Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2016 Manifesto NUSTLS Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2016 Manif | Page 6

Arts and Culture
Recommendation 1: Tweak the Objectives of National Competitions
• Most of the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) performances are dance-oriented with minimal
scope for other forms of Indian arts (e.g. singing, music and instrumental performances).
Competitions for individuals can be considered as well.
• Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) could consider organising a series of workshops to train
interested students in writing. This will increase the pool of local Tamil writers.
Recommendation 2: Bridge the Gap between Traditional Media and Social Media
• Many youths are actively using social media platforms and it could help in sustenance of
Tamil language and culture. Fashion tips (traditional, casual, formal) and traditional Indian
food recipes can be uploaded on these platforms (e.g. 10-minute meals) to engage the
youth.
• Celebrities, with a great social media following, can take a month-long campaign to
upload posts or captions related to the Tamil language and culture.
Recommendation 3: Cultural Exchange Programmes in University
• Professors from the South Asian Department can collaborate with different Tamil
educational institutes worldwide e.g. Mauritius, Sri Lanka to organise cultural exchange
programmes. This allows cross regional sharing of one’s Tamil identity and reinforces it.
Community Work
Recommendation 1: Altering the Focus of Project Work (PW) in Junior Colleges
• Topics related to community work can be given in PW to spur the youths to start thinking
about challenges/issues that the community faces. The youths could be given the option
to choose their community project to give them a greater sense of ownership.
Recommendation 2: Increase exposure to Community Work from Primary School
• In primary school when students are more impressionable, community work could be
made mandatory. The students do not need to engage in planning, but merely be
exposed to the various projects and initiatives that can be done to uplift the lives of the
beneficiaries.
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