The Yellow Ribbon Project
Launched in 2004 by the President of the Republic of Singapore Mr. S R Nathan, the Yellow Ribbon Project seeks to engage the community in accepting ex-offenders and their families, giving them a second chance at life and to inspire a ripple effect of concerted community action to support ex-offenders and their families.
The Yellow Ribbon Project aims to empower ex-offenders away from a life of crimes, as well as to remove the stigma they face when trying to integrate back into the society by engaging the community to accept ex-offenders, give them a second chance at life and to inspire in the public to care and support these people and their families.
The more cynical amongst us believe that The Yellow Ribbon Project is chasing a euphemistic dream in trying to unlock the second prison; it is undeniable that the average person would be wary of ex-offenders, for these people had damaged the trust others had in them, and trust is a value that has to be earned.
However, since the launch of this project in 2004 by the President of the Republic of Singapore Mr S R Nathan, many ex-offenders had had the opportunity to begin anew because there are people who believe in them. The society may see them as prisoner, but to different individuals, they are a friend, a father, a mother, a spouse, a child, a sibling. This project aims to encourage the community to be open-minded and to not judge ex-offenders based on their former mistakes, but give them a chance to learn from their wrong-doings and to prove themselves again.
Saints Advocate [task force: Abigail (I/C), Amos (AI/C), Felicia, Ivan and Meng Yang] had launched The Yellow Ribbon Project from 30th August to 3rd September 2010, as part of our effort to raise funds to support this project and its beneficiaries- ex-offenders. We also hope to spread the message behind The Yellow Ribbon Project to the SAJC community. Through an innovative display of yellow ribbons on strings, many SAJC students learnt the etymology behind the very object that had become a symbol for this project-that is, the yellow ribbons. The sale of Yellow Ribbon was very successful, raising an impressive sum of $1286 from the sales of yellow ribbon.
Additionally, an inspiring speech on the motivation behind The Yellow Ribbon project was made by Ivan, a fellow Saints Advocate during a Friday Assembly.
Through the launch of this entire project, Saints Advocate hoped that it has inspire in others, especially the students, to think about how society tends be very discriminating. While Singaporeans are generally passive, the internalization of their disdain for prisoners cannot hide the stigma that is externalized in many other ways, mostly through action, such as through employment issues. While wearing the Yellow Ribbon as a show of support is easy, we hope that the students truly understand the meaning behind the yellow ribbons and learn to open their hearts to ex-convicts.
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