HOME=HOpe+MEmory

I was at the inaugural Gallup Behavior Economics Forum in Singapore this week. The forum brought together some great minds from within Gallup and outside and discussed the concepts of well being among other things. It was heartening to hear ministers and bureaucrats from Singapore talk about the way they have and they intend to, think about their city. The minster of defense mentioned four aspects that they have always focused on in creating the great city. Leadership scheme and how they can develop potential leaders in all spheres of life., the fact that there is anticipation of change and preparedness for it, the concept of reward for work and work for reward and the constant effort to create a state that is for everyone and offers opportunity for all. Come to think of it, these four will work well for organizations too. An ex bureaucrat mentioned a framework which explained the various levels at which governance operates and how cities should look to move continually on that path. He spoke about the role of Govt evolving from Regulator to Facilitator and eventually to Aggregator. He explained that e governance which is the buzzword now with most advanced cities also has many layers of advancement. E governance moves from Inform to Explain to Consult and then to Connect- Connect being one where you actually accept proactive ideas from citizens or citizen groups in shaping policy decisions. While it was heartening to hear a Govt official speak this way, one can’t help feeing disappointed about how India is nowhere on this scale, or even if it is, sadly none of it is visible.
Informal chat during the coffee breaks with the some delegates who were natives of Singapore revealed much more and helped better understanding of the city. The citizens spoke about how the hard stuff and infrastructure are all in place but most people sense a degree of stifling. The freedom to self express and explore is lacking. The Govt is doing a great job, sometimes too good a job for its own good. In fact a pertinent question that an ex bureaucrat of Singapore faced was interesting. A local, used the analogy of a modern teenage daughter and her complex relationship to her old economy father to explain how citizens might feel about their relationship with their country of origin. The answer didn’t matter, what did and was noteworthy was that a question of this kind even got asked in a public forum in Singapore. I also heard from some learned colleagues that if you point out a flaw in the infrastructure of the city, there is a good chance that you get sued if you are a citizen. If you’re not a citizen, they apparently just ignore you, that too says a lot. The newspapers are full of glory to the nation and its rulers and hardly run any critical or negative stories. In fact, they run a host of negative stories on other countries around the region, including India which has many to offer, so that citizens are conditioned daily into a sense of national superiority. I was shocked to read Singapore’s Mentor Minister and Founding Father mention that it will take only five years of an alternate rule to ruin Singapore. Such narrow leadership is limiting to achieveing greatness for Singapore
The cities of the future will have to compete like companies do today for people share. And this is not just ordinary people but the brightest minds who can contribute and create. Singapore will have to fight a huge battle with cities like London and New York which are equally creative but organized, soulful yet systematic and equal but unique to everyone. In my mind, the battle for the best minds will be won by cities which make them dream better and makes them say “This is where I will find my calling in life”
P.S: The title is a succinct representation of what represents a thriving city