Building a Founders’ Memorial that unites and inspires Singaporeans

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(Commentary Today Monday 13 February 2017)

Building a Founders’ Memorial that unites and inspires Singaporeans

Resilience, multiculturalism, an indomitable spirit, unity and astute leadership

are the core strengths deemed worthy of being preserved for Singapore’s future. TODAY file photo

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By Druga Rajendran -

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Updated: 7:41 AM, February 13, 2017

The Founders’ Memorial Committee was formed in June 2015 to gather views from the public and to conceptualise a memorial to honour and remember the values and ideals of the founding leaders of independent Singapore.Later today, the committee will be providing updates on its public engagement efforts. I thought it would also be meaningful to share my personal experience of the journey thus far.

My journey with the committee began with a phone call inviting me to be a part of this historic initiative. It was a tall order for a young, idealistic business graduate, but I thankfully overcame my initial embarrassment to accept the invitation.

As it turns out, I was the youngest among the 15 members, many of whom were prominent leaders in various fields across society. The committee is akin to a living system that recognises it is a part of a broader network of interdependent living systems. Living systems possess certain unique qualities.

Who we are together is always different from and more than who we are alone — the representation of diverse thoughts, networks, experiences and sectors of society is a source of strength and an indication of our collective capacity as a committee.

We are nudged by the passion, dogma and advocacy of different voices in society. I would like to share my account of being a part of this living system.

ENGAGING WITH AN OPEN HEART AND MIND

The shared purpose of co-creating something for future generations to learn from and live by, gave impetus and energy to our work on the committee. From October 2015 to January 2016, over 400 people from all age groups and vernacular languages shared their views through 13 dialogue sessions.

In addition, a representative sample of 1,300 individuals was interviewed via a door-to-door survey, and over 200 responses were received via an online portal. Stakeholder groups including historians, grassroots leaders, educators and academics were consulted.

We ruminated over the best of Singapore’s past and present, and began to imagine what could be, for the future. Many a time the conversation kneaded the past into the present, opposing viewpoints were set forth, and history was debated.

As a committee, we held the space, listened with genuine curiosity, and welcomed the expression‎ of opinions, ideas and emotions.

As a whole, we delved deeper into what enabled us to survive and thrive as a nation.

Resilience, multiculturalism, an indomitable spirit, unity and astute leadership emerged as core strengths and treasures worthy of being preserved for the future.

A common thread, I observed, was people’s desire for values and ideals to reign over the officialdom of history in the Memorial’s narrative. There was also a shared aspiration for the Memorial to not just represent the past, but also to fuel the future.

The collective aspirations of the people were charted out in the facts, feelings and perspectives we gathered. Four out of five Singaporeans engaged expressed support for a Founders’ Memorial that commemorates the values and ideals on which Singapore is built.

Many felt the Memorial should capture the spirit of the founding leaders in overcoming the odds to build a nation, so as to inspire present and future generations of Singaporeans.

BRINGING SINGAPOREANS TOGETHER

In September 2016, the Committee began the next phase of engagement. We asked the public to imagine what they thought the memorial could look like, and what features or experiences it could evoke.

We organised design workshops for members of the public from different ethnic, age and interest groups, and got them thinking not just about what they wanted, but also what other Singaporeans wanted.

Participants were invited to design a Memorial for different visitors such as the elderly, youth, families with young children, as well as members of different ethnic and community groups.

Some envisaged the memorial as a prominent symbol in the cityscape, illuminated at night and visible from afar, reminding Singaporeans of our journey as a nation.

Others imagined a memorial in a garden, with intimate spaces for introspection, and interactive spaces for inspiration.

Many expressed a desire for the Memorial to be contemplative (a space for reflection), iconic (artistic and symbolic), innovative (technology enabled) and regenerative (changing with the times).

More than the outcome, the process helped in collectivising responsibility and forging a sense of community.

Participants came as strangers, but left as friends. This building of social capital, I believe, is key to building social resilience as a nation.

A living system changes when its perception of itself changes. Being part of the Founders’ Memorial Committee has given me an opportunity to invert the camera and look within; at ourselves, our collective beliefs and behaviours.

Observing, recognising and attending to shared aspirations is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves and where we want to go as a nation.

Developing an awareness of the values, ideals and principles that lie at the core of our identity is important to sustain future generations of Singaporeans.

It is my hope that this Memorial will offer us space to reflect and celebrate the truth of who we are.

My greatest aspirations are for this memorial to be a space that reminds people of the unity and fragility of our nation. It is a platform for individuals to convene and have conversations that matter, conversations that negotiate the past to inspire the future for our nation, our leaders and our people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ms Druga is a Strategy Consultant and Facilitator with Sequoia Group. She also sits on the SINDA Youth Club Committee. Her reference to living systems theory was inspired by and referenced from the Art of Hosting Workbook (Center for Integrative Leadership, June 2012)