Singapore Democrats
The Singapore Democrats met last Saturday to take stock of everything that happened in 2011 – and there was much that happened besides the general elections in May – as well as to draw up plans for the coming year.
Members and associates attended the year-end Annual Strategic Review to assess the party’s programme and to ensure that the various sub-committees that carry out these plans remain well-staffed and well-managed.
As the SDP grows we continue to involve our newer members in meaningful ways. The meeting is one such avenue where members become more involved in the planning and execution of the projects.
Among some of the bigger and more exciting events penned in is a Party convention that will be held in the middle of next year where there will be policy debates, seminars and caucus meetings.
The Community Services Unit also laid out plans to step up our interaction with the residents in the various constituencies that we are presently working on. Block parties will be held for residents on a frequent and regular basis. We had organised one such event inthe Ghim Moh estate which turned out to be very successful.
Block parties are one way to reach out to our fellow citizens and to help them realise that power is really in their hands and not those in the PAP. It is only through an empowered citizenry that meaningful political change can take place.
Training seminars and social events will continue to be organised by the Training & Development Unit. Among some of the topics for the seminars are how to use one’s skills to drive political change or developing one’s leadership skills.
The Policy Unit will organise discussions and produce policy papers like the one we did for the ministerial salaries (read Ethical Salaries for a Paublic Centred Government). Among some of the areas that will be examined in 2012 are HDB prices, the economy, healthcare costs and education system.
But, as they say, all work and no play make Democrats not fun. In keeping with the year-end holiday cheer, particpants exchanged gifts with everyone going home with a little something. Most important, they went home with the fire still burning for the ideals that the SDP is working towards.