In a media conference on Thursday (Jan. 16), the Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), and its Minister, Grace Fu, announced that they will partner Singapore citizens to co-create content for the Singapore Citizenship Journey (SCJ) in 2020.

The SCJ is a mandatory induction programme for new Singapore citizens aged between 16 to 60.

Introduced in 2011, the programme aims to enrich new citizens' understanding of Singapore's history, culture and values.

It also allows them to interact with the local community.

MCCY will partner Singapore citizens for SCJ 2020

For SCJ 2020, a workgroup of 100 citizens from diverse backgrounds will be selected to explore and discuss what it means to be Singaporeans by talking about their shared values, norms, rights and obligations as citizens.

Unlike previous engagements and focus group discussions, participants will be given time, access to data and expertise to go beyond giving feedback. 

In addition, MCCY will also carry out online engagement through platforms like its social medias to solicit feedback from the wider public at a later stage.

Besides these initiatives, institutions such as schools and National Service (NS) will help to promote social cohesion too, said MCCY.

Currently, there is a nation-wide network of 88 Integration and Naturalisation Committees.

With more than 1,400 Integration and Naturalisation Champions (INCs), the network reaches out to new immigrants and helps them settle into the community.

Public recruitment from Jan. 16 to Feb. 21

Public recruitment for the SCJ will run from Jan. 16 to Feb. 21, 2020.

All Singapore citizens aged 15 and above can apply to join the workgroup. 

However, participants must have a keen interest in topics related to national identity, such as the Singapore history, culture, values and norms, among others.

All participants will also need to attend five full-day sessions on the following dates:

• Mar. 14
• Mar. 28
• Apr. 11
• May 30
• Jul. 4

For more information, click here.

Top photo by Melanie Lim.