Of the 256 young people who attended the Forum, 69 were international participants who came from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Japan and even as far afield as the United States. Local participants were from various schools, including RJC.

Explaining how the idea for the Forum came about, Ms Melissa Lim, one of the teachers overseeing the event, said, “As part of RJC’s efforts to develop students in character, citizenship and leadership education, we organised a three-day Community Leaders Programme in 2006 and 2007 for students keen to pursue social advocacy. The idea was to push the frontiers of community involvement beyond basic community service. The Forum arose as a follow-up project for the ‘graduates’ of the Programme.”

Wide-ranging issues were discussed during the Forum, including issues of animal welfare, juvenile delinquency, body image and esteem issues of young women, civic engagement for youth, educational opportunities, the impact of poverty on children; understanding the intellectually disabled; improving ethnic relations among students; and meeting the needs of the elderly.

In formulating their proposals, participants attended workshops, held group discussions and conducted ground research.

Prior to the Forum, each participant selected an issue of their interest and were then assigned to Special Interest Groups, aligned to what they were interested in. During the Forum, they attended workshops, held group discussions and conducted ground research to develop ideas and formulate proposals. Invited speakers from ministries and non-government organisations also spoke on various issues. Participants also got a chance to attend workshops on other issues other than their own Special Interest, during the first two days of the Forum.

RJC student Readon Toh who was in the Special Interest Group on meeting the needs of the elderly, not only appreciated the opportunity to engage with like-minded peers, but was also keen to learn from the leaders and staff of voluntary welfare organisations looking after the elderly. “They gave us insight into what the elderly truly need for wellness, in terms of the physical, psychological, financial, social and even spiritual aspects,” he said.

The ideas generated at the Forum are not an end all to themselves. Readon shared that with a few schoolmates, he is now working on the final stages for a project, Sunshine Befrienders’ Club, which aims to work with associations such as NTUC Eldercare to bring services to the elderly to enrich their quality of living. Through the project, they also hope to foster strong inter-generational ties by providing a platform for interaction and understanding.

In his opening address at the Forum, Rear-Admiral Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister of State for Education, said, “You may not be aware of the potential within each of you. But if you could recognise your ability to touch the lives of others through creativity, enterprise, ingenuity, innovation and sheer guts, you can make a big difference to the world we live in.”

Touching the lives of others through their passion, commitment and innovation - the Raffles Community Leaders Forum has shown how empowering youths and unlocking their potential can go very far in making a big difference to the world we live in.