7 religious organisations promote harmony at IRCC event

7 religious organisations promote harmony at IRCC event


By Olivia Siong | Posted: 08 September 2012 1748 hrs

SINGAPORE: A record seven religious organisations are taking part in a carnival to promote religious harmony in Singapore. 
Organised by the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle (IRCC), this is the fourth time such an event is being organised.
It is all about celebrating religious and ethnic diversity, while having fun.
Known as IRCC@Heartlands, the two-day carnival hopes to showcase the various religious, ethnic and community groups in Singapore.
It is also the first time the event involves three IRCCs.
Apart from booths that teach children about different religions through games and activities, one of the main features at the carnival is scaled-down replicas of places of worship.
Chairman of the Kampong Glam IRCC, Mr Chia Keng Hian, said: "Normally they don't have this sort of opportunity to see so many religions in one place."
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, was also present.
Members of the public welcomed the chance to learn about the different religions.
The two-day roadshow takes place on Saturday and Sunday at the Albert Mall.
- CNA/al

 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1224822/1/.html

Summary:

Seven religious groups, together with the IRCCs organized a carnival including games, activities and trips to visit the replica of places of worship. This event aimed to develop mutual understanding of other religions and races, and in turn strengthen the ties in between different ethnic groups. This is a very precious opportunity for Singaporeans to go for a multi-religious trip. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, was also present, to encourage Singaporeans to participate enthusiastically. 

Reflection:

Maintenance of racial and religious harmony is very important in Singapore, and it’s also important to inculcate values such as respect among Singaporeans from young. Playing games could be a very productive way to let the children understand and respect other ethnic groups because it is easy for children to get along well with each other while having fun, and by enjoying activities, friendships are created. To strengthen the bonds between all ethnic groups is not the responsibility of the organizations or the government only, the public has to make an effort to participate in events and activities to widen their knowledge and learn to understand each other in order to prevent misunderstandings and disputes. I’m very impressed by the organizations that were able to create opportunities for Singaporeans to be exposed to the different cultures and religions. Also, every single one’s effort put in to establish friendly relationships within the different groups of people counts. It takes one to start a war, but two to create peace. Hence, for Singapore to maintain a peaceful relationship among all racial groups, everyone has to take the initiative to get involved in the common spaces created, and together, create strong bonds and good relationships between all religious and racial groups, so to make Singapore a harmonious, multi-racial society.