Making a difference at home first
A view of the fun from above
As I walked around the Marina Barrage during the Singapore International Water Festival like a hawk swooping on potential interviewees for my News Writing assignment on the event, I found myself getting distracted by the various goings-on. Digressing from my initial goal, I checked out the sights and sounds with a photographer friend.
Water Wally made a guest appearance!
I learnt how our government managed to make a two-decade-old plan come to pass, and how our independent water supply is crucial to our nation.
I continued my initial mission and interviewed a couple of youths. Sadly, they did not appreciate the festival at all and they were nonchalant about water and water management. I felt a little down after the interviews, and went in search of “older” people who would answer my questions about water.
Here I'm interviewing some Republic Poly dragon boaters
A lecturer from Singapore Polytechnic and the Youth Olympic Games venue manager for the Barrage kindly chatted with me, and their reaction was vastly different from the youths’. They spoke about water management and even shared with me how they personally applied those tips to their own lives and how they managed to change their families’ thinking as well.
I left the interviews feeling a little happier as I finally got positive responses from people who genuinely acknowledge and appreciate the efforts put into saving water for the community. However, it is up to us youths to realise the importance of water and come out with new and innovative strategies to preserve a valuable natural resource.
It’s time for our generation to take the baton and run with it.
Posted by Naomi Seow, School of Film & Media Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Mike
In any generation’s youth, it’s difficult to focus on a 20-year outlook, whether in water supply issues or any other issues. Today’s communication tools tend to heighten the emphasis on immediacy and self-focus even more. But take heart … it’s blog posts like yours and dialogue through other forms of social media that help raise awareness. And we “older” people, if we’re smart, will not only urge more of it but also participate actively.
belewj
Well said! By practicing conservation and sustainable practices, we’re not compromising future generations. We can only hope future generations will carry it onward.
Naomi
That’s true, it’s kind of ironic that the “older” generations are the ones being more enthusiastic and more happening in the field of water than us youths.
I think one of the reasons why youth are so nonchalant about water issues is because we take our present water supply for granted.
Experiences can never be conveyed digitally, it only can be felt physically. Hence one of the only solutions is to send students to do community work in water scarce countries, and to expose them to situations where water is one of the only resources that they can depend on.
But in all, I feel that the PUB has done a good job so far in educating us about water, the only missing puzzle piece is the experience factor.
Keith Morrison
Interestingly enough, Naomi, I saw that YOG are organising tours for the visiting students to…guess where?
…Marina Barrage visitor’s centre…I think; can’t find news link
.
Naomi
Hi Keith!
Here’s the website for the newslink!
http://www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en/en_news/en_media_releases/en_20091112_young_athletes_to_learn_more_about_water_management_at_marina_barrage.print.html
Keith Morrison
Great, thank you, Naomi. I hope you’ll go along to see the first ever youth Olympics…