Activism Takes Off - National Day 2005

Now that Nation party has moved to Phuket, I wonder about the relevance of keeping the title. Perhaps the organizers could call it something like Phuket Post Nation Party or something the likes.

The good thing that came out of all this?

IndigNation - Singapore’s first Pride Month comprising of activities organized solely by the GLBT community.

Perhaps it may not be as large scale as Nation, boost tourism or attract the circuit boys but it shows a certain level of willingness on the part of the organizers in their commitment to build community bonds, which is a good start, at the very least. One hopes the Pride Month will continue next year with more participation from more stakeholders, and involve a larger segment of the Singapore population. It is time to walk out of the gay ghetto mindset and reach out to Singaporeans, educating them on what the gay community is about – not just parties or saunas.

On another positive note, Dr Chee’s launch of his book on non-violence counts as another highlight of the year. His book draws a new roadmap for Singapore by helping us reconsider our options in a totalitarian system.

While various non violent workshops have already been organized, there are still plenty of work to be done; including more workshops, educating the average Singaporeans on what non-violence is; recruiting more Singaporeans activist on using non-violence campaigns to bring about more openness, transparency and accountability.

In a tightly controlled and regulated country, the only way to break free of these chains of authoritarianism is use non-violence; develop and strategise short, mid and long term goals, and projects to pave the way towards a much more inclusive democratic society where Opposition is strong and civil society active.

Let us celebrate National Day 2005 with a positive note. I have a gut feeling we are heading off to a good start.