International Friendship Day 2013

Schools commemorate International Friendship Day (IFD) on Friday 12 April. IFD aims to sensitize our students towards the geo-political realities inherent to Singapore. This year, the theme is ‘The World in Singapore’.

From our humble beginnings as a migrant colony, Singapore has continued to remain inclusive. Our rich and diverse heritage together with this sense of inclusiveness has allowed us to flourish as a cosmopolitan city.

Key Messages

1. An active foreign policy is important in order for Singapore to maintain its international space and good relations with neighbouring countries;
2. Singapore is a small nation state with little natural resources and no hinterland. Remaining open to the international flow of trade, ideas and talent is critical to our continued success as an economy, a society and a nation. With a small domestic market, we rely on international trade to sell our products and services to make a living;
3. Having cross-cultural skills and a global orientation enables Singaporeans to relate to others respectfully and effectively, and take advantage of opportunities arising from a rapidly evolving global landscape. This ensures Singapore’s success in an increasingly inter-connected world;
4. While we appreciate and celebrate diversity, we must also maintain the social cohesion that is vital to peace and progress in a multi-cultural society. Building mutual respect, understanding and respect across cultures enables us to learn from the different backgrounds and experiences of people who come to Singapore to live, work and study.

Learning Points for Primary Pupils

International Friendship Day is a good opportunity to help our pupils learn about and appreciate other cultures in cosmopolitan Singapore. We want to nurture in our pupils the spirit of friendship and collaboration among different peoples. Pupils should be guided to keep an open mindset, and express an appreciation of the contributions of foreigners living, working and studying in Singapore.

At the primary level, IFD commemoration aims to:

1. spark pupils’ curiosity about different cultures, so that pupils will be more open to learning from people with different life experiences
2. allow pupils to appreciate cultural diversity and nurture a willingness to embrace others from diverse backgrounds
3. encourage pupils to welcome and integrate their international peers to the school or society. The experience of doing so will help cultivate strong bonds of friendship between them and their international friends.

By guiding pupils to recognize values and interests that they share with others in the school or community, pupils will learn that, beyond ethnicity, a common identity can also be forged from shared experiences and values.

Source: MOE National Education