Young Democrats (YD) President, Mr Charles Tan, is currently in Brussels, Belgium for a month-long internship. The stint is part of an on-going program conducted by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and the International Political Dialogue of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (IPD-FNF) in cooperation with the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) of which the SDP is a member.
Mr Tan is a marketing executive. He joined the Singapore Democrats in 2004 and has written several articles which have appeared on this website. He is also an active member of the Young Liberals and Democrats in Asia, a regional youth organisation promotion democracy and human rights.
The YD president will be involved with parliamentary work in the European Parliament in Brussels as well as in Strasbourg, France. He will also help out in research and advocacy initiatives with European non-government organizations. At the same time he will also keep European Parliamentarians apprised about the political situation in Singapore.
Mr Tan has quickly settled into his new routine and has been kept busy right from the word go. It is valuable experience for the Young Democrat which will put him in good stead in his future role in the SDP and in fighting for democracy in Singapore. Mr Tan will return home at the end of April 2005.