ANNEX B
PUBLIC EDUCATION EFFORTS
GREATER COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP TO PROMOTE GOOD
NEIGHBOURLINESS AND RESOLVE COMMUNITY DISPUTES
Developing a culture of civic mindedness and considerate behaviour addresses the
root cause of community disputes. To this end, public education is important and will
be stepped up to raise awareness of acceptable social norms, encourage citizens to
be gracious and adopt a give-and-take attitude.
This annex contains brief descriptions of existing measures which may be intensified
as well as new initiatives.
The key messages are:
i) Encourage good neighbourliness and considerate behaviour
ii) Do not let differences develop into neighbour disputes
iii) Promote mediation to resolve private disputes
i)
ENCOURAGE GOOD NEIGHBOURLINESS AND CONSIDERATE
BEHAVIOUR
Encourage residents to reach out and make friends with their neighbours.
Big Makan Residents of Opera Estate have organised an annual street
party to bond neighbours for the past 14 years. Close friendship developed
amongst the residents of the tight-knit community. Resident James Suresh,
“When we begin to think of each other as friends, it becomes natural to care
for and help each other…….The first steps and first handshakes are key to
establishing a connection to our neighbours.” The residents take pride in the
occasion. They have added new elements such as fun quizzes about Opera
Estate and relay games.
http://kindness.sg/blog/2013/09/18/a-neighbourly-connection/
Example used in Public Consult Paper
(A) Good Neighbours Project The Housing Development Board (HDB) and
Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) initiated the Good Neighbours Project to
encourage and support residents to initiate projects to bring neighbours together.
Funding of up to $1,000 may be awarded to residents to carry out their project.
Projects should help bring neighbours and residents together to get to know one
another, foster stronger community bonds and promote neighbourliness.
Applications are assessed based on the benefit to community; creativity in activity
or method of engaging the community and the sustainability of the project.
The Community Showcase, held during HDB Community Week 2014, will feature
all the completed Good Neighbours Projects. These projects will vie for the Good
Neighbours Project Award.
http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf/w/CNGNP2014?OpenDocument
(B) SKM’s Seed Kindness Grant encourages students to come up with creative
ideas that promote the values of kindness and graciousness. For 2014 (pending
confirmation on date), the theme of the Seed Kindness Grant is “This is my town”.
Projects which encourage residents of HDB estates to behave in a more
gracious, kind and respectful manner may be awarded up to $1,000.
http://kindness.sg/blog/portfolio/seed-kindness-fund/
(C) Block parties, Floor parties and Familiarisation and Bonding (FAB!) Parties
HDB, SKM and PA will intensify current platforms which facilitate bonding
between residents.
http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf/w/NB2FABBraddell?OpenDocument
Block and Floor Parties are organised regularly by Residents Committees to
get residents to bond. E.g. Canberra RC started organising Floor Parties in
2007. The trend quickly caught on among residents and soon, residents were
organising their own floor parties to get to know their fellow neighbours better.
FAB! Parties are jointly organised by HDB and PA. The FAB! Parties promote
bonding among new residents who have just moved into the neighbourhood
and existing residents.
(D) Good Neighbour Award This recognises deserving residents whose actions
have made housing estates a better place to live in. In 2013, there were 2,500
nominees nationwide.
http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf/w/GNGoodNeighbourAward2013?OpenD
ocument
(E) HeartlanD Beat Art Competition Targets students and uses art as a platform to
spread the message of good neighbourliness. With the theme “Friends Next
Door”, students were asked to illustrate memorable experiences with their
neighbours through their drawings. 6,500 entries were received in 2013.
http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf/w/YOArtComp2013?OpenDocument
(F) Considerate Behaviour Ongoing efforts by various agencies remind residents to
be considerate. For example, common actions which might result in nuisance to
residents such as noise, dripping laundry, obstruction of common corridor are
highlighted to residents as some might not be aware that these constitute
nuisance.
(G) “My neighbour, my friend, it begins me” handbook by HDB encourages
neighbours to make friends and touches on basic do’s and don’ts in high rise
living. So far, 935,800 guidebooks have been distributed.
Do not hang out dripping laundry or mops
Keep volume levels low at home
(http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10333p.nsf/w/GNBeGdNeighbour?OpenDocument)
E.g. Publicity Posters (Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council)
ii)
DO NOT LET DIFFERENCES DEVELOP INTO NEIGHBOURLY DISPUTES
Be prepared to listen and compromise
(A) Build capacity to resolve differences. Besides encouraging neighbours to be
friends, we need to equip citizens with the skills to approach their neighbour
calmly, communicate their concerns clearly, so that both parties can work out an
amicable solution.
Suggested steps to take include:
I.
Be tolerant, if the nuisance is transient, live and let live
II.
Approach your neighbour – your neighbour may not be the source of the
problem or sometimes, he or she may not be aware of the problem
III.
Keep calm and be pleasant – your neighbour will be more likely to respond
positively to the feedback
My Neighbours, My Friends – Gracious Living in the Private Estate (add
visual) Launched by the People’s Association (PA) Neighbourhood Committee
Coordinating Council (NCCC) on 20 July 2013. The idea for the light-hearted
guide was conceived and written by three private estate residents, Dr Selan
Sayampanathan, Ms Theresa Poh and Mr Haji Salim Abdul Kadir, offering
readers a glimpse of the daily lives of private estate residents – delivered with
advice and with a tinge of humour. The booklet was written by residents, for
their fellow private estate residents and advocates gracious living amongst
private estate residents with focus on common issues faced such as noise
management, pest control, cleanliness and considerate usage of shared
spaces. The writers have included recommended approaches to managing
these issues effectively so as to promote harmony and gracious living in their
estates.
(B) We will also be publicising self-help information on how to address common
disputes between neighbours in a user friendly way through publicity efforts by
frontline agencies.
iii)
PROMOTE MEDIATION TO RESOLVE DISPUTES
(A) Reconciliatory approach. Mediation is about community ownership and is a
crucial piece of the community dispute management framework. It seeks to
achieve a win-win outcome decided upon by disputants themselves. When
mediation is successful, neighbour relations are preserved.
(B) Informal mediation When parties cannot resolve their differences on their
own, they may wish to seek the assistance of a neutral party, a mediator.
Grassroots leaders do mediate simple dispute cases between neighbours,
and restore neighbourly relations.
(C) Formal mediation The Community Mediation Centre (CMC) handles around
600 cases each year. About 7 out of 10 cases result in a mutually acceptable
agreement. Mediation is an effective means to defuse community disputes.
Yet, not many people know about this avenue of dispute resolution.
CMC engages our neighbourhoods to educate on the benefits of mediation. It
increases the visibility of mediation by leveraging community events in our
heartlands. CMC is also cultivating mediation skills in young Singaporeans. It
works with schools on a Peer Mediation programme to train students who are
familiar with this art of conflict management.
Community Mediation Unit
Ministry of Law
The Treasury, 100 High Street
#03-02
Singapore 179434
Contact number: 6325 1600
Website: http://www.cmc.gov.sg/