Page 5 - SIF PD Strategy

DEEDS DIPLOM ACY

Deeds not just words are characteristic of Singapore. Tangible
acts by Singaporeans to sustainably improve the lives of
developing communities overseas convey values and ideals we
stand for ? compassion, responsibility, kinship? Singapore as a
dependable friend.

In the global fora, our collaborative aid efforts also
contribute to the SDGs, particularly SDGs 3, 4, 6, 10
and 17 or Healthcare, Education, Water and Sanitation,
Reduced Inequalities and Partnerships, respectively.
SIF will work collaboratively with the public, private
and civil society in Singapore and in the region to uplift
lives through healthcare, education, environment,
livelihood and other projects.

Our Volunt eer Cooperat ion programme contributes
to positive and sustainable development in Asia when
Singaporean volunteers work alongside their
counterparts to share expertise and effect change,
while fostering greater intercultural understanding.

Over the years, we have developed and implemented
a total of 212 programmes which have generated a
Tangible acts by Singaporeans
network of at least 13,000 Friends of Singapore.
to sustainably im prove the lives
These programmes have directly impacted close to
of developing com m unities
180,000 beneficiaries and touched the lives of 14.9
overseas con vey val ues an d
million people in the region.
i deal s we stand for ?
com passion, responsibility, A study we commissioned to evaluate the impact of
kinship? Si n gapor e as a international volunteering discovered that the unique
depen dabl e fr i en d. value-add of a people-cent red development
approach lay in t he friendships t hat volunt eers
1
formed across cult ures.

Skilled international volunteers were trusted, liked and well-motivated for effective person-to-person

teaching and engagement. Volunteers?motivations and attitudes also had an instrumental value for

capacity-building and positively contributed to sustainable development outcomes.
We will also leverage t he privat e sect or and civil societ y to grow social impact businesses in
Singapore and beyond.

The Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) programme has had a good run and we celebrate its 10th
anniversary in 2019. Over the decade, it has built a net work of 1,000 young changemakers and 447
social ent erprises support ed by 131 inst it ut ional part ners and 4,000 friends and volunt eers.

2
The transformational partnership and asset-based community development approach is a powerful PD
tool to deliver on networks and mindshare and we plan to build on its success.

1 Benjamin Lough, Global Partners for Sustainable Development: The Added Value of Singapore International Foundation Volunteers (SIF 2016).
2 Asset-based Community Development (ABCD) is an alternative to needs-based approaches to development. ABCD draws attention to
social assets: talents of individuals, as well as the social capital inherent in the relationships that fuel local associations and informal
networks (Source: Alison Mathie & Gord Cunningham, From clients to citizens: Asset-based Community Development as a strategy for
community-driven development, Development in Practice, Volume 13, Number 5, November 2003, Carfax Publishing).

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