Photo book celebrating inter-faith unity - in aid of the President's Star Charity
02日
08月,
2007年
Harmony Of Minds
Written by Lim Dao Yuan, a student from Hwa Chong Institution
President S R Nathan launched a coffee table book titled Harmony of Minds – Celebrating Interfaith in Singapore on August 2nd . The book, the brainchild of the Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS), contains pictures accompanied by 100 religious sayings – the first coffee table book of its kind. The sayings are from the 10 major faiths in Singapore but the book is intended to promote universal values. The National Steering Committee on Racial and Religious Harmony worked closely with the PSS on this project. Proceeds from the sale of this book will go towards President’s Challenge 2007. 3,000 copies of the book will be printed.
Harmony of Minds – Celebrating Interfaith in Singapore includes short write-ups and forewords by President S R Nathan, who was the Guest-of-Honour for the event, Mah Bow Tan, who is the advisor to this project and Mr David Tay, President of PSS. In his speech, Mr Mah believed that this book would touch the hearts of Singaporeans of all faiths, as we respect the teachings of our diverse religions. Mr Mah himself is one of the contributing photographers for the book. Other notable contributors include former MP Yatiman Yusof and PSS Honorary Chairman Kwek Leng Joo. Special editions of the book were autographed by President Nathan and presented to 10 sponsors, who had donated $10,000 each for them.
The launch was accompanied by a photo exhibition at the HDB Hub Mall, which showcased all pictures and text from the book. This exhibition has continued till August 14th, after which, it is now travelling to the five CDC districts. Its first stop is the North West District, at the Woodland Regional Library from 1 to 17 September.
I found the whole exhibition to be very meaningful and beneficial experience where I learned a lot of Singapore’s multi-religious heritage.
It thrilled me to note that a large part of the crowd at the exhibition was made up of multi-racial group of students. What I felt was not only the collective energy of a group of young people, but also the synergy and cohesiveness of many young Singaporeans. Here was a Singaporean community in microcosm - a group of young people of different races bound together by a shared purpose.
Secondly, I also learnt that in admitting pupils of different races and religions, our national schools provide us with an invaluable experience of growing up together in a multi-racial society. At school, where we study and play together, we foster friendships, cultivate emotional ties and develop a sense of commitment to one another as fellow citizens. It is also at school that we learn to appreciate and respect the common space that enables members of the different communities to get to know and understand each other. In preserving this common space, the youth of Singapore will learn to stand together to fend off any divisive force that threatens to tear our society apart along the carefully interwoven seams of race and religion.
The Straits Times - Photo-finish for inter-faith unity
A new book seeks to celebrate unity in the diversity of 10 faiths practised here
By Adeline Chia
A PHILOSOPHICAL photography book is hitting the shelves soon.
Titled Harmony Of Minds: Celebrating Inter-faith In Singapore, the book features 103 photographs with an equal number of wise sayings from 10 faiths practised in Singapore.
The book was put together by the Photographic Society of Singapore to celebrate religious and racial harmony here and also to promote photography.
Distributed by Singapore Press Holdings, the book costs $50 and 3,000 copies will be available at major bookstores from tomorrow.
Proceeds from the book sales will go to the President's Challenge, which supports more than 50 charities in Singapore.
A touring exhibition based on the sayings and images in the book will begin at HDB Hub from tomorrow to Aug 14. It will make its rounds to other parts of the heartlands later.
The sayings in the book were chosen from the 10 major religions in Singapore, says the society's president, Mr David Tay. They comprise the Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism.
Mr Tay, 62, says: 'The sayings espouse universal values that everyone can relate to. So we exclude sayings that mention Buddha, Jesus or Allah to keep the book universal and generic.'
The wide embrace also extends to the pictures, which feature tranquil local and overseas natural landscapes and close-ups of nature.
The photographers are from all walks of life, ranging from blue-collar workers and retirees to prominent businessmen like Mr Kwek Leng Joo, managing director of property giant City Developments.
Other contributors include National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Mr Willy Shee, chairman of CB Richard Ellis (Asia), a real estate services company.
The works of professional photographers such as Lianhe Zaobao chief photographer Lee Tiah Khee and 1989 Cultural Medallion recipient Foo Tee Jun are also included.
Mr Shee, 58, who has been taking photos since he was a schoolboy, contributed two meditative nature photographs of Shangri-La and Jiu Zhai Gou valley in Sichuan province in China. He hopes that his photos can create the same kind of peace he experienced in those places.
'Especially businessmen and professional people, they need to stop and smell the roses,' he says.
chiahta@sph.com.sg
The exhibition, Harmony Of Minds: Celebrating Inter-faith In Singapore, will be on at HDB Hub from tomorrow to Aug 14. The books, at $50 each, are available from major bookstores from tomorrow.
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
3 Aug 2007
The Straits Times - Celebration of faiths
Visitors throng an exhibition featuring photographs from the coffeetable book, Harmony Of Minds: Celebrating Inter-faith In Singapore, which was launched yesterday.
The book contains 103 photographs with an equal number of wise sayings from 10 faiths practised here.
Distributed by Singapore Press Holdings, the $50 book is available at major bookstores. Sales proceeds will go to the President's Challenge, which supports over 50 charities here.
The exhibition is on at the HDB Hub from today until Aug 14, from 11am to 9pm daily, before making its rounds in the heartland. Admission is free.
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH.
The Straits Times- Picture this: A harmony of faiths
A PHOTOGRAPH of a magnificent Australian sunset graces the cover of Harmony Of Minds: Celebrating Inter-faith In Singapore.
The coffee-table book was launched yesterday by the Photographic Society of Singapore, and at the ceremony was the photographer who shot the cover - National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan.
The avid photographer told The Straits Times he always takes a digital camera along on his travels. He contributed three photos to the book, taken in China and Australia.
Former Member of Parliament Yatiman Yusof and Mr Willy Shee, chairman of CB Richard Ellis (Asia), also contributed images to the book.
The book juxtaposes the photos with sayings taken from the 10 main faiths practised here: the Baha'i faith, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, Taoism and Zoroastrianism.
Mr Mah asked Singaporeans not to take racial and religious harmony for granted.
He said in his speech: 'Around the world, religion seems to be a critical fault line disrupting peace and harmony between groups, even among those of the same race.
'Singapore is very intricately plugged into the global system, and cannot be insulated from global events. Events like 9/11 in New York and 7/7 in London or even insensitive remarks directed at other faiths by influential religious leaders have the potential to impact us.'
President S R Nathan, the guest of honour at yesterday's event, autographed 10 special edition copies of the book and presented these to organisations which have contributed $10,000 or more to the project.
Priced at $50, the book is distributed by Singapore Press Holdings and is available at major bookshops. Proceeds go to this year's President's Challenge to help the less fortunate.
An exhibition of the images in the book is on at the HDB Hub from today until Aug 14 from 11am to 9pm daily, before making its rounds in the heartland. Admission is free.
