Speech By Ms Jean Tan, SIF Executive Director, at SIF’s International Volunteer Day Celebration and Launch of the SIF Global Citizen Education

Distinguished Volunteers, Partners & Friends,

Good afternoon, and a warm welcome to our International Volunteer Day celebration.

At the heart of the Singapore International Foundation's (SIF) mission are you - our dedicated volunteers, the driving force behind our impactful initiatives. Your commitment forms the bedrock of SIF's endeavours, and we express our deep gratitude for your generous contributions of time and talent.

At SIF, we recognise the important role our volunteers play as global citizens. In today’s hyper-connected world, we need global cooperation to solve shared challenges. Complex problems, such as poverty, pandemics, clean water scarcity, and climate change cannot be solved in isolation; they require countries and multiple stakeholders collaborate. The work the SIF does in international development and peace-building strengthens such global cooperation. And many of our efforts to uplift lives are powered by individuals (like yourself) who care about the wider world and take an active role in making it a better place. 

Global citizens also appreciate and respect cultural diversity. As our citizen ambassadors, you engage with communities worldwide, seeking to understand different perspectives, while sharing Singapore’s way of life, fostering understanding and cooperation in an interconnected world. We value your efforts to promote peace in an increasingly polarized world.

In line with this shared vision, I am excited to announce the launch of the SIF Global Citizen Education or GCE programme. Developed in consultation with our volunteers, it seeks to empower individuals with the understanding and skills needed to actively and responsibly engage in a globalised world. The GCE curriculum comprises four modules; an introductory module that that covers what it means to be a global citizen and its impact; another that explores the vital role everyday citizens play in strengthening cross-border ties and trust; a third on cultural intelligence, a critical skill that will enable one to effectively navigate and interact within diverse cultural contexts; and finally an overview of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and SIF’s contributions. Anticipate the programme’s availability next quarter, accessible through both blended and fully virtual modes via a Learning Management System.

To mark International Volunteer Day, and support SG Enable's 'Enabling Lives Festival', we are pleased to present 'Perspectives’, a disability-led short film featuring SIF alumna, Lim Lee Lee, followed by a post-show dialogue with its exceptional cast. SYNC Singapore, a collaborative initiative by the SIF, Very Special Arts, National Arts Council, and the British Council Singapore, was designed to nurture leaders within the disabled community. We’re very proud of Lim Lee who has exemplified such leadership, with her powerful expression of the disabled community’s voice through the arts, bother here and abroad.

I wish all of you a pleasant and meaningful afternoon ahead.