 |  | The new exco members from the old guard - (back row from left) Tan Joo Hymn, Hafizah Osman, Chew I-Jin, Constance Singam, Nancy Griffiths, Nicole Tan, Martha Lee and Margaret Thomas, and (front row from left) Yap Ching Wi, Lim Seow Yuin, Joanna D'Cruz and president Dana Lam. -- ST FILE PHOTO |
I USED to think that Singapore women were apathetic. Saturday's extraordinary general meeting of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) showed me otherwise. Women wore T-shirts and badges declaring their support, and waved cards in the air that said 'For all women, trust, respect, choice'. It was the best $40 I spent on membership - and a place at the meeting - never mind the current economic situation and the upcoming Great Singapore Sale.
The spirit exuding from the women was worth it all. I learnt that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are run differently from companies. NGOs run on goodwill and volunteers are valued assets who should never be let go. Consequently, such a society's leadership is powered from bottom-up, instead of top-down.
Also, NGOs talk about profit differently. In a company, profit is total income minus total cost. In an NGO, it is cost minimisation at all times because money can always be used to 'profit' someone in need.
Also gratifying was the debunking of the cliche that Singaporeans judge each other by paper qualifications. A lesser academically qualified member of Aware with a proven record for passionate advocacy is valued more that a better-qualified one without it. So, even highly paper-qualified fresh faces without prior experience need to be humble to learn from more experienced but possibly less paper-qualified ones.
Ho Anqi (Ms)
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=28024.59
No comments:
Post a Comment