OPENING REMARKS AT ROUND TABLE MEETING ON 05.06.2011

THE SINGAPORE TAMIL COMMUNITY

Dear Friends,

As Singaporeans, we are just fresh off the 2011 Parliamentary  Elections.

The recent Elections have shown us what Social Media can do to establishment and established norms. Social Media has the power to change the status quo in days, if not hours. With Change being the new constant, we have an immediate need to embrace Social Media as our new Community Market Place.

There is a 19^th Century Story of a “boiling frog”.  According to the story:

“If you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will of course frantically try to clamber out. But if you place it gently in a pot of tepid water and turn the heat on low, it will float there quite placidly. As the water gradually heats up, the frog will sink into a tranquil stupor, exactly like one of us in a hot bath, and before long, with a smile on its face, it will unresistingly allow itself to be boiled to death”.

The Singapore Tamils are not in that category. But the relevance of the Tamil identity may. We are not only Tamils, but we carry on us other identities which have become more important to our lives.  We therefore can have perfectly normal lives, merely as Singaporeans of Indian Origin.

This may be the good reason for the slow decline in strength and usefulness of Tamil Community Organisations. There are exceptions, because some of us have re-tooled ourselves to stay relevant.

Some organizations exist with only a few individuals. Some only exist because of a few individuals.  Many Tamil Organisations seem to be spending a larger share of their resources to show to others that they exist; and in turn have to support other organizations and well wishers, to show that they too exist.

The “Singapore Tamil Community” is meant to be an E-Platform for Tamil Organisations and their office bearers to share their announcements, ideas, concerns, offers and requests with ease.

We do not want to take a prescriptive approach and say what should or should not be done by our Organisations; which either function in the name of Tamil Identity, or on account of our well being. We just want to provide a collaborative environment, so that the Community of Organisations interested in using the Tamil Identity can find it own destiny and not wait for destiny to find it.

What we are going to do today is to go through the Agenda of Topics that are of concern to the Tamil Organisations and related institutions (as submitted to us); and to get them published in our Blogspot.

The “Singapore Tamil Community” will evolve to be an interactive media, open to office bearers of Registered Societies and Institutions. In addition to the blog feature, we will add facilities as we go along. We want to be the provider of a market place where you can do what you want, as long as you do not infringe into the well being of other users.

And our hope is for the Singapore Tamil Community to find its rightful place among the Singapore Indian Identity and the Singaporean Identity.

By :  R. Kalaichelvan

STC 1st Brainstorming Meeting (5.6.2011)

வணக்கம்,

பொன்னான உங்கள் நேரத்தை நம் சமுதாய முன்னேற்றத்திற்கு செலவிட வந்துள்ள உங்கள் அனைவருக்கும் எங்கள் முதற்கண் வணக்கம்.

Indians-Sg@yahoogroup  என்ற மடல் குழுவில் சிங்கை வாழ் இந்தியர்களின் கல்வி, சமுதாயம், பண்பாடு, வாணிகம், மொழி முதலியவை பற்றி ஆய்ந்து அலசப்பட்டுள்ளது. இது 10 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் தொடங்கப்பட்டு பல சாதனைகளைச் சாதித்துள்ளது.  அவை அனைத்திற்கும் இன்றைய முயற்சி மகுடம் வைத்ததுபோல அமையும் என்று எதிர்பார்க்கிறோம். இதிலிருந்து அனுப்பப்படும் மடல்கள் உறுப்பினர்களை மட்டுமே சென்றடையும்.

பதிவு செய்யப்பட்ட சங்கங்களில் சில மிக உன்னதமான பணிகளைச் செய்து வருகின்றன. அதைப்போல மற்ற பல சங்கங்களும் மக்களுக்குப் பணியாற்ற வேண்டும் என்ற ஆசை பலருக்கும் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது.

நமது சமுதாயத்திற்குப் பல சவால்கள் முளைத்துள்ளன. அவற்றை நாம் நமது ஒற்றுமையினால் எளிதில் வெல்லமுடியும். நமது அரசு உலகத்தில் மிகச்சிறந்தவற்றுள் ஒன்று. நம் மொழிக்கு வேறு எந்த நாட்டிலும் இவ்வளவு பெருமை கிடைப்பதாக தெரியவில்லை. இருப்பினும் அந்த பெருமை அழியாமல் காப்பது நம் கையில்தான் இருக்கிறது.

இந்த சங்கங்களை ஒன்று கூட்டி கருத்துபரிமாற்றங்கள் செய்து கொள்ள இன்றைய நிகழ்ச்சி மிகவும் உதவும் என்று நம்புகிறேன்.

நன்றி
மாகோ

Singapore Tamil Community

“The Singapore Tamil Community”  (சிங்கப்பூர் தமிழ் சமுதாயம்)  is a discussion group brought to you by a number of Tamil Organisations and “Indians-Sg@yahoogroups.com” ( A Yahoo-Social Media based discussion group with about 2,000 registered participants ).



1.     Background
From time to time, Tamil Organisations have been meeting at various locations in informal and formal dialogues, networking sessions and conferences. These have been beneficial for sharing information, ideas, opinions  and even resources. 

Feedback, discussion and debate have also been an on going affair  at  “Indians-Sg” Yahoo discussion group; and it is an “on-line, real time and interactive” platform familiar to the Singapore Tamil Speaking Community. ( For more information on “Indians-Sg”, please write to indians-sg-owner@yahoogroups.com )

Taking the foregoing efforts to another height;  Indians-Sg, together with a number of Tamil Organisations, have launched a platform for Tamil Organisations to meet, network and interact on issues and opportunities that should be of concern to the Tamil Speaking Community in Singapore. This platform is being called, “Singapore Tamil Community”. 

2.     The first meeting
The first meeting of the “Singapore Tamil Community” will be a round table brainstorming session, attended by key office bearers of Tamil Organisations.  Details are as follows:

Date:              05.06.2011 (Sunday)
Venue:           Sinda Meeting Room at 01 Beatty Road, 2nd Floor
Time:              3.00pm to 5.00pm
Host:              Umar Pulavar Tamil High School Old Students Association (UPTHS OSA)


3.       The methodology of the STC (Singapore Tamil Community) is as follows:

a. Nature of Discussion : Non political topics affecting the Tamil Community and Tamil Community Organisations.

b.  Format : Round Table discussions among leaders of Tamil speaking organisations.

c.  Frequency : as and when there is a need.

d.  Agenda: To be submitted by participants before the meeting to: indians-sg-owner@yahoogroups.com

e.  Convened by : Any of the members of the discussion group by sending out an invitation through Indians-Sg@yahoogroups.com

f.  Co-ordinator & Facilitators from: Indians-Sg@yahoogroups.com
g. Meeting Host : Each meeting to have a host who have volunteered. Host is to provide venue and to chair the meeting.

h. Refreshments Sponsor : Provides refreshments on voluntary basis with no reimbursement from participants.

i.  Meeting Secretary : To record the minutes and circulate to those who have attended the meeting.

j.  Quorum for meeting : Not required.

k.  Meeting Rules : Decided by the Meeting Host.

l.   Attendance : Voluntary.

m.  Follow up actions : Decided by each organisation and implemented under the respective organisations.

Looking forward to meeting you on 05.06.2011