Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 2) | Página 133

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nation was the propagation of a set of Shared Values in 1989 1 to “evolve
and anchor a Singaporean identity” by incorporating various elements
of the country’s cultural heritage, attitudes and values. A White Paper on
the Shared Values (Shared Values, 1991) was presented and adopted in
Parliament in January 1991.
The intent of the Shared Values was to identify common key values so that
all communities would gradually develop more “distinctively Singaporean
characteristics” over time. The main theme underlying the set of Shared
Values emphasized communitarian values and reflected Singapore’s heritage.
Unfortunately, there was insufficient follow through to entrench these values
which could have been sealed in or embedded into the foundation of what
could have constituted the design of the social fabric of the nation. However,
the values did pervade policy implementation. The values were very similar
to the ones that the social work profession upholds such as respect for the
individual and family; building consensus and forming community support
for the vulnerable and compassion for the disadvantaged.
Another attempt in codifying the foundation of nation building could be
traced to 1997, when the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong called for
a national visioning exercise, known as Singapore 21 Vision, to deepen
Singaporeans’ sense of belonging to the country and progress beyond
material achievements and to establish a society with people at its very centre.
Singapore 21 espoused five key ideas: that every Singaporean matters to
society, that strong families are the foundation for building a strong society,
that Singapore should be a cosmopolitan city with opportunities for all, that
every individual should share a “Singapore Heartbeat” and be emotionally
rooted to the country, and that citizens should take the initiative to impact
society. Singapore 21, which involved a wide range of people with different
backgrounds, provided a comprehensive list on what the individual, society
and government could do to further the process of nation-building and
the building of an inclusive society. The effort engaged citizens to be more
involved in nation building and signalled the value in engaging the citizenry
in a process of consultation.
1

The five shared values are (i) Nation before community and society above self: Putting the
interests of society ahead of the individual; (ii) Family as the basic unit of society: The family
is identified as the most stable fundamental building block of the nation; (iii) Community
support and respect for the individual: Recognizes that the individual has rights, which
should be respected. Encourages the community to support and have compassion for the
disadvantaged individual who may have been left behind by the free market system; (iv)
Consensus, not conflict: Resolving issues through consensus and not conflict and stresses
the importance of compromise and national unity; and (v) Racial and religious harmony:
Recognizes the need for different communities to live harmoniously with one another in
order for all to prosper.

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