The AWARE EGM: My views

Last Saturday was hailed as a watershed in this country's young history. While my previous post laid out the background, May 2nd marked the day where 3000 women and men took a stand against the the values represented by Dr Thio Su Mien, Josie Lau and her comrades who took over the leadership of AWARE. Along with the "Old Guard" of AWARE, well known local women like Irene Ang and Pat Law were in attendance. Even NMP Siew Kum Hong played a pivotal part in the EGM, acting as legal counsel for the Old Guard and for his Rosa Parks moment, where he defied "orders" to sit away from the women. The no-confidence vote was carried by a margin of 1414 vs 761, and after a protracted discussion, Josie Lau and her EXCO stepped down from their positions.

The proceedings are well covered by the local Twitterati, so I won't go into that here. You can see the well-written posts from Janet and her busband, Jason, Joan, and Miss Hallelujah on their experiences at or around the EGM. Even Alex Au, Cherian George and Mr Wang threw in their views, and their pieces are well worth reading, and with more eloquence than I can manage. This one here is also worth reading.

For me personally, this was never about putting up convenient labels and stereotypes. The issues at hand is more complex than a simple matter of liberals vs conservatives, homosexuals vs heterosexuals, Christians vs non-Christians; if I had to choose one word that represented the stakes, it would be "equality". While Josie and her EXCO were busy circulating unsubstantiated claims of a pro-homosexual agenda of the Old Guard, the latter were busy stressing the importance of diverse, inclusive views in a secular advocacy society. They understood what was at stake; a womens' rights advocacy group needs to ensure that they are fighting for equality for all women, regardless of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation, or class. The makeup of that EXCO, consisting of Christian Chinese women, is taken to be a sign that exclusivity is present, and that they cannot adequately represent Singaporean women. This is just one of the views echoed at the EGM.

But the removal of the Josie Lau EXCO is not the end of the road. It is merely the start of a long journey. Now that Dana Lam and her EXCO are back in power, they have been making the right noises about harnessing the sharp increase in members, and as the handover is underway, it is crucial that they continue to keep the members motivated and driven to the cause. Many of us have already informed them of the ways we can help. Talk on Twitter has continued, and lots of ideas are still being exchanged at this time. T-shirts commemorating the EGM are also available, thanks to Vicki Lew, and with 70% of the profits will go to AWARE, it's just one of the ways the community can help. There was also talk of a book, and I'll be very interested in seeing how I can contribute to that effort.

One can only hope that the members who signed up for the EGM do not stop here; AWARE needs volunteers, and with an active roster of members, it can only go on and achieve great things. It is in our hands.

I am also concerned with how much certain individuals are still harping on about Dr Thio and her mentees. We must remember that the freedom we espouse also extends to them, and that there are no exclusions from that freedom. I don't expect that to stop, but I hope this won't distract us from what needs to be done. There are lots of work ahead for this organisation, and we cannot, and must not, stop here. The biggest errors we can make now is forgetting why this event happened, and to lapse into complacency and allowing it to happen again. That will not only be the responsibility of Dana and her EXCO, but also that of those who have made our voices heard so clearly on May 2nd that the whole world now knows the costly price of allowing religious fundamentalism to seep into a secular body.

Many have also expressed that the behaviour exhibited by the attendees of the EGM is not civil, and that shouting down the Josie Lau EXCO is not democracy, but barbarism. To these detractors, I say "democracy is not a polite tea party". Perhaps the locals are so used to the PAP brand of democracy, where you spend your days quietly and talk onlly when asked to, and vote when the time is given, that passionate discourse is regarded as barbaric. They should be reminded that democracy as a grand experiment barely started 300 years ago, and that the road to democracy and human rights is paved with the blood and sweat of our forebears. Unlike the US, our independence was not brought about by bloodshed, but it would be misleading to think that an inclusive civil society can happen without people who are passionate enough about their beliefs to stand up and speak out against those who are against those beliefs.

No matter what happens from now, the awareness, participation and activism generated by this event will have changed Singapore society for the better. It is heartening to see that passion in my fellow countrymen and women again. That passion will be the driving force of this country on its road to true democracy.

Posted via email from trapper's posterous