The students spoke of ice kacang, of the dishes unique to the races in Singapore.
It wasn't a food festival or a cooking competition. It was the annual Heartware CSSP Challenge Camp, running for the 6th year. It brought together youths of different races and religions, offering opportunities for making friends, and better understanding and appreciation of multi-racial, multi-religious Singapore. Held in the Mayflower Secondary School, the camp lasted 4 days.
There were presents to be had, from answering questions to a short introduction to the Community Engagement Programme (or CEP for short). Then the CEP poster-making competition, when student campers spoke of the analogy of Singapore United to the ice kacang with its many ingredients and colours. Some spoke profoundly of how if the circle of Singaporeans remained united, terrorism would not work.
Here are some of the posters, and what they mean, in the words of the student campers.
Best Poster Presentation by Group C5
The four people in this poster represent the various races in this country - Singapore, namely the Chinese, Malay, Indians and the Eurasians. The linking of hands symbolizes how people from different races are connected. Just as the saying “United we stand, divided we fall”, the same goes for Singapore’s efforts against terrorism. It is only when all the races in this country cooperate and put in their best in ensuring its safety will Singapore truly be an island paradise. The recent issue regarding Mas Selamat has brought to our attention the imminent threat of terrorism. It is no longer a foreign issue to this country. As Singaporeans, we should actively participate in efforts to strengthen our inter-racial foundation such that we will remain resilient towards terrorist threats. Another important feature of our poster is the locked box in the middle, firmly shut by the collective efforts of those surrounding it. This box is liken to terrorism. When all of us are firm in our grounds against terrorism, terrorism will be like the ghost that is encased within the box, unable to escape. In conclusion, our poster brings out the importance of racial harmony when dealing with terrorism. With all this said, can Singapore really be like what we depicted in the poster? Yes, we can!
Best Poster Design by Group F2
Singapore is a multi-racial country with a mix of varied cultures and individuals. The major racial groups in Singapore are Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians. Racial Harmony is important to Singapore as it bonds different religious groups together. Racial Harmony Day is celebrated in school to promote harmony among races and understanding of others’ cultures. This symbol represents the four races in Singapore. It shows that they can work together as one united nation by standing next to each other. This is the different ethnic clothing from different ethnic groups. The girl in red represents the Chinese as she is wearing cheongsam. The guy in blue is wearing a baju kurung which represent the Malays. The girl in purple represents the Indians as she is wearing sari. The guy in brown is wearing a tuxedo and represents the Eurasians. The four hands represent different religious group working together regardless of race, religion or language. What is terrorist threat? A terrorist threat may spark conflicts among religious groups. Without racial harmony, people misunderstand each other and this may cause riots. The radioactive signal represents the threat of terrorism. What can we do to prevent terrorism? You can be informed, be involved, be prepared and be vigilant. We must prevent terrorism threats so that Singaporeans can live in harmony.
Best Teamwork by Group F3
Racial harmony is essential in Singapore’s multi-racial society. Racial harmony acts as a shield against terrorism as it will help us work together in times of crisis. Festivals in particular aid in promoting racial harmony among the different races as Singaporeans can understand each other’s culture through celebrations. In conclusion, we must have racial harmony amongst Singaporeans to prevent terrorism from affecting our daily lives. This acts as a shield that surrounds our minds and protects Singapore from terrorism. It is a form of psychological defence, one of the five aspects of Total Defence. With social cohesion and harmony, Singapore will enjoy peace and stability.
Poster designed by Group C4
Our poster depicts the various ethnic groups in Singapore being together. All Singaporeans know that racial harmony is very important and this poster aims to spread the importance of racial harmony. The harmonious bond among Singaporeans can be seen in this poster. Through the design of this poster, we learn and understand more about the other races. We also learn that being together in harmony is better than having racial conflicts. In addition, we learn more about the festivals celebrated by the other races which are different from our own cultures. For example, Indians have festivals such as Diwali and Telugu (New Year) and the Chinese have the Dragon Boat Festival. As for the Malay Muslim community, they have celebrations such as Hari Raya Puasa. As you can see, we have drawn an ice kacang for the background of our poster. The different colours of the ice kacang represent the bonding of the different races and religions. You can see in our poster that each and every race have their special features which shows our diversity. Although Singaporeans are of different races and cultures, we share a common goal, which is to live in a peaceful, happy and comfortable environment.
After lunch, it was more fun time as the students went around the school in search of "treasures" - gems of knowledge on the racial and religious practices in Singapore. After deciphering the location of the various venues based on the clues given, students raced to complete 11 tasks. These ranged from translating the national pledge into the different official languages to naming traditional Chinese costume for men.
For more information of the event, please click here.
