Events

Jointly organized by the Asian Urbanisms Cluster of Asia Research Institute, and Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore.

CHAIRPERSON

Dr Karen McNamara, Asia Research Institute, and Tembusu College, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

In this roundtable seminar, representatives from three local non-profit organizations will discuss how research informs their work with low-wage migrant workers in Singapore. They will present some methods that their organizations use to understand the living and working conditions of migrants. Part of this process is assessing the availability and applicability of current knowledge about migrant workers. How does research help organizations decide what issues to focus on in their work? How is advocacy research different from academic research? How can we translate research into actions to improve migrant workers’ lives in Singapore?

For Further Reading

– Charanpal, S.B. (2015). Production Politics and Migrant Labour Advocacy in Singapore. Journal of Contemporary Asia 45 (2), 219-242.
– Dutta, M. (2015). Food Insecurity and Health of Bangladeshi Workers in Singapore: A Culture-Centered Study. Singapore: Care White Paper Series 1.
– Fillinger, T. et al. (2017). Labour Protection for the Vulnerable.
– Koh, C.Y., Goh, C., Wee, K. and B.S. Yeoh. (2017). Drivers of Migration Policy Reform: The Day Off Policy for Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore. Global Social Policy 17 (2), 188-205.
– Yeoh, B.S.A., G. Baey, M. Platt, and K. Wee. (2018). Bangladeshi Construction Workers and the Politics of (Im)mobility in Singapore. City 21 (5) 641-649.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Stephanie Chok works at HOME as their Advocacy and Communications Manager. She holds an MA in Development Studies and completed her PhD at Murdoch University, Western Australia, writing her dissertation on temporary migrant workers in Singapore. Her thesis was awarded the second prize in the 2013 Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) Presidents’ awards for the best theses on Asia. For many years, Stephanie has volunteered with local migrant worker organisations, such as Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME).

Debbie Fordyce is a member of the Executive Committee at TWC2. She is a long-term resident of Singapore and a life-long advocate for the underprivileged, devotes almost all her time to TWC2, leading the Cuff Road Food Programme. Her volunteer work with the meal project has her talking to workers to record their stories, and keeping records of the types of cases and the individual participants, information that supports research and reveals gaps in the system of recruitment and employment. Many of these men, in spite of their desperate situation, have become good friends ready to share their lives and dreams.

Natarajan Rajaraman (Raj) joined HealthServe in February of this year and is overseeing the operations of the medical and dental clinics, as well as the development of community-based health programmes, research, education, and health-related external collaborations. Raj has a background in medicine, global public health, and education. His specific interests are in the health of vulnerable populations and post-conflict health systems strengthening. Since joining the team at HealthServe, Raj has been inspired by the resilience of our migrant brothers and the generosity of our volunteers and partners.

REGISTRATION

Admission is free. We would greatly appreciate if you click on the “Register” button above to RSVP.

ACTIVATE! EMERGENT FORMS OF CIVIC PRACTICES IN CONTEMPORARY ASIAN CITIES SEMINAR SERIES

In recent years, the multifaceted forms of civic practices—ranging from participatory urbanism, to artistic interventions, and to street protests launched by activists—have become more prominent in Asian cities, attracting scholarly attention across different disciplines. The transformations in civil society have raised the following questions: What are the emerging challenges and contingencies the varied interest groups are facing? What kind of conflicts can arise during and after instances of civil activism, and how can these tensions be ameliorated? How can social engagement, practice and research be bridged together by, and for, different individuals and agencies? When does social engagement become perceived as civil activism?

This seminar series, jointly organized by Asian Urbanisms cluster (ARI) and the Department of Architecture, critically presents and examines the novel forms of civic practices that have manifested in the Asian urban context through a transdisciplinary framework. Bringing together academics, practitioners, students, and the general public interested in urban spatial strategies in relation to negotiate the formation and role of civil societies, the seminars seek to initiate discourse on the following themes: First, to explore how the varied stakeholders involved in civil society groups, including academics and educators, activists, artists, NGOs, NPOs, informal interest groups and community associations, political parties, and governmental organizations currently de/reconstruct the contextual and physical understanding of shared urban space in Asia. It is of interest to review the main goals of the novel civic practices, and the extent in which these aspirations are realised. Secondly, these seminars seek to articulate how stakeholders engage in the process of collaborative knowledge production through these practices. More importantly, the aim of the series is to conceptualise civic practices as a product of the distinctive trajectories of socio-economic development, spatial/cultural policies, and the structures of political governance in the Asian region. To reiterate, these seminars provide an overview on the distinctive challenges and opportunities that contemporary Asian cities pose for civil societies, and the kind of local and global characteristics that are emerging in these locales.

Organizers

Asia Research Institute | Minna Valjakka & Sonia Lam
Department of Architecture | Cho Im Sik & Lee Kah Wee