Singaporean and Indonesian Youth Leaders Forge Stronger Ties to Advance Social Cohesion
Singapore, 19 January 2026 – Thirty youth leaders from Singapore and Indonesia gathered in Singapore from 12 to 16 January 2026 for the Bilateral Relations and Intercultural Dialogue for Growth and Empowerment (BRIDGE) Programme, a bilateral youth leadership exchange organised by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF).
The BRIDGE Programme convened 16 youth leaders from Singapore and 14 from Indonesia, united by a shared commitment to strengthening social cohesion in multicultural societies. Through immersive cross-cultural exchange and collaborative dialogue, participants were given the opportunity to deepen mutual understanding and forge enduring friendships that support peace, inclusivity, and progress across communities.
Anchored on the theme “Fostering Social Cohesion in a Multicultural Society”, the programme featured curated learning journeys, panel discussions, and capacity-building workshops. These experiences offered grounded insights into social cohesion in practice and equipped participants with practical skills and fresh perspectives to drive positive social change in their communities.
Immersive experiences designed to deepen participants’ understanding of inclusive and cohesive communities included:
Community Care and Inclusion
A walking tour led by social impact hub The Foundry explored how grassroots initiatives foster community care and inclusion in the Selegie–Prinsep neighbourhood, a historic civic district in central Singapore;
Public Housing in the Heartlands
A guided walk through Toa Payoh, Singapore’s first fully planned public housing town, exploring its pioneering role in public housing, community institutions, and the everyday lives that shaped modern Singapore.
Religious Harmony in Practice
A guided visit to Harmony in Diversity Gallery, a public education showcase of Singapore’s multi-faith approach to promoting mutual understanding and religious harmony; and
Storytelling for Inclusive Dialogue
An experiential workshop by creative social enterprise and storytelling platform The Black Sampan demonstrated how digital storytelling, food, and culture can serve as tools to foster inclusive conversations.
Participants also engaged in panel discussions that examined the foundations of cohesion from youth perspectives and explored approaches to cultivating inclusive youth leadership for the future. Through facilitated discussions, they explored practical solutions to pressing challenges within their respective communities and ecosystems.
Designed as a collaborative learning experience, the Singapore-based programme enabled Singaporean and Indonesian participants to exchange insights on common social challenges, fostering mutual understanding, critical reflection, and meaningful people-to-people connections.
“Engaging with these community initiatives alongside our Indonesian peers made me pause and think more deeply about what it means to build trust and understanding across differences. Listening to stories from Indonesian peers reminded me that while our contexts differ, the challenges of inclusion and understanding are universal – it is a journey which starts with empathy and continues with action,” said Ms Amalina Binte Abdul Nasir, Vice President, MENDAKI Club, a Singaporean participant.
“What we experienced here was not a one-way learning journey, but a shared process of reflection and dialogue. The programme gave us the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences and see how different approaches can work in diverse societies. It wasn’t just about dialogue – it was about building real connections and finding ways to create inclusive communities together,” said Mr Budy Sugandi, Director of Burperta Pramuka, an Indonesian participant.
Participants also reflected on specific learning journeys that deepened intercultural and inter-faith understanding.
“The visit to the Harmony in Diversity Gallery helped me better understand how Singapore navigates religious and cultural diversity in everyday life. Hearing my Singaporean peers share personal experiences made the discussions very real, and it was meaningful to reflect together on what our societies have in common, as well as the unique nuances in Indonesia and Singapore,” said Ms Ulfatun Hasanah, Programme Officer of INKLUSI @Lakpesdam NU, an Indonesian participant.
“Journeying through the Layered Trails curated by The Foundry with my Indonesian counterparts gave me a more nuanced understanding of social issues in my own country, while opening a meaningful window into the challenges my peers face in theirs. I came to better appreciate how concerns such as aging well, integrating diverse communities, and preserving cultural heritage are universal – yet how each context calls on us, as stakeholders in our shared future, to respond with approaches that are deeply empathetic. This meant being locally grounded, culturally sensitive, and historically informed,” said Singaporean participant Mr Chua Hon Wei Marcus, Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education.
The programme’s welcome dinner on 12 January was graced by Mr Thomas Ardian Siregar, Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Singapore. In his opening remarks, he said: “Singapore and Indonesia may differ in size and context, but we are deeply united by shared values of harmony, diversity, and mutual respect. Through programmes like BRIDGE, our young leaders are not only learning from one another, but building the relationships and empathy needed to strengthen social cohesion and carry our bilateral ties forward.”
Ms Corinna Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore International Foundation, said: “Across ASEAN, our societies are becoming more interconnected, and also more diverse, and young leaders hold the key to bridging divides with empathy and mutual understanding. The BRIDGE Programme is more than an exchange – it is a catalyst for collaboration where youth from Singapore and Indonesia come together to share ideas, challenge perspectives, and co-create solutions that strengthen the fabric of social cohesion. Their commitment gives us hope for a future that is inclusive, resilient, and united.”
She added: “For more than three decades, SIF has built meaningful partnerships between Singaporeans and Indonesians to drive positive change at the people-to-people level. The BRIDGE
programme builds on this legacy by empowering young leaders to transform shared values and dialogue into purposeful action. Through these connections, we aim to nurture inclusive communities where no one is left behind – laying the foundation for a better world.”
The SIF’s work in Indonesia began in 1992, primarily in the areas of healthcare and education capacity-building projects, and in recent years has included projects in the areas of climate and youth development. Globally, the BRIDGE Programme contributes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 4: Inclusive and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, and Goal 17: Partnerships for sustainable development.