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May 04, 2004
Singapore and UNESCO
Citing mismanagement, corruption and nepotism, the United States, Britain and Singapore left UNESCO in 1985-86. Britain returned in 1997. The United States of America returned in 2003. Of all states that have left UNESCO for various reasons (e.g. South Africa, which left in 1956 but returned in 1994 after the abolition of apartheid), only one country still refuses to return: Singapore. Why? This bears further investigation. In the meantime, I would love to hear from anyone who can shed some light on the stubborn persistence of my government to return to UNESCO. (Incidentally, Singapore's non-membership of UNESCO prevents me for applying for a job there. Thank you for looking after your country's citizens, PAP!) Posted by pj at 11:40 PM
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Would this happen to have anything to do with the fact that you are an Audrey Hepburn fanboy? (In Charades, she was an interpreter at UNESCO, I recall?). I often wonder if the allegations about the rife corruption in the organisation are true. All UN organisations are routinely accused of gross mismanagement, but I think that this is merely typical of the environment in which govt. depts. operate. It's just that as an international body, a UN agency is exposed to wider scrutiny from more parties, than is the case for a sovereign govt. The bottomline is what the agency is striving to achieve and how effective it is at reaching these goals.
I think for all countries, goodwill is crucial to living in harmony with neighbours as well as countries further afield. That said, how each country achieves this goodwill will tend to be unique. S'pore is not too much a slouch, with its ASEAN scholarships programme. But I guess a relatively rich country could take on a more visible profile to garner warmer relations with others. As it is, Temasek and its subsidiaries seem to be the main headliners in regional papers today.
Anyway, don't mind me wondering what job(s) at UNESCO interest you the most? Education is the one area I would be particularly interested in at UNESCO.
Wei Yi spoke on May 5, 2004 02:44 AMYou are probably busy with exams but I was just wondering what is being said - in the UK and also amongst your learned circle of friends - about the US abuses of Iraqi prisoners. Do you think the US has stooped to the level of Sadam Hussein and the graphic photos represent blatant, explicit hypocrisy?
AZ Chick spoke on May 10, 2004 11:21 PMYou're right, I'm busy pretending to revise for my exams, but I should answer the questions raised here-
Wei Yi- no, this has nothing to do with Audrey working with UNESCO. I don't know how you even thought of that. What an imagination you have!
AZ Chick- well, despite all the bad news, I believe the US government doesn't mean for it to occur, but these things will happen when you have people given the power over life and death over other people with no fear of eventual retribution. Have you heard of the Stanford Prison Experiment? Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Prison_Experiment/ and have a read. Short answer, I don't believe it is institutionalised, unlike Saddam's prisons- it is not due to a top-down decision- but it is still wrong. Perhaps sone of my "learned" friends who visit this website would like to comment?
PJ spoke on May 11, 2004 12:30 AMI may not live in Singapore but pj i feel you make a strong case.
For a country as sophisticated, industry wise and commercially as i percieve it to be and pretty as Singapore is (yes its a city of concrete but have a closer look)...
Why oh why ? Slavery ? Fighting ? Why oh why ? UNESCO please sign ??? Desalination anyone ?
Wish people would stop this non sense?
I will pray hope someone else does too.
If that doesn't work i hope enough people start knocking on doors...
slavery why ? spoke on August 20, 2006 02:47 PM