Letter to TOC
Stephanie Chok
Leaders with integrity, who are service-oriented and fair-minded, are important pillars in any community. They inspire and mobilize efforts towards social change and, through their actions, act as positive role models. I want leaders I can RESPECT to head organizations and institutions – whether they are state institutions, major corporations or civil society organizations.
The new AWARE team orchestrated a takeover of a 24 year-old civil society organization then unconvincingly denied this. Through their actions, the new AWARE team have displayed characteristics that may serve them well in a cut-throat corporate world (not that this is admirable) but are these qualities we wish to emulate, nurture or uphold?
Leaders We Respect are Trustworthy. They speak the truth and are transparent. They do not need to be challenged in order to be honest, they are not defensive when asked questions. We need to trust our leaders.
Leaders We Respect demonstrate Humility. They do not assume that they can do a better job without first serving, learning and gaining wisdom through experience.
Leaders We Respect are Accountable. Accountability is a two-way process and involves openness to being challenged. Courageous leaders with integrity do not balk at being held accountable, they understand the critical role accountability plays in ensuring democratic processes are protected.
Leaders We Respect treat others with Dignity. They don’t dismiss long-term staff without sufficient notice, reasonable grounds or an ounce of gratitude.
Leaders We Respect inspire with Gentle Strength. They understand that power is a gift to be used responsibly, not a commodity they can rob from others who have served to earn it.
Leaders We Respect are Fair and Inclusive. They respect diversity and negotiate fairly. They do not seek to institutionalize discrimination against others in society nor seize control in aggressive, autocratic ways.
Leaders we respect behave in respectful ways to everyone – no exceptions. Let’s stamp out bigotry and choose equality, dignity and respect.
Save AWARE. Log on to http://we-are-aware.sg.
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HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
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Hi Buddhist @93
I am speaking for myself only, I do not know about Dr Thio until recent news.
Maybe it happened that my concerns are partly similar to what she have said to the press. But I am not speaking in her tune or in special support to her.
I am supportive on what I believed as appropriate, my own beliefs.
Nobody asked you if you knew her.
We merely asked whether you believe her instigating and her lying, despite being a Christian, was right. Which, amazingly is still not answered. The evasion is as clear as day.
79) Back To Family Values on April 28th, 2009 1.56 pm
Setting up a group of concerned parents is commendable and is what should be done. Good luck on that count.
However, the Aware saga is more than homosexuality, as I hope that you’ve noticed.
It’s also about honesty, trust and the freedom of secular civil society groups from threat from organised religion or any other hostile groups.
The hostile takeover by the new Exco, their incompetence, lies and overall un-trustworthiness, coupled with the forceful silencing of the Aware old guard (via said takeover) instead of engaging in civil discourse and debate is a very important concern as well.
In a plural society like ours, it is downright dangerous and seditious to accept the barbaric behaviour of the new exco. Why? Because that will pave the way for further intolerance and hostile takeovers of any who disagree! Can you imagine? It’ll be a free for all.
What should be done instead is exactly what you have suggested. Set up another organisation to examine the neutrality of sexual education and engage Aware in civil discourse. Not attacking them.
May 2nd. We have an obligation to ourselves and our freedom to disagree.
Do not support the new exco’s gangsterism and vote them out, ladies.
Cheers.
#91 Jaunty,
you are right to say that “Someone with hidden agenda could make use of AWARE as a bridge to reach the public in wide scale.”, never occured to you it’s the group of 6 COOS members who initally declared that they did not know each other prior to joining AWARE?
they look very much like what you described in that sentence.
by the way, you didnt reply about Buddhist about whether you think thio s right to do that, i am curious too, why are you so evasive?
To Buddhist
I also never say I know or don’t know Dr Thio, I merely said I do not know “about” her (which means do not heard about this person until recently).
All comments that I have posted are based on my own beliefs, I never compared mine with hers or anyone else. My head did not include what she said when I read or write about AWARE news.
Regards
It is very obvious to all on this board that you champion every single cause Dr Thio listed in her interview/emails. It is not only opinion, but train of thought, that you have aligned with her so uncannily. It is also very obvious that you refuse to take a stand whether you think what she did was right. That is most likely because you may believe yourself that it was not.
None of us have to draw any conclusions from this. But bearing this in mind, and you continual insistence of MOE/AWARE’s intentions of wayward education, which so far no one has been able to substantiate (including paranoid warnings to see beyond the obvious, which should obviously be better advice the other way round), what you continue to say falls extremely short of credibility.
@ Back to Family Values
Your belong to a group that is so insecure with their parenting that you worry that a sentence “Homosexuality is normal” from a stranger to your child will drive him gay. This stance against the rest of the nation’s parents who are so confident in their parenting that they know what a stranger says about homosexuality will not change their child’s sexual orientation, neither the playing of video games or watching of hollywood movies will turn their children murderers.
You may want to spend more time being a good parent to your kids, so they may be unwaivering against popular culture’s constant inculcation of vices, than to waste all that energy for the ‘greater good’ of society, when you are just actively trying to divide it.
You say I’m arrogant. I’m not aware of it, but this may subconciously have to do with the fact that I know this side of the argument carries a lot more objectivity and rationale. Yours is flawed from day one, so you sontinue to attack with accusations of “arrogant, blind, disgrace to Buddhism”. Why not acquire a little sense of class in your argument and maybe we can then talk on the same platform.
Sharing of comments here is to provide a room for deeper thoughts.
I do not see myself appropriate to say anything like a hard fact even if I know of something. Because it is not worth inviting any personal trouble. Message shall get across subtly if one care to give it a deeper thoughts.
My views is not to change anyone’s idea or beliefs, is not to influence anyone. My views are here just to offer extra facets to all of the existing point of views & thoughts,
101) Jaunty,
Can you rephrase that again? Cause that whole jibberish just flew past my head.
Rephrase what? which?
Another troll…
Very apt name, Jabber.
Jabberwocky, that’s what it is.
“I do not see myself appropriate to say anything like a hard fact”
wtf?Are you trying to say that you’re not GOOD enough to lay out your facts?
You’re certainly not good enough, but that’s because you HAVE not presented ANY facts.
“Message shall get across subtly if one care to give it a deeper thoughts. ”
the only message anyone is getting is that you’re a semi-literate troll.
Present your facts, state your reasoned arguments and discuss.
If that’s beyond you, (or you refuse to state your sources due to whatever reason) then go away and stop trolling.
Jabby – Hi, we’re back here again, aren’t we, after our last meeting on the wayang party site. But come on, the same messages? What is this? Cut and paste time…also, you’ve not tidied up your messages, I see.You are still using “we are not saying”..who is “we”? You really need to forgot edit the “we” from the talking points that the fundie master handed out to you. The disinformation campaign won’t work, unless you execute it properly, you know.
“#83Therefore, my points are, if there are communication channels or reference points after the talks, that is the time where no one would restrict what the trainer would share with the trainees.”
Yes, Jabby. You went on and on about this in the other thread and I told you didn’t I? Firstly, it a “If”..a big “if”. Did it happen? When? Where? And “if” it happened, that’s not AWARE right? That’s private time between th trainee and the student. Maybe we should let the student go to Church also. After all, no one would restrict what the pastor would share with the trainee.
Come on. Surely your fundie masters from Hicksville, USA could teach you better lines, right?
And Jabby, this other one…
“#85We are not saying that the old AWARE have hidden curriculum or special intent, but we are concerned of any person who may make use of AWARE to reach out to spread their beliefs, and if the beliefs are those which were not endorsed by the legal system or are challenging basic human morals, then it is dangerous.”
Sigh. Jabby, . how did you become concerned? Because Dolores Umbridge lookalike Darth Thio and the other liars, Josie and Maureen said so? I mean, they LIED. They are LIARS. And you believe these LIARS? Aiyoh, please lah, this particular horse died a long time ago, no use to keep flogging it..Save the flogging for the liars.
The Singapore rugby team recently lost to South Korea, an Asian rugby powerhouse 65-0. I think the Singapore team needs a revamp. People like Peace, Jabby and even Darth Thio, Maureen and Josie should be playing rugby for Singapore. With their sidestepping, twisting and evasion skills, wow, we could be world champions. We could rival the All Blacks with this new All Lies team.
Jaunty Jabber #92,
A) You haven’t accounted for the exclusive connection between being faithful and HIV. How condoms might “replace this belief” or if being faithful is just a means to ward off STDs.
B) You DO know that one doesn’t need to have multiple sexual partners to contract STDs don’t you? One could do the trick. Faithfulness or the lack of it, is not the root cause of anything. Out of curiosity, do you consider AIDS a curse from God?
C) Isn’t it immoral for “trainers” to train their wards in ignorance?
Jaunty Jabber #102,
“I do not see myself appropriate to say anything like a hard fact even if I know of something.”
But you see yourself appropriate [sic] to lie even when you don’t know anything?
To Slim @106
I could just deliver subtly. I respect all of yours comments and also the others who comments here. All of us are here to share what we feel, we have choice to deliver our message directly or subtly.
Jaunty Jabber #107,
Strident incoherence is subtle? Sure, why not. Garbage in, garbage out
The tone or words used may appeared as strident incoherence to some. However, the message get across subtly.
The machine could be loud, but the product is quiet.
Bwaahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
#111) Jaunty Jabber on April 29th, 2009 12.29 pm
“The tone or words used may appeared as strident incoherence to some. However, the message get across subtly.”
Wow, Jabby, we’re into masking now! That is so 80s, man. Lame. You mean, when I read your message backwards, there is a sublimal message that that gets burned into my brain and I become another mindless fundie sheep, blindly following all an American Hicksville religion that is pretending to be a major religion of love, kindness and charity?
To me, being 80s and lame is cool and sexy.
Muahahahahaha!!!! That’s cute. You’re learning fast Jaunty. Sometimes we have to remember that even as we differ and launch the proverbial nuclear warheads at each other, you sometimes need a sense of humor to make sense of it all.
Zefly, I appreciate your friendliness.
We may argue over things which we see and feel differently, but there is no need to become enemy to each other. Who knows in the future, there might be topics which we may see from the same angle and share the same view, right?
Agreed Jaunty,
But please allow me to insinuate about your lack of intelligence, rant at you for your lack of morals, ridicule your logic etc etc… :P
hugs
Zefty,
By all means, go ahead and bash me, unlimited when all bashes are bashed across online. Jaunty Jabber is jaunty, Jaunty Jabber is not gloomy.
Hi Jabby
Can I tell you something that should concern all parents, especially those whose children attend a certain church?
Do you know that there is a gay pastor lurking around ? One who is very active in his place of worship and has openly declared himself to be gay. Of course he says that he has undergone counselling but still, as a concerned citizen, I feel that I must reach out and teach others about this scary thing.
Of course I am not saying that he has done anything gayish but I am concerned that students may call him or talk to him in private and may be encouraged by him in subtle ways to become gay too. I think this is really encouraging homosexuality and this pastor should not be allowed to operate so surreptitiously. We don’t want a Singaporean version of Ted Haggard, do we/
What do you think?
oh btw Jaunty,
my previous post was meant in light-heartedness.
To HT and all,
There are so many unknown, what we could do is to take our own action towards what we deemed as “need to work on” whenever we discover any wrong. And of course we have to take good proper actions lah, like voicing out over here is healthy. Don’t go and threaten people or boycott the innocent bank.
There are limitation on what we can achieve. But at least we do our very bit.
Together we form one huge noisy machine, our product may not be wanted. But at least the machine cannot be treated as invisible or unknown, it is huge and it is noisy!!
Zefly,
Yes I know that message of yours was a light-hearted delivery. I did replied but I think TOC got worried thought we two are fighting thus it got deleted. I meant to tell you that it is Okay to bash me with words on the cyberspace if I am such a pain.
I appreciate light-hearted message because it means the person who wrote it must be a person with good sense of humour and interesting.
Zefly and JJ, I pronounce you man and wife, you may now kill the bride.
why is there even a forum over a petty issue like AWARE when other more important news like the government’s undoings are taking place
jackKnife: If you still dont get it by now, hmmm …..have you read all the posts on aware to see what the whole hulla baloo is about? Perhaps you have not. Clue: Religious organisation, spiritual and moral battle for control of secular organisation, lies, hidden agenda, orchestrated coup.
see:http://sgblogs.com/blog/singapore-daily-singaporedaily/2811
Surely you must see the bigger picture of the implications and you wont call it petty. If it is so petty, would you think half of SIngapore would be abuzz about it?
Dear Modernist @120)
Don’t you need to check if Jaunty Jabber & Zefly are male & female or male & male or female & female before you solemnize the marriage online?
Nah, It’ll just be more amusing that way… imagine if it were Female/Female… oooh, the irony…