New schemes to boost community participation under PA 2030 plan

A range of measures to encourage residents to contribute more to their communities was unveiled on Sept 29 by the People's Association (PA), amid growing challenges in engaging people in grassroots activities.

- Goh Yan Han

Under the PA Community 2030 plan, the association aims to boost volunteering, expand the network of community partners, and foster closer ties between neighbours.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong launched the initiative at PA's annual community seminar held at Our Tampines Hub.

There were about 2,000 volunteers, grassroots leaders and community partners in attendance.

Mr Tong acknowledged that the PA has faced challenges in its community building efforts as society becomes more self-sufficient, with competing personal commitments and more people-to-people interactions shifting online.

"We have been conscious of all these shifts and the evolution, and we have strengthened our own approach, evolved to meet these new challenges," said Mr Tong, who is also the PA's deputy chairman.

As he launched the Community 2030 plan with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Mr Tong announced several moves to spark community involvement.

The PA will develop a Youth Charter in 2025 to inspire and rally the youth to come forward and take action on community issues they care about.

The association will draw lessons from the FutureYouth Campaign that it organised in 2023, where it engaged more than 100,000 young people nationwide on their concerns and aspirations, noted Mr Tong.