The videos of our first event, InteresThink 1, is available here.

Name of speaker: Leong Sze Hian

Contact: leonggsh@pacific.net.sg

Website: http://leongszehian.com/

Title of his 20 mins:
“CPF Changes : A Journey from Compulsory Annuity to Longevity Insurance to Lifelong Income to CPF Life”

Why Sze Hian?

He has authored 3 books and has been quoted over 700 times in the media over the last 7 years.

A Wharton Fellow, he is a Certified Investment Fiduciary Auditor, alumnus of Harvard University and the inaugural United Nations University International Leadership Academy. He has served as Honorary Consul of Jamaica, Representative of the Inter-American Economic Council, Chairman of the Institute of Administrative Management, on the Board of Trustees of the Singapore Professional Centre, President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, the UNESCO Leadership Chair Council, and founding Advisor to the Financial Planning Association of Indonesia.

He is not merely someone who creates controversy, but one who does it for the greater good of public awareness. Truly, this man has a big heart for Singaporeans, especially the lower income group.

Interests: Politics, statistics and numbers, being a responsible citizen of Singapore and voicing out the concerns of others, particularly the lower income group

Note from the speaker: “I take public transport, never went to university full-time and failed highway code.”

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Name of speaker: Alex Au Waipang

Website: http://www.yawningbread.org/

Title of his 20 mins:
“Sex and the seduction of money: The pros and pros of prostitution”

Why Alex?

In 2002, he was presented with the Utopia award for outstanding contributions towards the advancement of gay equality in Asia, the only Singaporean recipient thus far of the honour.
In July 2003, he became the first Singaporean to be quoted by the now-defunct Channel i as a gay activist.

In the run-up to the 2006 Singapore general election, he provided extensive coverage of the opposition parties' rallies. The coverage gained his Yawning Bread website the distinction of being the top “blog” quoted by Channel News Asia to provide citizen journalism, a novel phenomenon not seen in previous general elections.

Interests: Politics & government, society & culture, media, gay issues.

Note from the speaker: “The great thing about being an outsider is that you get to see another world. The pity is that most people want only to be insiders, and know only one world.”

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Name of speaker: Kan Lume

Contact: kanlume@gmail.com

Title of his 20 mins: “My filmmaking philosophy”

Why Kan?

3 critically acclaimed films in 3 years consecutively.

His debut feature film, The Art of Flirting (2005), was named Best ASEAN Feature at the 2005 Malaysian Video Awards, beating out Malaysian favorite Gol and Gincu (2005) to bag the top spot. It was also in competition for Best Film in Jeonju International Film Festival under Digital Spectrum, and was chosen for the official selection of the 19th Singapore International Film Festival 2006.

He describes himself as a “trailblazer” and hopes to be in a position to affect film funding in Singapore within the next 10 years. He made “The Art of Flirting” with just $300. His second film, a joint collaboration, titled “Solos” is one that challenged the boundaries of local cinema. His third film, “Dreams from the Third World” is expected to earn top honours at the 21st Singapore International Film Festival too.
A Film and Television graduate from Australia’s Bond University, Kan Lume has written, directed, produced, edited and shot more than ten short films in the last three years. Kan’s other wins include the top prize at Take 5! Guerrilla Film Making Challenge 2005 with the Singapore History Museum, the Best of Show at Canon DV Fest 2005, 5th Prize for SAE’s National Film Festival 2005 and Judges’ Choice Award for Fly-By-Night 2004.

Interests: Filmmaking, film history, trends, philosophy

Note from the speaker: Wasn’t too long ago that our grandparents and parents lived in poverty, under British rule, civil unrest, religious binds, we’ve spent a long time coming out of fear into freedom and faith. A new generation with memories of such conditions in their genes are striving to break free. A new wave of filmmakers are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with the constrains of commercial filmmaking where the same fear and lack mentality resides. A New type of cinema has to emerge from the ashes. A cinema of fearlessness. A cinema that redefines what cinema is all about. A movement that comes in line with the digital revolution that is affecting the world over. Where camera and its peripherals have become as common as pen and paper, paint and canvas. Now the real artist can immerge. Without fear! What governs us in this Cinema of Fearlessness is our belief in a collective consciousness, the Spirit of Creativity with Its whispers to us that “now is the time… the time to go out and do it… without fear or rules… the time of plenty has come, to upset the lack from the past, that still lingers like a foul stench in the air… come filmmakers, come one and all, tap into the Creative Spirit and stretch the boundaries of what can or cannot be done.

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Grant has been involved in conservation work for more than 30 years, and lives by the philosophy of “getting his feet wet and hands dirty.” In Singapore, he has an ongoing program to replant mangroves at coastal shores to encourage the return of native fauna and flora.

Grant has been very active in the anti-sharkfin campaign, heading up a marketing and educational campaign to stop the brutal slaughter of sharks for their fins. He has created, marketed and widely distributed postcards and posters which illustrate the devastation of the shark-finning practice, the dolphin slaughter in Japan and captive dolphin shows in Asia.

In 2000, Grant was awarded the Greenleaf Award, which is the highest environmental award given to an individual in Singapore. Presently, Grant is the head of the Green Volunteers Network of the Singapore Environment Council. He has been frequently described as the “Force of Nature”, influencing others positively with his energy, passion and wisdom.

Extracted from: http://www.seashepherd.org/boa/boa_grant_pereira.html http://www.wildsingapore.com/riablog/people/grant.htm

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Name of speaker: Larry Francis Hilarian

Contact: larry.hilarian@nie.edu.sg & hilarian@singnet.com.sg

Title of his 20 mins: “Melayu culture, musical practices and Islam of the Malay world”

Why Larry?

Dr. Larry Francis Hilarian is currently an Assistant Professor of music at the Nanyang Technological University/National Institute of Education in Singapore. He obtained his B.A. (Hons) in music at Dartington College of Arts in England. He received his MA from Queen’s University of Belfast while studying with Professor John Blacking. Larry continued his teacher’s qualifications at Croydon College and Oxford Brookes University. His PhD. was from Goldsmith’s College, University of London under the supervision of Professor John Baily.

Larry is an ethnomusicologist, composer and music educator. His interest has been researching and performing on both plucked and bowed lutes from the Orient. As well as having given papers at many international conferences around the world, various aspects of Larry’s research has been published in the Vietnamese Institute of Musicology, Galpin Society Journal, Lithuanian Journal of Scientific Research, the Philippines Ethnomusicology Journal and in the Asian Musicology Vol. 3.Journal. One of his papers has also been published in Spanish for the anthropology journal Desacatos. Larry has also co-authored two secondary school music textbooks Exploring Music 1 and 2 which are widely used in most Singaporean Schools. He is also in the process of completing another two secondary school music textbooks Music Alive! 1 and 2. As a composer and performer, Larry’s music has been performed widely and his composition for shakuhachi and koto was premiered in Tokyo and produced on a CD by the traditional Japanese music school Tozan Ryu.

Interests: Music, enriching lives of the less fortunate.”Just imagine our world without music!”

Note from the speaker:

There are many questions surrounding the complex relationship regarding acceptance and rejection of music in Islamic societies. I hope this talk will inflame us with more questions, contentions and challenges. It is my sincere hope that the talk will be informative and useful in bringing people from different cultural, social and religious background together.

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Choo Hin is the President for the Voice for Cancer Survivors and the Reach for Recovery Society. She has been a blessing to many due to her community work. She has worked on many projects including the Balya retreat and various cancer seminars. Recently, Voice for Cancer Survivors has been tasked to organise the 3rd Global Conference under Choo Hin's leadership.

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