Chitchat Dunman High kids become anti-IS fighters!

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

https://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/re...ul16_news.html

What happens when security measures are tightened after an MRT station bombing incident, and more people are subjected to bag checks? Or if your new neighbour is acting suspiciously and you suspect that he may be radicalised? How will you react?
These were some of the scenarios which a group of Dunman High School students were put through at a Total Defence (TD) crisis simulation co-creation workshop on 15 Jul.
The 36 upper secondary and junior college-level students were the pilot group, formed to test out the scenarios and role-playing components for a TD crisis simulation game, which will be launched next year.
The game was an idea mooted during the SGfuture discussions, an engagement series launched last November to spur Singaporean youths to envision their hopes and aspirations for Singapore.
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) engaged youths and adults on topics such as Total Defence and support for National Service (NS) across 18 sessions, under the theme A Secure and Resilient Nation.
Through these sessions, many ideas on how to engage Singaporeans better on the topic of defence emerged. These included the TD crisis simulation game and a community space to commemorate NS.
The former was a crisis simulation game to help the community better understand the changing security environment and how citizens can contribute to Singapore's security and resilience, and the latter, a physical community space that would serve as a venue for NS milestone events and symbolise the importance of NS to Singapore.
Ms Clara Tan, Deputy Director (Engagement) in Nexus, explained that during the SGfuture discussions, student participants felt there was a need for them to have more decision-making opportunities in crisis simulation exercises. Current simulation exercises which students are involved in, such as fire drills, do not allow them to make decisions that influence the outcome of the crisis.
"They felt that (the simulations) should be taken one level higher, for them to be able to understand the crisis, role-play the scenarios, make decisions, and understand the impact of their decisions," added Ms Tan.
With that in mind, Nexus collaborated with The Thought Collective (TTC), a social enterprise promoting civic education and community engagement, to conceptualise the TD crisis simulation game.
During the workshop, students played out possible post-crisis scenarios facilitated by TTC staff, and discussed the impact of their thoughts and actions. These scenarios focused on bringing out the social and psychological aspects of TD in the aftermath of a crisis.
Ms Tan said: "The impact of terrorism on society is not just what happens at the site of the attack, but how it creates tension in the social fabric, and tries to create an environment of fear and distrust to severely disrupt our way of life.
"There are no straightforward answers to the scenarios, but we are trying to help students understand the tensions between security, social harmony and personal freedom; and to be more prepared should a crisis strike."
For instance, in the case of the suspicious neighbour, several students said they would report him to the police. They eventually found out that he was not a radicalised individual, but the owner of an illegal catering business.
Seventeen-year-old Wu Lingxin was one of these students. Before the workshop, the first-year Junior College student and SGfuture participant had always thought that emergency preparedness was all about being equipped with basic first-aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills. But the discussions showed her that the larger impact of terrorism was about managing the social fabric and security of the nation.
On her decision to report her neighbour to the police, she explained that she would still do it, even at the cost of straining neighbourly ties, as "the threat is real and I want to protect the environment I live in". She added that she would also do her best to clear up any misunderstandings arising from the incident.
For Mr Kamilul Ashraf Bin Kamsani, the discussions were an eye-opener as they allowed him to think through his own responses during a crisis. The 26-year-old university graduate was at the workshop to observe and provide inputs from the public's perspective. He was also an SGfuture participant who felt that more realistic crisis simulation exercises were needed to engage the public.
"As citizens of the country, we are not prepared. We're always thinking that it's never going to happen and that Singapore is very prepared and safe," said Mr Kamilul.
He added that Singaporeans should do more to prepare themselves mentally and psychologically, and be sensitive about racial stereotyping and post-trauma activities.
Following this workshop, TTC will be refining the scenarios and working on the concept for the game. The final product could be a digital game where players can choose different paths for different scenarios, and observe how their decisions affect the larger society. The learning process will include a facilitated discussion after the game.
The TD crisis simulation game will be offered to schools first. After the pilot run, the game could be expanded to include more scenarios, and extended to community groups.
"It's just a matter of when (an attack will happen in Singapore), and we need to be prepared and (educate) our students on what to do when it hits us," said Ms Tan
She hoped that, through this workshop, "students will have that basic level of understanding of the complexities of the threat, and feel inspired to play a part in strengthening social harmony, and building a more resilient society".


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