January 07, 08:45 AM 
514 Chai Chee Lane 03-16, Singapore 469029 To celebrate civil society's achievements and affirm its role in shaping society, a group of civil society activists have started the Singapore Advocacy Awards (SAA).
In other words, they are giving themselves three new awards and recognising their own contribution to society because they are that proactive and the government is not giving them any.
The awards were launched on Dec. 6 at Select Books by Constance Singam, the former president of women's rights group Aware.
They include civil society advocate of the year, civil society advocate organisation of the year, and most promising new civil society advocate of the year.
The organisers of the awards are The Working Committee 3 (TWC3), an informal group of civil activists.
Singam had said the three SAAs to be given out might come with cash prizes, estimated to cost between S$16,000 and S$20,000.
This did not go down too well with some activists present during the Q&A session after the launch of the event, who felt recognition is its own reward and civil society should only work for passion.
Nominations can be submitted from Jan. to June 20, 2014.
Anyone, including people who benefited from the group, organisation or an individual’s activities, may make a nomination.
Nomination forms can be obtained and submitted online at singaporeadvocacyawards.org.
Top photo of Constance Singam from here
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