Bonding Through Community Forum

I spent an engaging Saturday afternoon with some 300 residents and grassroots leaders discussing how we can make our community a better place for all residents. The occasion was the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC community forum.

The forum was part of the GRC’s 3-year workplan process that started in February. The workplan process allowed residents to have a say on how they want to shape our GRC. Before the forum, more than 100 students from 13 schools in the GRC interviewed residents to gather views on how they felt about the GRC. Their views were studied and strategic areas of focus were identified. Teams were formed to look into these areas and propose projects for the GRC.

It was fun and fruitful afternoon, hearing the exciting ideas that various project teams have put together to involve the youth, encourage community volunteerism and promote community bonding. Some of the ideas raise were:

a. Holding a book festival where residents can exchange and trade old books
b. Organising a GRC Garden Festival to promote community bonding through gardening
c. Expanding the annual GRC Healthy Heart Day to a full-scale community sports festival called the Active Heart Day
d. Having a GRC-wide giant recycling project that involves everyone in the GRC
e. Implementing a system to encourage short-term volunteerism by residents on a project basis
f. Having younger residents help older ones get online through Facebook

While some ideas may have been explored previously, what struck me was the enthusiasm and participation by everyone.

For me, the significance of the forum was not the projects that were raised, but rather the process in which the residents came together to put their ideas forward. This process got them closer to other residents while they explored how to improve their communities. It allowed them the opportunity to bond through a common purpose. We should have more of such sessions.

The ideas that were tossed up during the forum will not end after the session. The grassroots leaders will explore how they can implement these ideas with more residents. We will keep the enthusiasm going.

On a personal note, the most encouraging moment of the forum was when a secondary school student stood up and said, “I was involved in interviewing the residents before this forum. What I did was meaningful. How else can I help after the forum?”

The eagerness and passion in the tone of the young man’s voice was inspiring. If we have more young men and residents like him, we will make Bishan-Toa Payoh a better place for all our residents. And if there are more young Singaporeans like him, we will have a bright future.


Wong Kan Seng