Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2016 Manifesto NUSTLS Singapore Tamil Youth Conference 2016 Manif | Page 81

Issue 13: Community Work for Tamils by Tamils
Post-Panel Discussion
How can we bring the Tamil community together to engage in community work?
Recommendation 1: Creation of Platforms to Develop Empathy
• Conduct biannual focus group discussions between Tamils from varying age groups
(youths, middle-aged adults and elderly), to elicit concerns and community needs. These
focus group discussions can be conducted by Indian Activity Executive Committee (IAEC)
in community clubs.
Recommendation 2: Bridging Student Groups
• The Indian and Tamil cultural groups from pre-university institutions i.e. Junior Colleges,
Polytechnics and ITEs can consider working together to put up shows for charity
organisations, especially since these shows are very popular.
• The existing tri-university camp among NUS Tamil Language Society, NTU Tamil Literary
Society and SMU Tamizha, could extend to work on community projects with active
volunteer engagement.
Recommendation 3: Skills Training for Volunteers
• Volunteers with inappropriate skills or a lack of experience may do more harm than good
to the beneficiaries, thus skills training is important.
• Engage the youth in training programmes organised by the schools. These training
programmes will increase the quantity and quality of volunteers for long-term projects.
• These training programmes are to be conducted by social workers or staff from the
organisation of the beneficiary e.g. SINDA, Charity Organisations.
Recommendation 4: Kickstart a Facebook Group with Passionate Individuals
• Start an online Facebook group consisting of seasoned veterans who carry out regular
community work and passionate youths. The youths can post their proposed community
project on the group, and the group can post their opinions as well as bring together
contacts to implement the projects. The veterans will also be able to provide their
opinions on the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed projects.
• Make it compulsory for every foreign worker to get a brochure about all the help
organisations that they approach to seek redress for salary and accommodation issues.
Issue 13: Community Work for Tamils by Tamils
PAGE 81