====== Shape the Conversations ====== Tell Us - * What interests you? * What do you want our speakers to talk about? * What issues do you want us (the audience) to ponder upon? Shape the event by telling us here! [[http://interesthink.com/wiki/?id=start&do=register|Register]] for a new account. If you're lazy, just use this (username: lazy, password: bum). Writing your thoughts here will help us elevate those issues at the conference and to our speakers in advance. What you write here will be useful for * World Cafe - 20 minute, small group discussions * Open Space - Hour-long, large group discussions Our speakers will be drawing inspiration and getting a feel of their audience using this webpage. Being as honest and active as you can will contribute significantly to the process. ===== How? ===== Before beginning, you may want to look at our [[list_of_confirmed_speakers|speakers]] and their [[http://interesthink.com/wiki/interesthink_2#format|order]]. Write down your suggestions in this format - %%**Your Topic** - Person A, Email Address (optional)%% %%Your comment on it - Person B%% ===== Possible Topics for Discussion ===== **Thank you** to all those who have contributed. We are shifting these discussions to our forum! Whee! [[http://Interesthink.com/forum|Join us at our forum]]! ===== Environmental ===== **The Inconvenient Truth is a Lie** - Kelvin, kq@kquee.com See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Global_Warming_Swindle|The Great Global Warming Swindle ]] {{cradle_to_cradle_t.jpg|}}**Why do we need to worry about the Environment?** - Andy, andy@andygiger.com If we accept that Climate Change is real, and that we should do something about it, what are our reasons? Why should we "protect" the Environment? Why should we save the [insert your favourite endangered species here] from extinction? Does it make a difference if the next mass extinction event is caused by //Homo sapiens// or by another meteorite impact? [[http://www.worldchanging.com]] [[http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/104 ]] {{faitrade_coffee_t.jpg|}}**Ethical Shopping** - Jared Tham, theflyinguniversity@yahoo.com.sg In a mass consumer society like Singapore's, there is much potential for raising awareness for various social issues through by understanding how they are inextricably linked to our everyday purchases. Fair Trade coffee, Burmese boycotts, organic products, are all possible entry points. Democracy at the checkout counter! [[http://www.inhabitat.com]] {{komodo_dragon_t.jpg|}}**The Mute Cry of the Asian Dragon** - Jin Pyn, jinpyn@elephantandtree.com Asia's animals exist only in mythology. The real animals suffer in silence, from exploitation and extermination, their iconic status a mere icon. Asia has Her own flagship species known all over the world, just like Africa. But many of Her natural treasures are unknown to Her own impoverized people. How do we bring wildlife conservation and animal welfare to the mainstream? 18 years ago wildlife documentaries were only broadcast on Channel 12 for free-to-air television. Today, it's still the same. Even the revival of filmmaking in Singapore is largely focused on human themes. Must animal welfare and wildlife conservation play second fiddle to development and the focus on humanity? When will we allow our children the right to real wildlife education? How do we change certain cultural traditions and perceptions? How can we make Asia wake up to the cry of Her unique natural heritage? ===== Social ===== **Effects of mass tourism** - Malcolm, malxc@lycos.com Tourism is one of the world's biggest industries, creating jobs for millions of ppl. Singapore is riding the wave of the next line of development. Tourism also brings about problems like diluting of traditional culture, child sex tourism, destroying of natural landscape to make way for tourism development, etc. Can the economic benefits outweighs the negative? Is there such thing as sustainable tourism development? {{gay_symbols_t.jpg|}}**Why Homosexual Marriages Should Be Allowed?** - Kelvin, kq@kquee.com Because homosexuals are like anyone of us and, as such, should be allowed the same rights. Granted that we are in a conservative society, this may take time. But, the rationalisation should start as early as possible. {{mouthing_up_t.jpg|}}**Speaking Up** - Malcolm, malxc@lycos.com Explore how freedom of speech in Singapore is control and ways to speak up, i.e. the failure of speaker's corner, workshops like InteresThink, how blogging, YouTube, PodCast are able to influence, is public protest or pride parade ever possible, etc. {{img_mcyscounter_t.jpg|}}**Too many causes, too little voices?** - Malcolm, malxc@lycos.com Do you know exactly how many not-for-profit (NPO), non-government (NGO) or voluntary welfare organisations (VWO) are there in Singapore? How can these organisation make their causes known to the public? Are Singaporeans doing enough for charity? How can these organisations together and leverage on each other's resources? ===== Singapore ===== {{moe_t.gif|}}**The Cultural and Political Impact of Singapore's Education System** Bihui, didine@gmail.com The lack of sociopolitical freedoms in Singapore goes beyond repressive laws. Our education system arguably plays a major role in minimizing the number of active dissidents it produces. Yet it is still often, and sometimes justifiably, hailed as one of the best in the world, according to certain measures. Is it necessarily a zero-sum game --- that we can't have a system that breeds independent thinkers that is just as efficient as the current one in producing units of economic productivity? Or can we conceive of a system that can do both? If it is a zero-sum game, are there compelling reasons to favour one type of system over the other? {{300px-biopolis_aug_06_t.jpg|}}**The Possibilities for Innovation for Singapore** - Eddie Choo, joelfirenze@gmail.com As Singapore enters a new stage of economic growth, it obviously faces challenges in terms of the growing giants of China and India and other emerging economies worldwide. There is the fierce urgency of now for Singapore to begin the process of transiting its economy, from one reliant upon manufacturing and services industries, to an economy that thrives on constant innovation and creativity, moving constantly up the value chain. For this to happen, there is a need to begin to explore the possibilities for innovation, to redefine the way we look at our schools and society. {{2317362905_03f6f7da39_m_t.jpg|}}**The Middle-Class Squeeze and rise of the elite WITH government support** - Naveen, srivatsa@gmail.com As Singapore's service industry expands BUT becomes less value-added, traditional true middle-class jobs are slowly disappearing with a very clear divide between the Upper and upper-middle vs Lower and lower-middle. Statistically it is the upper classes that traditionally have better opportunities and better students [in recent years]. With the govt actively pushing for an intellectual elite, will this drive the Singaporean society into a highly polar hotbed? Won't such a turn run counter to the meritocratic utopia the govt claims we have, since the ideals are there BUT the assumption being made is that there are equal opportunities for all regardless of any background factors?