The Singapore International Foundation (SIF) organised the latest edition of SIF Connects! Washington DC – our annual event to reconnect with Friends of Singapore in the United States – on Wednesday, 27 September 2017. In partnership with the US-Asia Institute (USAI), we held a dialogue titled Strengthening Meaningful Connections between the US and ASEAN, to mark ASEAN’s 50th anniversary and 40 years of US-ASEAN relations this year.
Participants exchanged perspectives on fostering people-to-people relationships between ASEAN and the US, and how these connections could usher in a new wave of peace and prosperity by enabling mutual understanding. From the dialogue, it was evident that ASEAN and American communities were inevitably connected, whether through the presence of globalised American enterprises or initiatives for cross-cultural exchange. The panel concluded that it was important to build on people-to-people engagements to create meaningful relationships that bridge cultural divides and bring about positive impact for our communities.
SIF Connects! Washington DC 2016 was centred on the inaugural SIF-USAI Dialogue on Innovative Social Policies for a Better World, where Singaporean and the US communities came together to exchange insights and perspectives on ways to build more cohesive and resilient societies. The dialogue panel featured Institute of Policy Studies Senior Research Fellow Dr Mathew Mathews, Ashoka Global Venture and Fellowship Programme Director Claire Fallender, SIF Chairman Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, USAI Chairman Kent Lucken, and Singapore Malay/Muslim community leader Ambassador Zainul Abidin Rasheed. The dialogue was moderated by SIF representative in Washington DC and US House of Representatives Chief of Staff Matthew Herrmann.
100 Singaporeans and Friends of Singapore (FOS) attended SIF Connects! Washington DC on 6 October 2015 for SIF's our SG50 Dialogue on "What's next, Singapore?". Both communities shared experiences and insights on issues of common concern in education and the environment, as well as on the idea of a future-ready Singapore.
What do American thought leader and former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Jim Leach, prominent artist pair Gregory Burns and Angie Tan-Burns, and a group of Singapore contemporary dance artists from the Maya Dance Theatre have in common? They all play a part in building relationships between Singaporeans and the world communities.
In partnering the SIF to build stronger people-to-people ties between Singapore and the US through cross-cultural conversations and collaborations, they have nurtured international friendships “rooted in personal connections, relationships and the shared belief in working for a better world” said Ms Euleen Goh, Chairman of the SIF at the inaugural SIF Connects! Washington DC, on 14 November 2013.
The evening also provided an opportunity for those present to gain an appreciation of Singapore or relive their Singapore experience through works of art, performances and food. Organised in partnership with and hosted by the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC, the event brought together some 80 FOS and Singaporeans in an evening of friendship and cultural exchange.