Bonding Singapore1 Let us understand the racial harmony day of singapore first
Racial Harmony Day is a day when we appreciate Singapore's racial cohesion. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining peaceful relations among our various racial groups and not to take the racial harmony we enjoy for granted. It is also a day where the different races come together to celebrate our success as a harmonious nation and society built on a rich diversity of cultures and heritages. Deep-seated resentment and mutual distrust between the Malay and Chinese community, sparked off a series of racial riots on 21st July 1964. Racial Harmony Day is commemorated to mark the race riots, and also to serve as a day for reflection and a reminder of the need for racial harmony in multi-racial Singapore, and how the exploitation of communal feelings can threaten the political stability of Singapore.
2 Why is it important to live in Harmony?
As a small country, Singapore has hardly any natural resources. Singaporeans are our only important resource. Living in harmony with one another is therefore very important as it will ensure the continued peace and prosperity that we have enjoyed for many years. Why is it important to live in harmony? Most importantly, there will be peace. We can all be friends with our classmates, colleagues or neighbours. We can help one another in times of trouble. We can go about our daily lives, e.g. at school, at work or at play, without any fear of discrimination or hatred among the different communties. If we are not living in harmony, there will be fear and mistrust among the different communities, which could result in social unrest and racial riots. E.g. in Indonesia, racial violence against the ethnic Chinese has been carried out in several different places in Indonesia, such as Medan, Jakarta, East Timor etc. The violence includes looting, burning (of buildings, properties, vehicles), tortures and murders. Racial riots alone can affect our country's development and growth. It would prevent other countries from investing in our country because we would be politically unstable. With different races working peacefully with one another, there would be economic stability and this will also give confidence to foreign investors, hence bringing w
ealth for the country and for the people
ealth for the country and for the peopleWe the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people. Regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity, and progress for our nation.
3 What can we do for singapore's harmony?
As citizens, it is very easy for us to contribute to racial harmony. Singapore has been admired by many countries for its racial harmony. We must make greater effort in inter-racial interaction.
In a multiracial society, we must be tolerant of the other's races habit or culture. We can share one another's culture and explore the rich culture the other races have. It is also very important to interact with other races. In our communities, we must make friends with neighbours across ethnic boundaries. At important festivals, such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali, we should celebrate together and get to know one another better.We can also join in RC gatherings organised during the Mooncake Festival or at Christimas time. Through these gatherings, we can learn to understand and appreciate each other.
By understanding the differences between the races and religions in Singapore, we will have a greater sense of give and take. The more we know about each other, the less likely we can misunderstand one another. When we have Chinese, Malay and Indian friends, we will appreciate their customs and traditions. We understand why they need to carry out certain practices such as burning of joss sticks and incense. We can also join in celebrating each other's festivals and heritage which altogether make up the Singapore's society
We must also not practise any form of racial discrimination. As a multi-racial, mutli-cultural, multi-religious society, we must always be conscious of the need to foster a sense of acceptance among the various races and religions in our community. At home, parents can educate their children to appreciate and respect other cultures and not discriminate against any race or religion. While we have enjoyed harmonious relations among the ethnic groups, we cannot take this peace for granted. Ethnic and religious strife can easily plunge a nation into chaos. We have seen many examples of this recently, some very close to home. For example, take the case of the recent arrest of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members who are Muslims, and carried out their activities in the name of Islam. We must not over-react, and start looking at the other communities and our neighbours with fear and suspicion.
We live in a diverse nation made up of many different cultures, languages, races, and backgrounds. That kind of variety can make all our lives a lot more fun and interesting, but only if we get along with each other and have to respect each other.
