Why this blog was started
Complex challenges lie ahead for Singapore and the world, whether it is ageing societies, climate change or increasing income inequality and can no longer rely only on the government or formal institutions to solve problems for us.
What if these challenges offer us an opportunity to reimagine our role as citizens from being consumers to engaged changemakers driving community solutions?
We saw the benefits of this during the COVID-19 pandemic, when numerous community initiatives emerged to address needs, strengthening the resilience of countries around the world.
But what can citizens do to help?
Often when we search online for ways to create change, we find articles that talk about problems but not enough about solutions.
After participating in the 2023 edition of the Community Solutions Program, I was exposed to changemakers from all over the world and observed how similar issues are despite our geographical differences. It made me wonder:
Could we learn from each other's solutions and save precious time and money by building on best practices and avoiding past mistakes when starting projects for the communities we care about? For example, could the lessons learnt from a youth mental health project in Kenya be applied in Singapore?
What you can find in this blog
This blog is a collection of articles and ideas to support anyone who wants to be a changemaker and create positive impact for the issues and communities they care about.
In particular, it will focus on in-depth analysis of successful community solutions from around the world - why it works, what lessons they have learnt and what not to do.
It seeks to promote cross-border learning between changemakers in Singapore and around the world and plant seeds for social innovation.
- For changemakers - you can learn from the best practices of changemakers around the world and use that to build your programs or improve your chances of securing funds from funders
- For funders - you can share the solutions featured here with potential grantees to inspire them to create innovative ideas which you can later fund
- For schools - the solutions featured here could serve as inspiration for projects that your students can start as part of their community service, without wasting time or money making mistakes
- For corporates - if you are a Corporate Social Responsibility professional thinking of how to use your company's resources and talent for good, the solutions featured here could serve as inspiration for possible projects.
Our aspiration
Citizens are our greatest untapped assets and they don’t have to come forward only when they are angry. Solutions do not always have to come from the government or non-profits.
This blog seeks to activate the latent potential of citizens in Singapore and countries around the world to create new and generative futures for communities experiencing suffering.