strateg) ofappealbgto pco-ple's Inoral conscicnce. The probleni is that real lifcelidence abounds to frolc that people respond to incentives: wo.kers' perfomancc inproves reheD their

fay is tied to itj we stop driling aDd take public trunspoft when ERP ganties and COE prices go up; we re

cl, l, sf rs"nr.,n.;r,"'J..lorc.rd.. Iordo.Is.u.lncenlivcs appcal to people's instinctive prioriiisationofpeNonal intcrcsts over public interests. Of coursc,incentives are not the final answer.lfwe reb on thenrexcessively as the way to crcatc a better reorld, we willbe biiterly disappointed. All nrceniive slstens can besubvefted and exploited. lf a bankcr's pay nicentive isbascd on his lirm's ea.nntgs pr )car, he nay makerisLy dccisioDs to mise the banLs earninss in a yeareven at the cxpense of the linn's long tenn prospccts -r nujor reason wby Wall Strcet a$ plunged idto thecredit crisis. hceDtivcs arc highly etrective and successflrl in the short term but not iD the long term. Wenccd then but also eed to sct doM the most stringcnt per{ormance measures and notr give up on educa rg pcople about their ethical obligatioDs.

' r.rxA[{PI-E: Nigeda's war against spread ofHIV. Pol"vg.ny and ihe loneli ess of HIV paticnts isa potent soDrce of the spread of HIV in Nigeria. Alo-, Jl gor"i ncnt .rngr_r ,T. in Nrts.rir i. encouraB rsHlv-positive couplcs to marry by p.r,ving fc,r the dow

ry, proliding 1.ee couDsclnrs and even employnert

withiD the agency. lhe LDJis

disappro\ing,believiDg

thai thc aNwer lies in education and iDcrcasiry general access to "preveDtion, treatlnent and care" wlilesone eransclicai chnstian aid agencies bclicve up-hold ine abstincnce is the key. Il!!

The use ol irceDtivcs iscoDtrove.si:ti because itstee6 us areay fron thequestion of "Ulhat is mIresponsibili\ ?" to "whatdo I get out ofthis?". No$onder id.alists \ould

THATAREREALLYFRAUDS

H. -1

FOUR RIDICULOUS UTOPIAS

1. Tltlt RAi:rr.IANSlhe man behind thc largest UFO religious group iD ihexorld is Claode Vorilhon aka "RaI" x former Frcnchsports-cd journaljsl aDd tcst diver. Irithfxl Raijlians Ipusue complete sexual liber!|, mnrd transfer, GM tbods,nanotechnolosr and human cloDiDs io achifle a Dei! anddiseas. fi cc body just ni time for the return ofihe Elolim,the alien racc who crcated u. Thn ( tlafs ouiraseou?You have not c\cn head of Ra6l's orde. ol ADscls, a pi\zteharen ol women to provide hin i'ith sexual pleasurc, defend

his fcllow scifi rfiiteA that the tlay to gct ich vns to start arcligion. Sohe did - preachins that we arc all othenort(uyimrno(als and that ps)chiat-"y was a fbrm of diabolicall-rruri.n, A,'u\'a rnr'Htho.rl.n.uib .\rl"uLcamr

hn life f ilh their bodi.s and help donate eggs for elTorts towards

hunan cloning. tslrrr.

2 l HFl DO[{INT()N ()I ]\f l,lLCHIZFjDEKlfyou 6nd )ourseff at Melchizedek,com, you are not on a website

vou are in a Dseudo-relijaious so\ereign statc that exists pimaril) irrcybersp:ce. Tlis rybcHratioD is .ecognised by sc\cral major soverDnents and ofteN bank licenses, ambAsadorslips aDd dcD a stock ex-daDse. Or sc, I4ark and David Pedlel, the criminally mindcd father-sonduo$nofounddMelcbizedck,clain. Dotiotbeloo)ed maryharcalrcadylost huDdreds of lhousands of dollars fi .ousli swnrdli.g scnmsbascd on passports aDd bank licenses issued ftom this "staie".

3. l H l.l PIiINCIPAUTI_ OI NIl\{U'I OPIAAlier nakiDg a fortDne from his cont.olersial altcrDative medical clinic in Menco. Oklahorna bLsin$smn ltoward Tunrey bccane HSHPirce "tdarus rtrrng' (the namc of a Robet tleinlein sci 6 character)aDd cEated the island couDtrf of New Utopia in the CaribbeaD ncar thc

Cnlnan Istands. supposed\'based on the libertarian philosophr of novelist ,jin tund, it rvould have a Dubai likc citlscape, otre. scholaNhipsto studenLs lion all over the world, have no tdcs and Do xtllarc s),stem.ln .erlit!. Ne\{ UtoDia is iLd a cent.e lor ofshorc baDkins scans.

4. THE SCIENIOI.OGIS I SScientolos/s founder L. Ron Hubbard had oD seveml occnsions told

::ll$1::*:*l::;::;:Jffi:::,I,T",::fl::: ffiff''* i#"" ;i*i;";; ;ill ;;;.;;"ffi 'llEi,u ;,'..rrr. r.,,F. prJ,nid rmn*u" ', "r-*.,.',', ?'n"niit'tt t .bitant chargesfor "spiriiual sen ilres and nmrercsLawsuits against its citics. A r99r ?rnc rnagazine

article descnbd it as 'a husely prolitable globalracket that sun'i\s by intirnidating nie!$ers

'nd.riin s in, Malia likcmanner."

DFA,IANI]ABROADERPERSPECTVE 9

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BROADERPERSPECTIVES thepossb itylssue

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topia" is not aword that intrudes regularly

uponeveryday conversation. Derived

from the title of a book written in 1516 bySir Thomas More about a fictitious perfectstate, it is usually used in a dismissivesense to mean an unrealistic ideal.

More would have asred: 1r oeated

the word liorn two Greel words {6trosC'place") dd ou ("nor") possibly interpretcd as su ("sood") 6 we[. His delibe.ate wordplay undcrhed his belidtliat thestate of perfection while sood, wodd beimpGsible to achieve on carth.

TI{F, YOI I IN I I]OPIA

You nay thinl all thjs talkabout antiquted Greek-sounding worcls about im-

posible places has nothing to do with yourlifc. But "vo! wodd b ibsolutely mistaken.We all, unconsciously or clnsciouslx subscribe to sone kind ofuiopian oncept odorient our most sjgnificant choices in lifemDd this beliei: Utopjas will alwa)ar behotl rel(Mni and .onlmversial becauscthey speak of wlut we ptrt our laith in,w|ar we will wrk towd.ils. what we wilstand against and what wc belise wil dti-mat+ siDk or save $e human Ecc.

The ditrerence is realv all in the naming.You rnay have czlled it Pamdise, Heaven,Eden, Niwana, Zior! Capit ism, A Classless Sociery, Democracy or the Frce Md-ket. You might even think it is Amcica(aftcr aI, obeu did reiterate throushouthis canpaign ihat Anieica is a union that.can be peffccted" as lons as Aniericansare wiling to 'pui thejr hmds on the arcof history and bend it oncc more tomdsthe hope of a better day. ) But morc tikclxiD our nELgios dd apathetic times, mostof us mayjust simply kDow it as My ldea ofa Happy l,ife.

Un(,n\ incd? The neil tinc ]ou walk p6ta

ndgu ine stand, lakea good look. All

oupublications rflerl io N a plelhora of subclnscious ideas or how to get to utopia:Caze at fler Wo d throwh a workt'vl]aryMorocl,live in a PeD.IoLse, sray wn!4be in vogu and then, you can baly start(Martho Steuart) Li|)in!1. On thc surface,Platot 38o BC

",1eRepublic and our 21st

cntury Pldyboy may ditrer deply intheir subjecL! of discusioD but suely, atthe hean, borb are prcscnbins solutionsto mitigate our profound disconteDtrnent

wiih the status quo. \\4)ether the path tosocievs perfection and drus happiDcsswill be Davtrl by Plaio's philosopher kingsor Hefnert busty Bunnies, both ackrcwl-edge the cunent wortd is not sarchronisedto myone's idea ofParadise.

Chanse you body, change your products,change your habits, chmse you politi(x,change your momls, chanse you soals,chege your govemnents. This eDdlesly

josthlg and contradictory collcctioD ofpatls to perfection has not changed muchs @dr daMofhu n philosophy.

IIqAGECREDITS(fa.ins pase) custarc Dorc's I ower of Babel{abo1r) custale Dorc's Heaven

PARADISI' I,OS'I'

Sadly }"Iy;'.-"".*:1Utopian comnuitis often sltd their skinto reveal dlEtopian practice, rmging lionthe simply silly to the deeply repellent, alldefended reith the most upsethng canest-ness- Ou listoricd records are lineredwith the dcbns of \rcLrld-be uiopian comnunities of aI solis: osltd ad bumt atwo.st :nd diminished in obscuiB at best.

Some utopirs - ihanklirliy ensted only onpaper aDd nfler nade it on enrrh. Plato'sbloved Repullic advocaied dr killiqq ofwea,k or unwanted infrnts. Tomndo Capanela s Cifto del Sole fousht for se{rdcouplirys io be licensed by astrolosers.Etienne Cabefs J.dno seems laushablenow but he actually proposed that clotbshad to be madc in elastic to ensue equality

dlong pople of all sizas. Unfoftmatelx

some utopian theories gained ercugh ofa followin to be turned into rcaliit (pd-ticrnrry in the trtopian happy 16th to 19thcentuics). Most, if noi aI, ended withtragically sinilar Eults: after an initiiset-up period fiIed with triunph, the com-muities eventually caved iDto bickeins,bad behaviou and belligerence.

Every enceivable pathway has been hiedand not one sinslc utopian communilv hasDanaged lo last the racc or prove its point.Thnrl the answer is relisious tundanen-talisD or relisious abstinence? The rabidlyathcisi comnrue of Libelai. Missouri didno betcr than the hamh theocracy of h"n:

DFMANNABROADFRPFRSPECTIVE I I

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RLlbil< s Cubc: lvc poccir. pattens underdre chaos thai bcg to bc made iglit ardrle rrill hlist and lunr oul institutio.s totrj to .each diat pe.lecl aliSnmcDt sc instincti\cly kroi{ ni our head and tarn tbr

Allourideas abod pctiction caD bc tucedback to two disLhcL nncturt p|ilosophics:The creek coDcept ot lerle.ction. rnc.D

g "hannoDl" (soned rg abstrad nr nrhrc and attairuble by man hnnsell)j alldLhe Je$ish con.cpi of pcfcctioD, mexDing''holilress {soDeri|hg divinc in natur. ando y allanrabie by Cod s sr".c). Th. Grcckphilosopher Aristotle wrute. Tlat is f.rft $iich is coDiplete $hich containsall thc rcquisite parts; r'hich is so good that

r,thing of lhc kiDd could bc b.tter $'hichhas allained itspur?osc. Cornparc that todie Dook of Deule.orronry s Thou shrlt bcledect $ifi the t'rdthrCod. (r8:r3)andth. (lospel of Xlat$er! lhnt enjon\ "Be]'c thcrcforc Nrfect, even as )our lather{ lich is nr hcavcn is l]cdcct. ' G:48J. Thosewho worshipled God descibc pcrfcctionas benrs 'undeiiLed, without lc.bukc',"ridrout blemish , 'bhmeless'o. riilhtcoN" \'hcreas fiose who $oNhipped hulr]an capacii! would not lir pedectiorl soclosely to tleethical rnd nroral.

It $rs the lUth cetrtul,a e.a that tilted ourmodcm f.ctireDces toila.ds the GreelGLalfti or ltr{ccnoD mdrcr thrD the Je$ishtal,e. As rcligioDs ordcrs foughttkirNa.sbefore an uxJasinr,ly .Fic.l audicnce,1l3th ceDturt secul.r Uri l,eN unilrls.ll!fidiculcd di. idea that cod exisleci givert}c nnpcdcct f.rfomance of his lollow

els. Fail| nr God s tollo$rrs i{xs lost andbv associatio.. iaith in a good and per&ctCiod wa! lost as wll. Wc ro loDg.r thoughtof pcdectioD a u nnpossible state ofnlhurnan hohress but a Drore achievablesLite of i{orldly improlcmeDt. Pamdisehad nothing to do !it| momlit! or adher-ence to divine ruleis but !v.s somcthiDg xccould create or .ec.ente il trc ilst madcouNches smdner, llalthier, heaLthier,happi.r, rnorc politjcall) stable and more

conlortablc.Thc lgth ccDturt sr$'r llou-

ishiru of greal $ nrleN and t|.ir fropos.dsolutiorB: Drvnl Hune s tbcus oD naturaldelelopnent and p.ogrcssi John Ir.I. spush for cduc.rtioni Jercnl tserthani's

advocacy 1or o\crt statc actioni Cha esIouri.s proposal of cootcr.tion aDroDgpeopier and rs, l.la cis CaltoD l.),iDSdor$ flre grcuDdi\o* tirr tlie NaTis $ilhhis thcoll oD cugcnics.,\al so, i{e createdlhe grcatcst modcm parador: pedectioDcanbe lou ded by impcrfcct rncn and builtupor an iDipertect ivorld.

I(N(X]KING ()N II|IAVIN'S I)OOR

['hat aI ofus Dee.l is a hedthydose of .rcdiblc LtopirDisn orgruunded idcalism if )ou $'i11,aDd Dot one based on itlib omtory or vague plalitudes. And thatcones onll with genuire h!mili,!".Thc .bili! to constantly loo$.how nitperlcct ) ou arc, to not drink of l ou.self no.ehighly thar ]ou ousht, to drus loie ourneishbours as we ll)!e oLrschcs is r'hatmakes i.leJlism tender, Lruthtul and ultimatcb, actutib wo.kable.

es uslo $,il]ilritl)Nird ouNchcs to

.z .t l

"a*, '"llTI

Whatll ne think i|rt his

tor,r' is j$t ore rn:sochistic ertdless crrlcaft.r aDofier, there seems litlleloinl tolniDg. But if$c think time is DoviDg toilards

an inelitablc dcstiDy, th.n we should 1igure out {hal the end ftncs lootlikc.If'\cbelieie that dle L.aiectorv is nx^ing dosrrhill into r pit of deshLction, rgai , thercs.cDN to bc little poiDt iD tn iDg. BUL it youthnrk ci\ilis.tion is moviDg upliill and pro

Eressilely, thcn $. should make sure werre o the side oi t]]o angc.ls. ftc qucstiorlof perfectioD prcsents a toL,g|et c}oi.. onslui to do as we r$'ajt the liDal pruiar essileday in |istoN: $'ill utolia conr lion lassivcl! bclic\ing that God $'ill take crre of usor'.rlfirssilelr''sirilingtorcbui]ddrei{o ci

A lriddl. gr.und has to he stnLck belweenthc rcligioDs tanahcs aDd dre nbid sec!larists we s|ould diligcndl i{ork at perLctiDs lhe wo.ld. bui irc must Dot lisk drepitfall of belieling thaL inDefc.r hulunbciDgs and hunan iNtitutio$ can cornDlctc t|c i{oIL UtopiaD conmunes generallr' lallcd bc.aDsc thcv fllt too tnuch trusl

or Lhe posfl of sociclv aDd colle.tire ilisdorn to nrake thinas dr,|r. Such misplacedfrith iDalilDaDs)steln bc ilnr gu.rdirDdictators, impmcticrl acadenics. out ot:lou..| burcaucuts. iDpeNonal cornpule.s.ide.rlistic aclivi(s or sclfiight.ous theo-crats !s!allr leads to ovcr .cgulatioD arddle implementition ol a sc]l intcndcdbutcrushing coribmit! oyer the lnes of thcp.otlc. Sadl!. such 'utopican l.st for d.odes before followe.s ad

nilthe) i{e'e wrcng to bclic\c in fie fiNt

pke. 'I-hr.ij)np.,o/s,\rcru Clorl6 is achild s tale with an adulL lesson: soDrctim.sour d.speratioD to beliele thaL wecan crcatc sorncdringbexutifd rDdsupeddcaus

Bul if hunriliB, is the ans\e. to rnalij

g utopias hatFn, ho$' do $e remjndoursehes to consLant\' stat ihat wa!? Itis second naturc fo. us lo thinl higllly ofouNch.s aDd dinnr of ou. own reeds andoDr osrr goodness 1iNt. though secularistsmay c ngc, that is lrreciselj $'herc dle Ab

]hnic lailhs- conccpt of p.rfection irUSmost lme. We caD oDly sta! bunnnc rlheD

\r ha! before ou. nnrds and hearts. allthc tim., a standa nrlinitel) lar hip,her.lar noblo and far nore poilefirl tha ourselves. Bl .stablishiDg ihis standa in dielon ol an impossibly holv aDd portrf,nLiod. the laithlirl belie\ c i{. i{ould bc aircdnrto DukiDs nucli less olou. punl hLrnransc.llcs and our etrirts. Ior if it is br g.acethat w. arc sa\rd, thrNgli faith aDd Dotb) ou. wo s, nonc of $ rrould be able toborsl. Hoiveler. snrc. not all of us prcfe$to su.hlaith, tne stnlggle lo rn.kc scnsc ofour utopian anbitions iliLlcor) lnn'e.

So t|e im]frfcci.annot crcaie dr pedact.

Enl thq can .clt.iDl] put their frith in apedect something rhrt..n. Bc ii di\inebeing or absl d Iorce. thc ulinDaic t.si is$'hctkr it prcves both go.Jd elough to dotlc pdt.nns Nord a po$erfd enoughlo e able thc inltr{cct to be prt of dratryorli. l he! a.d onli thcD, r\ontd i{e besiDto be a.turlly rcadl in icat .nd in hand -to do rl.hat6 er it talGs to help urh$ iD thatonc ultimate utopia thrt $.j11put to ilanrcall other uctcndcN for6tnno.e. f(tt

A it',{,l\.-

DFMANDABROAIJFRPFRSPECTIVE I3

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ON 2ND THOUGHT

Rethink theMillennial GenerationThe Millennial Generation, also known as Generation Next or I is a term used to de-scribe the demographic age group lbllowing Generation X, the generation associatedwith alienated slackerdom and angst-filled rebellion against authority. Vill the Millenni-als be the generation to overturn the common assumption that young people have no realpurpose

in life andare generally useless and violer.rt? by

;osELINBAU

"The Millennialsare best suited . .. suryrise us yet. Suryels of this generation show thai they are suryrisingly not astO SaVe the WOfldl' iaded oras sclr-consuned as we presume. rn ract, their idcas abour ihe worrd and

We tena to assooate the proccss of srowins up as one lhat is accompaDied byseff-absorytioD, selfishness and self destluctivc behaviour. Youths and sex and substance abuse tend to be tleated as s}rlonrns in modern culture. The Millennials may

PROBABLY OUR BEST IIOPIJ.in Daftcular, the role that thev can and should play in it - arc rolliDg back the yearson the negative stcreot!?ds that we adonatically attach to young pcople. Teen preg-Danc)', drug use and sc|ool drop out rates are actually going dowr; tst scorcs areat ar all-tnne high; more are soins onto hjsher education. lnstead ofseeing t|emas prcblems to be solved, the Millennial scncmtion nay be the innovative solutionfor our prcblems instead. Yc, rhs tend to bn underestimated and we forget that historicaly, revolutiorN of aDy so.t are started by young people and students. Already,

B RoADEF PER SPECrlv ES thepossb ty ssueI

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the Millennials arc at the foreli ontof political and socio economic developments more thxn at any othertnne of listory aDd have the besichance aDd abilitl to be positive

The I'Iillennial Gcncration. borD inthe 198os and 9os, are the richest,the best educated ard the }ealthiest in histor,v. Born during one ofhistory's most siable periods, theyarc the first geneution to nosdygrow up wiih no firsthand knowl-cdsc of war, fanine, disease andpoverB. Sinc they havc rnorc distance lrom the wodds traumaticevents and conllicts, they tend to bemore optimistic and less govemedby fear. They are more wiilins thanproious generations to overturnhistorical pattenN of thinkjng anddoins and arc morc ancndablc tonenideas and altemativcsolutions-Also, they tend to be more open aDdiDcluive an.l easily push pftt gender stereotJ"es and mcial preiudices d drey srea up in a morehetercgeneous eNiroDneDt. lhepcNasilcDess of the nedia in th--irlives has silen thcm a rnorc slobalpe.spect and less indhation toplay partisan politics.

This slobal pempective h.ts alsogi\eD the Miltemiai geneMtiona sense of responsibility frlm anear'ly agc. Thc natuml idealism ofyouth is married to a realisn ofhow the world wo.ks, without any

self-indulgentjadedness.

They areactrtely aware that they will inheritand raise cn dJen in an increasingly chaleDsins world and are deter-mincd aDd conmitted to Doi addingto the mess oftbe cun cnt situation.Making a diference is theit newcatchphrase and social cr]nsciousness a nntural pan oi thet makeup.As they are a big percentage of thecuneDi world popnlation, theyknor! ihat their behaviou and hab-

its will cornc to doninate slobaltrends lbr a lons wbile.It is no sur-prise then that tbeymadcup a sig-nilicant demographic in Presidentobana s election 1br change and

of thc protcsicrs who stood !p toihe lranian government ear'lie. this

)ar to dispute the flawed elections,and are able to best speak the lingoof environmeDtal consenation.

crc\ins up nr a slobalised andtechnologically irtcrconnectedworld has also madcthcm rnorcso-cial creatures and naturals at foming relationships ivith peopie. Theseare not the alienated ) ouths of Cenemtion X who prided rlienselveson tlieir nldividralistic and rebellious ways. Moving away ftom theGcn X Mc'crced, ihe Gcn Y'We'are instnrctive ntwolkcrs and col-laborators. They have a profoundbelief in the power of consensosand hence tend to organise thenselves iD groups. Many )outh ve.sions of NGOS or advocact grotrpshave aiscn fi.n these inpl sesto come togcth$ to coDtributc tosomething bigger tban thenrselves.When Presidenl Obana was reaching out to the Muslim i'orld in hisCairo speech, it is an east, guesswhich senentioD he ilas direclingthis appeal to rvhen lie saidj "...younrust rnanrtain your power throughconseDtj not coercion; yoD rnustre-spect the ghts of nrinoritics, andparticipate with a spirjt of tolerance

A highly conpetitive knowledgebased econony aDd the disnar-tling of tbe traditional rclationslip

between enrploycr and cmploycemeans that this geDeration is morcsuited at coping with and wclcoming unprediclable lrnd rapid change.Firstly, they no longer see their careers as a linear line of advance-mcnt nor vie$ the conveDtionalroute ofeducation as al$als Deces-sary to success. They arc asscrtingnore o{nership over their om tuture and deler less to theh parentsexpectations of money and secu.ity.

Being more interested in personaloppoftunities for dflelopment asocial causes, they tend to choosethe companics thcy want to wor-kfor based o. rrhat tbey staDd for

These are not the alienatedvouths of Generation Xivho orided themselveson th'eir individualisticand rebellious ways.Movins awav fromthe Gefi X 'Me' creed,the Gen Y 'We' areinstinctive networkersand collaborators.

morethan how fast these coryorateentities catr fast-track their ca.eers.SccoDdlv, they xrc shiljrg outrnorc on their orm. The expansionof thc ccoDorny, cr.dit aDd technol-oS |ave enablcd morc -vouths tobe nore enlreprencurial. to starttheir own ve rurcs to fulfil ihen'oM dreams, sonetimes even beforc tl1ey gradrate liom schooL. Thenunber of youthflrl entrepreneursis so significant that a Dew tern''cnfantrcprcncurs" was coired toenbodyihis phcnorncnoD. This is ageneration that does Dot nccd to bctauglt to thinli outside the box because they x.e not awa.e that the!'are even coDstrained iD one. Thiscan oDly bode xell for the wo.ldas their abititr to geDerate freshaDd innovativc idcas may keep ilieworld progressins and offcr a $'ayout of the wc,rld's entrencnd con

AR! COMING

ISSUESI.INI(ED

IMAGEBom a nised in an era of stas CREDITSeenre xrd unDreLcdulteJ JLt llsnd tr.

, O 'U - O. rp.....3'n" "'"' rt,.^. c,..i'.llray have thc knowlcd8e, skills and comnorsvalues to save us fion oursclvcs.cranled, they will Deed cxpoieDce, judgement and maturit] iooas they grow up. we can only hopefiat these charactedstics and nindscis together Nith their particular

shengths will nn truc as ihis worldreeds tansfonnativc pcoflc aDdideas nore thaD cvcr. Hoe's towishnrg that their acconplisbmertserceett our wildest dreans. lll!

DEMANDAEROADERPERSPECTIVE ]5

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ON 2ND THOUGHT

"TheMillennialsare best placed

to usetechnologyin startling waysi'COTJN'I ON IT.

21St ccDturl technolosies are .nablhs the enpo'femrcnt of nldividuals morcthan ever. Ho$'c\cr, this sliifi h po$tr is putting nore tools and opportunitl in lhehatrdsof rorc louDg peopie.rther than ad lts, the traditional rcscn e of authority.This mJ

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ON 2ND THOUGHT

promnlert rcle iD the public arena.

The intcrD.i,s 24 hour, ahQls on]nre Nay of life is also facilitatingtLe Nliliennials abilitj of invoh'insthemselves in cunent slobal is-sues x.herever they are and copnrswith chaDge that can happen at anytime. The as),rchronous ature ofIDtcrnet time meaDs thnt thel cnworl and comnNnicate in reaysthat pri\ilcgcs th.ir opinioDs fi oni apung age. Theabilib io pafiicipateiD andcontirue convercations (th.ydonot have to come together atthcsane time) across time 7ones, inbet$en scliool, ilorli, neals, andsl.cp meaDs that thel have noretimc ibr rncaningft I ref le.lioD. Nontime specific con nunicatioD toolsthal mai ain threads of convcNa-tion has immersed the I'IillcnnialsiD certain habits: the capaciw iosamer knowledge l.on1 anywlere,the abiliB to filier responses thatcamc bcfore in morc tuclusive \eaysand the tinrc to craft atpropdate

The vast range and dcpth of dataout there also mea s that thc NIilleDnials are learning to use inlbrmatioD in nore sophisticated ivays.lhey are uscd to siftiDg, ratiDg,checl

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Horv Holln\ioo

B"X'frF"t"tu',..If Life was run by the moguls ofTinseltown, all problems canbe resolved within a two hour frame-work, leaving enoughtime for credits to roll. NADJA MAHgivesyouthe low-downon the ways Hollywood has shaped our expectations of howLife ought to work (as opposed to how it really turns out).

Leave it upto Destinv.

Haveyou gotten

into conversationswhere lines

lile"Some people are

4eantto be tosether", "When God closes a door, hc open""

U"ao-" o. "r *r" lr"(born like that" were thrown around? Believe it or not, you have particiRated in

"'hat classic Dhilosophical debate about l.ree Will vs. Prcdestinatio\ and ,chances are you leamt those lines fron the novies- Romantic conedies or feel good movies popularised rhe/.|notion of our iives being governed by an impersoDal, omnipotent force in t}te universe. Except jn themovies, that force conveniently only wants to propel you towards a happy eDdins. Movies like Slur?dog ,Millionaire and Forrest G,rmp throw an uncomlortable spanner in the works thoush. The happy end I 'ings bestolded upon the novies' heroes arc jL\taposed against the sad lives oftbe other chamcters andthe real life fates ofthe actors (Slundos's child acto$ are still stuck in the slums ofMunbai)- Whateveryou call it, Destiny, Chancc, Fatc or Scrcndipity in that seDse seems cruel: human beings arc com-

Saves All.

around barba c alien species found elsewhere in the universe. White nosi ofioday's sci-fi films are norelikely to feed on audience's fears on how technolog,, creats dlstopian societies (e.8. The Island, WALLq Surl'ogats), they also advocate technoloa/ in the hands oi resourceiul hunan heroes rs t}le ultimate

peled to live tlieir lives according to a pre witteD script and no fonn of human agency can change thecouNe offate. Judeo-Chdstian tradition upholds a different perspechve of life though: predestinationis not in the haDds of an amoral nnpersonal force but a personal omnipotent God. The paradox is assor we have the liberty to chanse our lives because of God's pernissive will but ultimately, all tlingsreill be bent and nanipulated to meet the pcffect wili of God. PRTME DLAMPLES For.esa Gump,slJtndoq Millionaire,SLi.lins Doars,Serendipita

TechnologyIn complete opposition to the idea ofPredestimtion stands the man of sciencewho bclieves in his Free will to createthe perfect technology to find tie perfect

solution. The Stdr "rtfranchise presents

the nost uiopian vision of technology: the Earth that Captain Kirk andSpock know is a completely esalitarian, enlightened tcchnocracy that

has turned away ftom the barbarisn of mr. 4rd century Earthlings are be'nign, curious creatures who use their time and talent to er?lore the universe's secrets,

carry out peace-keepins missions and "boldly go where Do man has sone before". Though

St{Ir lr?ft may have featued occasional scuffles among their human characte$, major conflicts in the series have centred mosdy

solution. Even 1 om legend's apocallptic vision of the hunan race being turned to vampiic monste$ by asenetically re-ensineered measles virus gone wild is resolved only by the genius of the virologist played byWill Srnith. The slew of science-oriented criminal investisative dumas on television also promote the viewthat everythins can be undeEtood, answered and resolved by science- Only on television, do the nerds, hackers and squints" rule the world and put tne bad guys where they belonS. PRIME E)a MPLtrS Stdr n ek, I omLegend,I dependence Da!, C.S t., Ctiminal Minds, -8ones, aringe, Nurnbe.s

BROADER PERSPECTIVES the possibility issue

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IWill W'ork

bowhard work will naturally leadto success are most obvious nr the scnrc of'undcrdos nade sood" Be movies

Harder!

MyTeachea

coinc entally, nainly urbrn daDce orsports movies. Though somc ofus mayresistthe idea ofmeritocracy,most of us believe that it ultimately wor-ks - that thc bcst kind of society and the best kind of li& can only bebuilt throush hunar effoft aDd coDmitmcDt to betugbetter today than you wele yesterday. This maybethe nost appealingt]"e ofhapty cDding ideolos, especialll to an Asian audience. hierestinglythough,Fdne f2oo9) has bccD cnticiscd for being out oftouch with realit): fane is a far nore likely fate for fie

"Drcarn it. Earn it. Live it. The tagline for the 2oo9 movie remake ofihe 1980 musical I.d?nesums up the ideology olllnding success throush sheer hunan peNeverance and detenniDation.No natter whal personal tribllations came their way - abortion,loss offaith, illitcmcy Fdne!ambitious teenagers coulct overcone thrush sheertenacill. old-fashjoncd idcals aboDi

exhibitionists on YouTube or Big Brolher rather than the hardworking these days. It's obliousthat the world is unfair. Just ask,,lnina/I'drrls trasic hard'worknrg horsc Boxcr whose

mantra $'as "I will work harderl": soDetimcs ihosc who worl< had are not rerlardedaDd even end up wolking for ihose $'ho merely l

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\, IMAGECRED Tt].ttrt l"rt r\).1,+ ri i xLshaFd nrt.rsr, r !r

',.,1,!!, !,o, D

r 'T7-a

{

,I

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ern nations, families are failing to form and mariage is coming to be regarded as a "lifestyle choice":one among various optional ways of conducting relationships and rearing children. Out-of-wedlockbirthrates are high, with the negative consequences of this particular phenomenon being borne bythose in the poorest and most vulnerable sectors of society.

The consequences for business of these developrnents are significant. Consider the need of business to have available a responsible and capable workforce. Business cannot manufacture honest,hard-working people to employ. Nor can government create them by law. Businesses depend onthere being many such people, but they must rely on the family to produce them- So business has astake in the health ofthe family. lt should avoid doing anything to undermine the family, and it shouldinstead do whatever it takes to strengthen the institution.

While it is true that some business firms have exploited workers, many firms have enhanced the dig-nity of individuals by offering challenging and decently paid jobs, providing opportunities for furthereducation, either on the job or in training programs, and encouraging workerc to think creatively abouthow to improve the quality of products and services and the efficiency of production and delivery.Moreover, business has certainly made upward economic and social mobility possible for countlesspersons. The free-enterprise system has given many people the freedom to pursue fulfilling andremunerative careers and provided opportunities for them to become entrepreneurs and investors.Whole societies have benefited from economic growth produced by market economies. Businessesand successful business leaders and investors have helped to relieve poverty and have advancedmany good causes through their charitable giving. Even when government rather than business sup-plies the money, it is business that generates the wealth thai government distributes.

While some buslness firms have been involved in corruption and have even siimulated it, business

has in many places been in the forefront of demanding reform of corrupt courts and governmentalagencies. Business leaders have helped shape laws and policies that are suitable for modern sys-tems of production and exchange, and that will enable us to meet the challenges of the globalizedeconomy. Notwithstanding the hostility to business in some sectors of academia and the elite intel-lectual culture, businesses and business leaders have been instrumental in supporting educationat every level, especiaily higher educaiion. This is particularly true in the United States, where thetradition of alumni giving is strong and where colleges and universities depend on it. Even where theovelwhelming bulk of financial support is provided by governments, we must remember that govern-ments obtain most of the money they spend through taxation, and taxation at the levels necessary tosupport modern universities is possible only as a result of the successful efforts of businesses.

So business is a pillar of decent and dynamic societies. lt can and must support the other pillars,since it depends on them for its own flourishing. I hope that business leaders, entrepreneurs, and in-vestors will turn their minds to the question of what they can contribute to the cause of upholding mar-riage and the family in the face of great threats. What business leaders have done in other dornainslet them now do in defense of this distinciively human and uniquely humanizing institution. Just as thefamily has a stake in business, which, after all, provides employment and compensation, and whichgenerates economic prosperity and with it social mobility, business has a stake in the family. This willbe clear, I believe, if we adopt the panoramic, long{erm view, and follow out the logic of stewardship.

45

7510

Adapted

ionl "Mokitls Dusiness ,ruordl ' bv lioberl P. Ceor

9.

23FMANII A BROADFR PFRSPFCTIVE

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Comprehension Questions

1 From Paragraph 2How can respect for 'individual human beings and their dignity' (line 4) be upheld? Use your own words as faras possible. [3]

2 From Paragraph 3Why does the author regard the institution ofthe family as one of unparalleled importance? use your own wordsas far as possible. [3]

3 From paragraph 4"...virtuo!s all the time..." (line 20). ldentify another phrase in the paragraph that confirms this view and showhow the author's language works to suggest the impossjbility of human viriuousness. [2]

4 From Paragraph 6Whal do you understand by "business has no horce in this race'(llne 38)? [1]

5 Why does the author put quotation marks round "lifestyle choice" (line 43)? [1]

6 From Paragraph 7Sugqest hr'r'o ways in which business can undermine the family. f1l

BROADERPERSPECTLVES thepossibilityissue

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Comprehension Questions

7 From Paragraph 10Explain what the author means by "this distinctively human and uniquery humanizing institution" (line 79). [2]

B which word in the first paragraph echoes the author's sentiments on the "rogic of srewardship" (rine 82)? I1l

9 Given the meaning ofthe following words as they are used in the passage. use one word or a short phrase J5lconventionalJy (line 2)laudable (line 17)contempt (line 30)abated (line 33)panoramic (line 82)

10 lJsing rnaterialfrom paragraphs 8 and g, summarise the ways in which business has benefited the individualand society. Write your summary in no more than .120 words. Use your own words as far as possible. Jgl

11 The writer argues for business to be undertaken as a vocation, and believes business to be vitally important iothe success of the individual and the family.

To what extent doyou

agree or disagree with his views? JBI

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BROADERPERSPECTIVES thposs bi ty ssle

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BROADERPERSPECT VES thepossibihtJ, Es!e

sroMsuv uorsuaqardtuoS

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A MATTER OF OPINION

Are we closer to solving ourenvironmental problems today?

How would A CYNTCAL INDUSTRIALIST and AN OPTINIISIIC NGO ACTIVIST re-spondto this question, considering their differences in agenda and sense ofhope? Ourwritersget under their skins to find out.

ABOUTTHISCOLUMN

The wortd is soins sreen - or so we like to believe.Thanks to the advocacy work of celebrities and AlCote s An I nconuenictu Trulh- wc hr\e seen -he enu-ronmenial movement go more mainstream than ever.Sustainability has even become the new word in fashion, judsins by the populari\, of the "l'm Not a PlasticBag" toie bag and the standard organic cotton teeshids sold in trendsetting shops like Zara and Mango.Energy savins bulbs, electric cars and recycling havebecome part of everyday rcality. Even architects are

talhng about using more sustainable naterials likebanboo in tleir designs. But is ail this buzz aboutthe environmert just surface chatter or a reflectionof how far we have come in savins our one habitableervironment in space?

EXAMPLES USED FOR OPIMON PIECES1. The rise in "grccn"awareDess amonsst individualsand "green global events:Ea(h Hour, Live Eafth concerts2. T]1e viabili\. of alternative green" technolosies:solar panels, artificial trees, Compressed Natual Gas

3- Thc'grccning" of corporate practices:Shell's commitment to using sustainable, clean energy;Honda's search for a tuei-eflicient car.

4. The etrectiveness of green" political surnnits andDeetiDgs betrveeD naiional leaders:china and U5A q trearment ol rhc h)oro Prolocol:global commitment ro dealing with climate chanse and

NOSTEREOTYPES

4COMMONlxAMPt!S

DFMANDABROADFRPERSPECTIVE 29

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A MATTER OF OPINION

Are we closer to solving ournvi ron mental problems today?

A Cynical Industrialist It is honestly sickening to constantly hearhow humanity can apparently "save the

conceivcd by fOASH LOH worid from destruction". Trying to detachourselves from reality, and put on rose-

INDUSTRIALISTS

tinted glasses exposes a huge want for escapism. This is not helping. wll"eNiroDnental sustahabilitr is aimost universally championed, be they public, conmercial or civil socie$, this

])oirli should Dot be over stated as thcse are nrrely small beachheads on a problen of biblical propotions Thefaci rcmains that therc aremanyglobal issucs that eNure the continuatioD ofgradual envircnnental degradation.HeDcc,lookinS ai the cu.rent staLe oftbe environneni, things loolt set to get sorsc beforc tl1ey get belter, and thccod ircurcd ."n,"hri"s nul {urlh rl'" rroul-..

The effort to creatc cducatioD aDd social awrreness on cnviroDneDtal problenls is nradequaic and fla$ed Nodoubt, with the dse of ne$' nrcdia, envircnmental issues have takcr on an nrcreased profile. Therc havc bcen glo-bal evcnts such as Edin IIou nnd Livc Earth conccrts which puToft to nise coDsciolrsness and actionf.r .nvironment,l {,,nses. A.rivities such as these ho$rve. miss the root causc Nhich is the destructivencss ofslobal consunption. These educatioD and.warcness etrofts are limited by supolicial or mloPic focus upon sinslcissLres. Our dcsn to corlsmle in excess is not limiied to a single product such as thc Blue-fiD tuna; an hour ofdimiled lighl's caDDot effectually educate us about global$amingi and blo hourls ai a conced does Dot motilateus in any long tenn way to salins the eN,imnment. Thc nrain rroblen rcmains u solved, with a consrnt. and

rroN-away culture growing voraciously beyond.rur errlircnmcntal means. Thus, $njle education and a$zrenesshave taken ceftain steps, their intcnscly short-sighted f.rcus ultimatelyleavcs the iDdividutL still ignorant and cul-pable for ecolosical degndation today.

Nerl, rbc c.sc for glccn tcchnolos) benrs thc mah driviDs force for enlironmcntal chanse is also largely overstated. No doubt, greenbusinesses are grosing at about 5% anDuallyand thegreenbuildhg indust.y is now wort|US$r2 biuion, s'berc it Nas urquantiliable a decade aso. However, a close exalninatioD of thc real state ofsreen

technolosreveals qLrestion nurks about its viability. The problcn can be brcken down into two nuin prfts: af-

for dabili$ and efliciencJ. This issDe is appareDt in hvo technolosies dccmed rcrolutionarvr solar paDcls and attifi-ci.l trces (to soak up ca.bon enissions). A sinsle r2-foot squa.e solar paDcl costs Us$s,ooo, and a sinsle anificialtrec costs Us$2o,ooo. The cost is enough io disco nge potential bu]rs, rnost of whon are more interestcd iDcost elTcciivcness. otr top .rf beinB e\pensivc, thc nlda.t of eco friendly products are also highly inellicieDt

BROADERPERSPECTIVES thepossibilily issue

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A MATTF.N OFOPINION

Conp.essed Natural Gas (CNO) car ensines arc laudcdfor the cleanliness oI their exhaust aDd the casc ofinstallment in existing cars. However, it has ftrel qnalilvfluctMtioDs, aDd hisher-grade petr.rl is still cheaper.Thc size of its ftiel tank also nakes it urfeasible forsmall cars. Thus, this infant indushy still has manydinks to snootheD out before technolos/ can become avinble solution to envircnneDtal problems-

The actile position that coryorations today talrc on thedevelopment of green teclinology is merely to capitalise on the popularity of the green movemert now. CoFporations are simply rcpackagnrg thcir old prlductswith green labels to promote revenue sencration, .senvironnenial awareness has become tbe crrnent it"caue to Llke up. To quote Shakespeare, a rose by anyother Dame would smell as sreeet",

so too has going "green" becomejust a cool tagt|atcompanieslatchthen products on lo. There are nolarge-scale "geen" conpanies;the closest we have arc nerely tokcn divisions in najor consloner-ates. Energy companics such asshell still base their mai. rcvcnucon oil, despite itspr$licised commitne " to findingand using sustaiDable, cleaD energr'. tlonda, although recently awarded the mostlirel cflicient auto-compary iD tlrUnited States by Forrune maga-

Energy companiessrrc-h as Shell still

base their main rev-enue on oil, despite

its publicised"commitment" tofinding and usingsustainable, clean

energy.

lias almost become a no.m 1br political leaders to discuss the issue of climate change without laying do'\'rrcal or tansible plans. Many countnes have promisedto lcducc carboD eDissions by 2o2o, brt have left outserious discussion as to how to achieve this goal. With-out actual planDhg, negotiahon and financial inceD-

tives, there is little that words can do to sway pcopleinru r?du.inr -n\itunmFnrJl 'ldmrBe .arbor Fnissions are still proje.led to nse at steady rates. Untiltherc is legislatioD passed with concrete steps to control eNircnmental damage, be they passing polluti.Jnta{es or incentives for ca$on cmissioD reduction. ourenvironmedal problems wjll continue to persisi with avengeance in this day and age.

Additionally, on a narional ievel, economic developmeDt wjll alwals tal

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A MATTF.N OIOPINION

Are we closer to solving ourenvironmental problems today?

ABOUI Ar Optimistic NG]O"GREEN"NGOS ActivistAnswers

The world we live in now is one that isincreasingly concerled with the envi-

conceived bv MICHAEL YEO ronment: products sport "organic" la-

bels, celebrities make advertisementson eners/ conserwation and scientists give warnings of disastrousclimate change. Yet exactly how close are we to solving them in thismore enlightened environment?Since th 197os, public interest in environmental issues has been roNed md continues to gain momentun. I believe

ihat we are ctoser to solvins our environmental problems today. The paDacea for ou most salient problens naystill be dcads more away but if w prcsressively continue the actions wc ar staftins, we wil be able to preservethe world for the nert generation - our childEn. The solution to the environmentat concems we face today requiresa four-Fonsed approach: the individual. the hameqsiDs of science, the corporate world and the sovemneDt must

I.di,v. natrJ cats The first step (peftaps the mGt important) in saving our environment is nisins more awareness and educating:ljl::: ::l' : :iil]":: the public Asl anvone on the street and you wil lind rhat they possess a rudimentarf understandins of our envi.-r',.i,',,,,""-" rcnmental prcbiens pollution, etiDction, dinate chanse and the works. Yet these problem pe$ist and threatensus hnk maidnftdned our existence because people simply do not know enolgh to care or to translate their concms into actioff. The. r' onnnnbL L"n:"1;.":;":i d,j" inromation drat tlepublfu receives Fom the media and scientific connunity is laden with statistics and plds forhnvc aGo tcxrnt hor.!J big and drastic nedures, and tends to leave linle incentive and an even snaller chance for the average person to sette.s.onsmLrinJ in volved To get the pubhc to genuinely care for environmental issues, they mNt be able to relaie lo them so as to

H'",:i:;l il" tal

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'l he shining "green torch" of the ftrture lies nith scrcnccor green-techDolo$c, to be exrct. r\ll our Sovcmmcnt

dDd coryorate folicics ioDld bc quitc unworkablc $itiout it. Grccn rcchnologv allolvs us to delelop prrducts and hdusidcs thar reduce ene,gy wastige, pollulio and ajd sustainabililr. lt is a fallacy to still believetodal that tliese technologies are too costly or are oDlyfourd ni the dercloped couDtrics. ID Chnu, thc m.nlf.cturing hub of thc wo d, scvcul conrpanics stroha!. bcncfitcd frorn modcD sre$r tec.|noloiir ofer.','1t c^ lri.r'd-\ rrolu.l\ Brc'J \ir(onJil:,n:nlrcm Hunan, sells chjlLe.s th:rt run on Datural sas rnd'\aste' heat from otlie. nachines nrstead of clcctrici1t dieir products deliver thrc. timcs morc coolnrgtcr unit of cncrg, than convcntioDal units. BYI), lronrShcnzh.n, is Chin.'s lc.d.r in sreeD cars: it prodrces''phrs nf itas elect c hybdds n dpure elctricitl ca.s, wlich redtrce s.eenliorse sas emissidrsaDd retails fi.m Us$22.ooo, halfthc ficc of thcir Amcric.n couDt$p.lt. Thc Beijnrg 'Iai)anil ilongpo$,f. planr recrcles waste heatliorn the combustjon p.ocess. rc-srltiDg ir1 rlughly 8(]% efiiciencv,m.F thnn tai.. th. rnt. .f nr.ststanda.d po$cr plants in the U.S.Hcncc, elcr nr a counlD lhat isin tull swing .]1 nrdustrialisatjon,

gree technolo&yis taHDg root an.lflourishins. GreeD-tecirnolosr is

The Beijing Taiyang-gong power plant recy-cles "waste" heat from

the combustion process,resulting in roughly

8o% elficiency, morethan twice the rate ofmost standard power

plants in the U.S.

bot| cortorations and t|c cnvir onrnent.

Polilics is, as thel say, a dirty busjness and when it concer s the enriromnent, it is doxuight filthy. lDtema-tioDrl rclations play an importaDt role because it affectsglobal en\ircnmcntal cfforts in c\cry way. in 2oo7.

th. U.S., thc larycst cnitter ofgreenhouse gases jn the$orld. rcilsed to sig the Kyoto p.olocol because Chinaand IDdia, the laqest emitlers after the U.S., xere ex-empted l.om reducing eDissions. Staiistic shorv thatClina aDd the U.S. account for nore thaD 40% of ihcworld's greenhouse gas cmissions. Mr. Todd Stcm, theObama adminishation s top c]nnate negotiator statedt1'.'t. You ir'!'1. ,,.r)ol b. dn)sl,Fr" n..,r qh.r s.iF, Frell. F s- n-p I ru Lr it )u, , un rh. \. r'h.n: :1-(,h,ed, as weLl as other najor developilJa countries." In

order for our en\ironmcntal cffotsto havc anyinfact, s. nccd a .ollective rcsponse frcnr the irternatio al connunjry. Therc is hope.Prcsident Obana has calle.t for arintcrDational lorlnr coDcern-in8 the reduction of carbon crnissioDs nNohing t|c i7 nations t|atcnit nrore than 8()% ofthe irodd sgreenhouse gases. xnvironmental-ists beliere tliat ou cur.eDt politi-cal leade$hip, puslied by a morcenlightened elcctoratc, is sct oD thc

right path to look tbr consh ucti\r

SURFTHIS

Friends ofthe Earth

readily a\rilablc at oub.hcst Drorc so than clcr befor. ,Dd it will only beco,ne ln.,re advanced and moreconstantlr applied to our eryironmenlal problenrs as

ul- .jtur\ II'r. Jl.nri. rd. . r . r."- r.u8. t.-.y, r ''lriorld affaiN: th. ItINCs. Thc problcnr $it| NINCS ist|at nrost of thein solel!_ erist to crcite profit, not tosave the earth. the t.ick thus, is to align their goals

with that o{ eNironmentaiism. Ii$tl) , {ith tlie ctrrrenteDdiNiasm ibout eNironmentalism in consumcr aDdtolilr'' Tl"\lr.\Jj r g.th' \l\'.,i\'lin-..1o..,but to go grccD as $rll. En\ironncntallt-anar indivi'lu ' .'r ,l so'pa , F, . .\ill ,ul b, r prcd'.,l rr 'n.corloritioDs knoi{n to be eco-uDiiierd} if sreener .i1-te.Ddtives exist. SecoDdly, NINCS are also rcalisiDg thatgoing g.een night be more cost-eflcctivc aDd cflicicntrr rr.ln18.ar.g r.r' i,8\, t.r . vi,,g. rl l,r'ncss rcpDration at thc same tnne. Wal Mart dernandsstrnrgent green standai(ls lionr its ChiDese supply aDdgives them advice on eneu', efiiciency rnd M$'naterialconnunptidr. Cutting $'ast. and rcducing sFnding oneDerg, in tlrrn lo$.rs cosis .nd th. nnprovcd cffi.icncyrcsults in gr.atcr prolits and rnartcl conrpctitilene-ss.As suctr, suct measuresprov eawin '!iD situation for

Sohnis the eDlironmentrl problens boils doro toa sinple eqMtioD of econonics. Reports tell us thatrevolutionising thc cconomy with sustairublc tcchnoloS, lrill incrcascihc GDP of a counhf h thclong run.Thc ghfi)g huth isthatwith our culrent industrial inl ,r l, "F .l\F oll) qJ) urF,hr.a,Jr'onrm..:,n..tnd pollutiorl wolrld result ni rD nnnKtiate .tecrcasein p.oductjlit. GolcrnncDt speDding on ovc$aulins

pollutjng iDdustdcs aDd sctiing up rcgulations iouldnrcu a high start up cost. But if we arc serious aboutsaving thc eDvironDent, our governments and MNCSnusl accept rlte lkt tlnt it will rcquj.e serious politicaLefiort nnd a lot of nioDel. MaDy arc strftiDg to come,'ro, rd ln I - I .l I ur thr\'s - ,n,r- hur snrl\I tr',to pay nr thc sbof run for a iirturc that sc cnn actuallybcqucadr \ithoLrt shame to our li{Lrre generations.

|F o.nL:nF | , fl ,n" ur th. :n,':vi" rJl. p ,liti .. b Frness rDd scieDce lnve brcusht us closer to realisins ourdrcams of an cNironmcntaly iiicndly \orld. Thc srccnrcvolution to solvc our cnvi|onmental problems nas ne\-er beeD so $ithin our gftsp in recoded hislo.y before.Huna ittor t has lo .exch oul to touch jt.

ISSUESLINKEDTOTHIS

ta''DEMANDAEROADERPERSPECTVE 33

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LOCAL VS GLOBAL

BROADER PERSPECIIVES the possibility issue

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GrowittgPossibilitiesThe recent Nat'onal Day Rally speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

outlined several strategic paths that Singapore mrlst take for the door ofpos

ribility and progress to remain open to us. What are they, and how do they

point the way forward? by BAEY SHI CHEN

PrimeMinister lf,e Hsien Loong set ihe tone for this year'sNational Day Rally speech in his introduction, statingl

"once in a lons while in the history of a people therecomes a moment of srcat change. And tonisht is s cha moment in our lives." Clearly refening to recent

events that have becone focat points of discussion, Prine Minister Lee brought up thepoint that crjses brced possibility and a ne'! way to be. Citing our enornous progress sinceour first days of self sovemance, the Prime Minister noted that the qualities of adapiability and persistence are the way forvard in present circunstances ln pafticrnar, he invoked a recurrent theme in our evolution as a country - that while we have had our shareof challenses, we have always putlcd tnrorsh, and we can do it asain to create a climate ofpossibility for ouselves.

with ihis in nind, three salient iopic! he addressed this year resonatcd with the need tocall upoD this resitience to help us tide over existins difficulties These included issuesregarding the state ofthe ecoDomy, the inevitability of adapting to thedigital age, and theneed for rclisious harmony in civil societJ. With regards to the upheaval wlousht by therecent global economic recession,the Prime Minister advocated a double-prong approachto staying ahead ofthe cure by capitalising on new and unusual opportunities outside ofSingapore while atso striving to preserve our competitive advantage as a destination ofchojce to multi-national investors by moving towards hish-value work and upsradiDs theexistins skills of the labour force.

The last point is especially apt, given that people, coupled with a keen awareness of theshifts in the global winds of change, remajn pimary assets that will ensure our economicviability in the long run. Morcover, taking the initiatileto improve our resources enablesus to tspond comprhensively and decisively to the doMturn'rather than be beatendo\dn by nesative situalions. Thereforc, the Prime Minister's call for local conpanies and

woflrcrs to remain relevant by upgradins their operations and actively participating in re-

or"oroorroooa*or*roralu, l r,

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skilling not oriy lielps to create an atmosphcrcof rcsilience aDd flexibilit)' but also reinforcesthe fact that we are on the bink of a new eraofgrowth where our kcy exports will centre onlisher level industries focuscd oD rcsearch and

development as well as information technolosr'.

Lrdeed,the message $'as clea.in the PrimeMinister's specch thai embracirg information technology will be essential in takins Sinsaporeansturther into a new world of possibility, a pointthat was corroborated by his substantial use ofmultimedia presentations to illustrate progressin various secto$, such as the upcoming MassRapid Transii Circle Line atrd the IntegratedResorts amorgst othcrs. The Prime Ministeralso highlighted that iDfornation technolosyplays a huse and increasing role in helpnrs usto continuously nodernise and compete onthe world stase, aDd these can be achieved by

equipping schools nith state of the art informatior techrology facilities and equipment for the next generation to becorne sa\a]'citizens ofthc world- Thus, we arc certainiy developing jD the risht direction tomatch new slobal demaDds aDd trends, a move that is uDdoubicdiy re-infbrced by the gro'ttb ofourtalcntfool in interactive digitalInedilr andleading niulti national corporations such as LucasFilms and nlectronicAns setting up their operations h ere. Howcvcr, what remains to be seenis whether we can do so ctuickly and strategicau, enoush to sair a foot-

hold in ihc slobal ma*etplace, given the swift rise of countrics in iheAsia Pacific resion, such as India aDd Chin.t.

Fufthermore, a crucial poinl that Prine Ministcr Lee raised with re-gards to staying at the forefront olchange is tbai o\cr aDd abole the es-tablishneni of a good reputation md the execution ofsouDd stratcgies,the spidt of irDovaiion Dust be preseDt io keep possibilily aliv. Citingthe example of local conpaDy H).flux, $ lich is iD the process of buildingthe world's largest sear{ater desahration plant in a remote Algerian village, the Pdme Minisier emphasised the importance of haviDg "spunk"

- a vilingness to "rough it otrt", as well ns baving thc couragc and con-

nitmcnttoiraverse unkDown paths and stay the coLrrse. Hencc,just as

we have to put oDr noses to the grindstone to safeguard our econony,ne also need to arm oursclves with a spiit of daring lo create fuhueand unseen opportunities. This, nrore than the implementation of shorttern measures, is what will help us lbrge ahcad and become a force tobe rcckonedwith, ardthepresent chalienge thus bcomes a qucstion ofhowto activly inculcate this qualiryin Singaporeans.

ln addressinS the impo{aDce of rclisious hamony, Prine Minister Leeemphasised that 'critical to our success as a nation" is the strengtheningof social safety nets, .tnd thar it is incunbent upon citizens to preventsensitivc issuessuch as mceandreligion frorn dividingthe couniry. Cii'ing new threats to social cohesjon, in pafticular the dse o{reljgious extremism and tensions tbroush assressive prosebtisins and intolerance,the Pdme Minister asserted that whilc the peace andharnonywe enjoytoday arc due to our cautious and tactful tnanagcmcnt of racial ard re-

BROADER PERSPECTIVES the possib lity issue

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While we should always keep oureye out for new ways to improve andprogress, we should understand thatpossibility essentially flourishes on anenduring compass of principles thatawait only receptivity and the rightcircumstances to be put into action.

ligious seDsitivities thus hr, il is not sorncthing to bc taken for gMnted,ald he reiierated that tolerance and understanding bctrccn diffcrcntgroups must be preseNed at ali costs. Mo.eover, he also strcssed thaiwhile rligion has a significant and afirmatile influence on the lives ofindividLrals and connunities. public intercst is paramount atrd relisionnNst stay separate tronl politics, aDd connnlDal sph.rcssuch as schoolsaDdworkplaces nrst be kept neutral.

In ihis. tbc Prime Minister appears to be drawing on lhe lundameDtaland collectivc principlcs that have shaped our identity as Singaporeansover the last 44 years, and in this pariicular situatioD, is issu g a realchalleDge to ourpeople to live trulyby the lencts sct out in our DatioDalrrledse to live as one united people regardlss of |ace. lansuasc or reli-sion." His exampleofthe Mush! studenl, Salinar Nlohamad Khair,who

studicdandthrivedinalocalcatholicschooldespiteinilial rcseNations,encapsulates his nessagc that toleraDce is the t.ue bedrock ofour society, and that it only e\ists w|en wc car rcspcct and celebrate ou. differcDces wlile lindnis commoD ground on l'hich to novc foNard iosether.

Closnrs thc subjcct $'ith an allusior to tlie Ga.den ol Eden, the PdncN'lirister crnphasiscd that the idyllic life we eDjoy today can very easilybeshattered iiwedo Dottakc aciiv. steps io protect it, and that a countrydivided by dillerences in beliefhas no prospccts to speak ot The PrimeMiDister's message also cones as a timely remnrdcr, giveD thatthis willbecornc an issue of sreater pertiDeDce ilith the increasing numb$s of

migrants cntcriDS Singaporc, and a coDlnitrneDt to incorporating tbeminto our sociery .nd maintainnrg healthy relationships with the ttillbe essential to paviDg Singaporc\ tuiure. Tlis nutual .espect given today's conilict .jdden world may be t|c bcst i{ay to contirue to suNiveand thrive as a Dation.

All in all, the stlatcsics proposed by the Pine MiDister to keep possibiljBfor Singapore aDd Silsaporcans alive, to 'contiDue to upgratle and buildthis ci\, and nalte this place our homc, our tuture aDd o r Sirsapore", a.enot new. IDdeed, they dra{ on ard reiteratc thc tuDdameDtal values thatSingafore has alilals relied oD to achiele her success srcai pcrsevernn ce, inscDuiry, initiaiive, adapiabilit) as well as social harmoDy. Perhapsthe .eal lesson herc is that whilc rlc should alr!.ays keep our eye oul lbrnew ways lo improve and progrcss, wc should understatrd that possibiljty essentially flou.ishs on an endu ng compass of principles that aNaitonly recepti\ity an.ithe.iglit circunstances to be putinto action. IM rn hd \D. :Doc ir s!!qd.i/. st4

37FMANDABROADFRPFRSPFCTIVE

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S(ILLS MAI(EOVER

WAY #1

the CONTEXT OF

\fAY #2

PERSPECTIVES(CONTEXT) OFKEYACTORS

WAY #3

ing CONTEXTSOF REGION ORCULTURAL PSY.CHESAROUNDTHE WORLD

Usinq Context toCreafe ArgumentThrec simple ways to use context to build a cohesive argur,rent by TONG YEE

rMAcE CRED rxi*su! &41r&. ril

As an edension of what we discussed in the last issue, I wanied to use this issre to address themuch neglected ski base ofb ilding an exrended argument. By this I meaD hcontext to create an ertcndcd argument that nns cohesively through our whole ess.y and not;J.r wrllin a paragra!\.

one of the most salient wealoesses that we obscNe in the essays sent to ou school is the haphazard or rushed conclrsions that seem to characteristically plasue essays Mitten under timeconsuaints and even those composed uder no such duress. Except for ihc few select essays thatrrould probably bc rcwarded with a fistinciion resardless, nost candidates simply do not ex-ecute their conclusionsrvith confidcncc or conviction. often they rehash poinis previously madc

,r',sr,.ol.ie.,,l,Fr_F.olIi^n.rl..lcnuldw"l \j\ebeel\lod lin.uJn]ulhFr gpnFrice.sav.I "a) rhr. r a-dl ' unrlus:on i: F':Jpn.e ol d weak cncrd.d Jtsurn"n' bmJU. ,n Jb+ne ol rthcsis easily leads to ar irability to conciude as there is no broad argunent to put foMard, oDlytoagrnented but scncrzlly relevant points. A se es of dise'nbodied points, could very rell lenditself to creating the illusion of scope, aDd in ihe best of cases can even do wel as an essay. But

"ssl)s .hrr pos"e* lhe dbihlv lo b-inB_eve Jtio ,. dh,h l rn!Bhl ild 4pn ;nspirF ha\ P Io dPlib

erately construct their arguments for tbat pu{osc. Thcsc essays have to i) grasp bold conceptsoftime and space, ii) appreciate diverse human jntrests or iii) undeNtand rcsioDal differencesthat crcate the complexity of aiy issue we face todAy.

ln this article, I am going to suggesi and alemonstrate these three ways in lthich we can usecorle\i luouilJa broad.oha.iv. argumpnt lMl L,rprye\t,lJrn\os"d.h"n.i.L5FJ.howrrt"ad. to " con.t rrun dnd lh, n demon"t,at" how to do rhN u.irB J sanrplF qu"jiun trum la5tycar's'A'level paper.

L*ooo.*r.rrr.alu., thepossb ry ssue

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@The broad evaluation of an issue overthe context of tin're and space

lthile the

past is r-italin setting ahistolicalbackgroundfor ourdiscussion,it is notsometlling weshould drvellon for thewhole essay.This isbecause thccurrentmoderncontext isr'r'hat makesthe issue asalient pointofcontroversyandtliscussion...

Xlan] ol the jssues rahd i cP can bc dis.lss.d ir th. .ontcxt of tinrc aDd p}lsical spacc tob.irig \ aiatjon o1j,rsight into a. issue. this allo$'s a shrdcnlro n ot orly .rcatc lonrts but gcDdale r b.oad evrhration oI llie issue b) r iewj.ii iL as pnrt ,l1 a broader hunran exp$idcc.

\{h.thcr it is gcndcr rolcs, nrdustrialisation, punishrneDt or niedia developnrert, rllissues hare|istoric^l b.ckgrounds tlrat wc can dras'poiDts fiom. Tmcingthe evolution ofthe issue alions!s io.rguc that t|. opiDions ivc ha\c on an! issu. dc|.Dd grcatll oD th. culturc of our particular linjc Iranr. and l|...rditions, oftofunitics rnd limit.tions this histoicrl pcli.J.l.Dtails.

While the lasl is \ilul h selling a hislorjcal background ibr our discossior, ir is rot somci|nrgi{c'shoul.l dnell on for the wliole essay. fhis is because lhe curient tuodern conlcxr is $'|atmakcs thc issue a salient poiri of controlersI and discussion, the.eby quali[illg it as a topicr{ort|} oldcbatc nr th. cxamnraiiotr. Todav's xukt is rast in tlie raDge ofcoDtexls e car usefor c'alutioD, and for lm.tical expcdiency$'e rill sc'ncralise ouNorld as conlishg the moddrr DctrolFlis.Dd dFanrjc citics oft|c$'orld - thc contcxtfor discrssing Diost issues, rnd thee\cc io.s olcor.ties tlat choose isol.tion, stagD.tion or simply thcir o$D trrDs ofgro$'tli.

ln addition, I onre characterjsed the rrodem lar r{r,Jld asdri\en byinlbrm.tion andtcchDologlas i{cll xsbenislibeml andglobalised. We use these chaftclerislics as r cotrrprehensne nreans otanal]snrgth. Diodcmnorld. The rcstofthen'orld caD tlien be desc.ibed rs rnytliiDE lio.r llrilto tr'.ditioDall] bo nd to opprcssed or simpll ilhrt $'e can term as r liiled state. thanlJillt,l.cnds ar. showing l|ai this dic|otorn] $ill not last fi)r longi xt lc'asi not iD the propoftions wewiLncss 1od.t. T|c lirhn. Iolds mrnr- unccrtailtics for aDygi!.D issue but i{e cd be sure thatthe generul Lre.d has seeJr g'rtrrt| in ih(. .r.eas of rflhcn.., cmNrcnDcDt and cquitl olrr theceltuies. CertliLlh, the

Iea$will reveal tbeir liir share ol dis!ppoinlmcnts and c!.n.trocitics

b tthis does Dot underDiiDe tlre predi(tabilily of tlie hunaD condition.

,,

DFM,ANDA BROADFR PFRSPFCTIVF

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Wjth this sr{eep over tj e andspace, wc can create a li e of argument that adds scope and con-tinuity to thc issue thtt we trishto discuss. Lct us demonstrarcthis witt' a discussion of thcfolowing qucstiol firom last!err's A'rc\cr rraperr \r [he more religion will decline.J To what extenl do you agree?

Point One established th. .dr41 .lerlopme tol l/I. Jield .rt scid" ce ulrs ncDer Perceiled 10 be capa'from tlre context ble of thrcdtct1il1lt reli!1io1rs irsrth i ri.r6 $nplv ,ec(1rs? oJ lbL' tnuctl pou.t tfu

of tlre p{st: ck -\1!t (idded i1 thal eto.

Point l\lo cstablished Lel, lodd! \ L'orld 6 on. r tlrc t. erct1 tlle rcli?iaut h c !e coDt. to d. celi r.i.n.

from thc conted ofdr o t.q ncdns nr re..irt rctiandl atul rclitllne ntirtrDntiot so ti.'v co, ,rdkr d

the modcm world: norL'edncatctl tnttl infort ntt] choice

The more science advances,

'tlk,b(lcm lMrkIhas alsa ba'onl.fut norftliott an thc pou,ers aI tethnologu Lo nt.L cul tddlt nceds o/Jurl{rnn.e, lcdltn orul t:ontlbft ta o Lerel al elr.ficienat a d rdJnrntDte Jar

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Interest-driven evaluation of an issuethrough the perspectives (context)of kev actors

The resolution of this line ofthoughl cones fioln tbis rankins, by coDcludins that the posiiivity, nesatjviv or continuation of any given issue or effcct is larsely defiDed and deternined bythe kcy player in control. lt is useful to recognise tlat contcntion may result {iom other playersinvollement and with the d.amatic shifts in power we have secn in receDt years, it is possible

for tbe issue to bc redefined. Thus, dtimately, ive need ro agr or disagree with the status quodeterminedbyihc player in power, sivins an assessmentbased on cvidcnce ofwhatishappen-ing in reality-

ltechnological,

political,economicand culturaldevelopmentswill cefiainlyalter the ex-tent of each

Anothd way to crcate broad argument is to see things in idms of key playeN that drive theworld's issues. The surpdsins thing n1ost people do not rccosDise is that all the world agendasand ihe vorld's direction are more or less defined, not by whai we perceive io be a inyriad of

octors, but just 6 key groups that represent the primary motivatioDs ofhtrman endeavour. Ifwe softthese players according to scale and recognitioD, s'e would have Intermtional Governmental OrsanisaiioDs (lcos), Governnents, Corporations, Non'GoverDnental oryanisations(NGOS), Criminal Slndicates, aDd ofcotrrse the entity that make thcse all possible, the Individual. These play$s hclp create the ar$nents for most ofthe issues tbat we face today, itlcltrdingtheones$ deal with ir cP.

1l is needtul io recosnise that the voice and inlLuence of each ofthe playeN has differed overthe course ofhistory. More recently, eveD tlie huible individual has gained immense hflueDcethrough technology's endoment of empowerment and the ability to nobilisc and iDiesmteinterests. Technological, politicat, ecoDonic and cultural developments will cc(ainly alter theertent of each player's reach but ultimately these people groups rill always be represenied in amanner worth considerins in an issuc.

It is therefore important to rank thc points one makes as certain players would featurc morecitically in the discussion of a pafticular issue. In this case, the discussion of tbreisn prcsencein a country would first and foremost bc doDhated by penpectives lrc,m governments andIGos, followed by individuals, NGOS, corporations, and of course m interesting perspectivcfrom cininal slndicates.l}le o.der ofimportance ofthcse players, with respect to the influenceoftheir contributioD to the debate, woold vart'tuon onc issue io the tre\t.

,,

lo,

player's reachbut ultimatelythese peoplegroups willalways be rep-resented in amanner worth

] considering inan issue.

DEMANDA BROADER PERSPECTIVE

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Point Onc cstablishedfirom thc pcrspective

of Aovcrnmerts:

Does the presence of a foreign powerever help a country with problems?nt presen . ol nnu Joreisn pou.r, ltst dnd Jote,.,sr, is qf issle snr

"lqecduse il istd c,rir.d os rt.halk,ttl. tu tlt saurlilt,rl,r, dnd di iincs !, ttsxlrta the tamp.knr!/, .)J'the t1lli1g qatiotunent. h'elL l eatDlq tts it tni

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@Evaluation of current issues throughdiflering conl.e\ts of region orcultural psyches around the world

Thelasi suggestioD for creatinga brcid a.alysis of aD), given issue is to considerthe is e l.omthe perspectjvcs ofthe $'orLd s regio s aDd cultural lsyches. Tlis undoubtedly is the most cliallengins as a \"ical studeDt, rvitli limited rcadins or exposure, ivoulil hare n)sufficicnt insishtor nrastery in this area of kDoi{ledge to attempt this apprcach. Admittedly, evcn I understandcultural psychcs rnosth vicariously, ihroush books, movies aDdtalk.ln thjs sensc, rny analysisis based on cxpcricncing the \orld through eitbcr gross caricatures ofwbat is dcsigtred io beentertalnmenl or cvcn ifmore objectively, onlyrhroush the lens ofa tlird party.

Yet, despite a linitcd undcrstandiDg ofthings, w canDot dcnr_ that the.e are unique culturaldistinctions resulLinsin diffcrcnt approaches (socjalorpolitical) to address aD issuewhicb pro

vide a fascinating diversitv of opinioN ard a.gune

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