Message from SIF Executive Director

Dear friends of SIF,

In a short span of time, we have seen the world change and grapple with the transformative impact of COVID-19. I hope you are all managing this well and staying healthy.

For the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), the issues have been about volunteer and workplace safety; supporting our programme partners and alumni; business continuity; and rethinking ways of doing things that might just be our next normal. While the end point is not apparent, what has been heartening is how this crisis has helped each of us clarify what we truly care about, and galvanised diverse communities to come together to address a global challenge.

At the SIF, the safety, security and well-being of our volunteers, partners and staff are paramount. In this regard, we have suspended our volunteer operations and repatriated our in-field volunteer from Laos. All project launches for Volunteer Cooperation, Good Business and Cultural Exchange programmes have been postponed until further notice. Thankfully, the SIF’s digital initiative Our Better World (OBW) continues to operate with minimal impact compared to our more analogue programmes. In fact, OBW has powered up its digital connectivity and networks, telling stories of humanity at the heart of a crisis to inspire hope and action.

We are also supporting efforts by our programme partners and alumni to demonstrate solidarity in a pandemic. Initiatives include the ‘Stay Home Quilt’, a global participatory art project led by our Arts for Good alumnus Lin Shiyun. And ‘Gift A Song’ by Citizen Ambassador Clement Chow where Singaporean musicians will use their talents to uplift the spirits of the weary – both here and overseas – with song.

What this crisis has also taught us is how interconnected the world is, as a zoonotic disease forced change in every corner of this world. We have all adjusted – developed new capabilities, adapted programmes and changed mindsets to stay safe, even thrive in this new world. Yet what remains unchanged is our responsibility to one another as members of a global community. Our sense of compassion and civil duty has never been more important. And working together is key to emerging from this, a stronger global community.

We look forward to reimagining society and shaping a better future with you.

Jean Tan
Executive Director
Singapore International Foundation