This is my final Commonwealth Essay. The one I sent to Mrs Tham. It's such a big difference from my previous one.

6) Respecting difference and promoting understanding in the lives of ordinary people.

Respecting difference and promoting understanding in our modern-day society is extremely important, especially so in multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore. It is therefore very important to inculcate this value to the people of Singapore. I shall talk about the role this value plays in our daily lives.

Singapore was originally a British colony. People from around the world, such as China, India, Europe, and Arabia, flocked to Singapore. Together with the locals and people from the Malay Archipelago, they helped Singapore prosper. Owing to this fact, Singapore is a multi-racial and religious society. Everyone contributed to the growth of Singapore. As such, all people in Singapore, regardless of race or religion, should be treated equally and be given equal opportunities.

The Ethnic Integration policy was introduced in 1989. The government made sure that people of different races intermingled and interacted with each other. The last thing the government wanted was a society where people of one race stayed in a particular area, causing minimal interaction. In order for people to find out more about each other’s culture, they have to interact freely. If people do not, they would not have a proper understanding of each other’s culture, causing them to be intolerant of each other and may lead to racial riots.

If people do not have mutual understanding and respect, it would be hard to imagine how life in Singapore would be like. People of different races and religions would be hostile to each other, and will pull in opposite directions, leading the country into political unstability. This is definitely not desirable. How can we start to respect each other? It is very simple; it is through mutual respect and tolerance. For example, do not just stick to people of your race or religion. Make friends with people of other races and religions, so that you can gain a deeper understanding of their customs and respect their customs. Similarly, teach your friends about your customs and explain it to them. This way, racial and religious harmony can be cultivated, and Singapore would be a peaceful place to live in.
However, even if the government implements many integration programmes and policies, it is useless if the ordinary people refuse to mix with each other. Therefore, racial and religious harmony begins with oneself. Clear all previous misconceptions and stereotypes that you may have about people of other races and religions, look at them in an open manner, and form strong bonds with them. This is the importance of the respecting difference and promoting difference. Though we come from many races, religions, and languages, we all pursue a common destiny. If everyone in the world is like that, the world would be a much better place to live in.

How is it?