@exposing---
Also, i am sorry for being so inactive. I cannot guarantee how active i will be on this platform because i have my own personal struggles with mental health D: but i would like to continue using this platform to spread awareness on important issues within my own capacity whenever i can. Thank you to anyone who interacts with my stuff, and i am sorry to the dms i have missed from some of you lovely people. Please take care of yourselves and stay safe
AMPLIFYING THEIR VOICES!!
These are some accounts you can follow to keep yourselves in the loop on what is going on in the world right now and how you can contribute. Even interacting with their posts go a long way.
freeuyghurnow:
https://instagram.com/freeuyghurnow?igshid=1t35dfiyigqkg
documentingmyanmar:
https://instagram.com/documentingmyanmar?igshid=12ahdj5c9oxug
listenupmyanmar:
https://instagram.com/listenupmyanmar?igshid=kjj0g2ex5851
letstalkpalestine:
https://instagram.com/listenupmyanmar?igshid=kjj0g2ex5851
dearasianyouth:
https://instagram.com/dearasianyouth?igshid=1q27artzjyh0x
It's been a while since i've been on this page. Well actually ages >< but i'll make an effort to be more active on here. This is my most followed platform that i have and i always created it with the intention of advocating for more love and compassion so i'll try my best to maintain this account for such reasons. Life has been hectic and my mental health has shifted a lot over the past year so updating social media has been a huge struggle of mine personally. I don't know if i'll continue my book or do another one but i'll keep my feed updated as best as i can!
In Singapore, how we treat our migrant workers has always been an issue, but now it is amplified with the outbreak of COVID-19 in their dormitories.
Not only does this show our government's negligence in addressing this issue early, it also exposed the flaws within our system of hiring these migrant workers.
On top of that, we have a social issue in how we perceive and interact with migrant workers. We alienate them, antagonise them and lump them in with negative connotations. As a society, we can do better. And i believe this is not just an issue in Singapore, but worldwide.
In the local context, however, these migrant workers are the reason we have solid infrastructure and beautiful skyscrapers. Be it through financial means or unlearning our xenophobic notions on these people, let's do better and strengthen racial harmony in Singapore.
This video might give you more insight on the issue. I am also learning more as i go through social media.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAwqRqpg8qS/?igshid=pqx73eb4m7ch
Should any of you be financially capable to offering donations to these workers, this organisation's site gives you more info on what you can do
http://twc2.org.sg/
For those who are unable to donate to black communities, you can stream this video and your views will go into monetisation for donations!
https://youtu.be/bCgLa25fDHM
Here are some tips for ensuring your view is effective:
-do not skip ads
-play it at minimally 50% volume and 480p
-after the video is done, watch 3-4 randomised videos and then go back to this (do not clear search/watch history after watching)
-for those on laptop, you can mute it while focusing on work in other tabs if you need to
I got these from the comments section, so more helpful info should be in there!
With that being said, to those scoffing at the protests and finding it "excessive". Ask yourselves why a protest is happening in the first place. Going off on what Trevor Noah said, being in a society is like a contract between you and the government. But if you're being systematically disadvantaged, how long can you endure holding up your end of the contract by being a tolerant citizen of a society that fails to serve you? How long can you endure being in a contract where the other party, in this case the government, isn't holding up their end of the bargain by serving you? I will never fully understand the struggles and turmoil of these countries and people protesting, but i still do have the power to empathise and so do you. People protest because even when they're tolerating and silencing themselves for society to work, they get discriminated, assaulted and even killed. Holding up their end of the contract didn't get the government to listen to them, so they have to result to protests to be acknowledged. And keep in mind mainstream media of these countries will post coverage that serves the narrative of the government and the law enforcement, sometimes what you see isn't credible. It's up to us as outsiders to critically analyse what we're being shown on newspapers and TV versus what is being shown on social media and decide which party to support - the advantaged one in the contract, or the unheard.
Also, while we're showing our support to black people in America, let's also do the same to our brothers and sisters in Hong Kong, Phillippines and the Middle East. Each region is fighting different battles, and each should be discussed in separate conversations. However, don't pit these issues against each other as that is the most insensitive thing one can do in this time.
Normalise unlearning racism, normalise talking about racism, normalise understanding our own privilege in our respective societies.
Telling people to endure it and that "racism is incurable anyways" is not enough. That's like saying "fires are inevitable anyway, why enforce preventive measures for them in our establishments". It may be impossible to rid everyone of it, but don't you want to do what you can to minimise it in your community/society?
Tolerance should not be an option. No one deserves to endure racism. It's not something that should be neglected just cause you are uncomfortable to recognise how twisted it is. We have social media, we have access to resources online to educate us, we don't have to learn everything right away, but don't pass up to opportunity to educate yourself if it's right on your screen. Let's do better not just for ourselves but future generations. I myself find it hard to talk about racism offline to acquaintances, i only ever reserve those conversations to my close circle of family and friends. But it's never too late to start working up the courage to speak out. We can do it.
http://chng.it/jrHjzZZK6J another petition i've come across. I don't know who still views my page but to those who do i'd appreciate a few seconds of your time to sign this! There are many more out there but in the meantime i am sharing the ones that i've come across. And please do not donate to change.org, the money goes into funding the site, not the #blm movement. With that said to any Americans who have been participating in the protests please take care of yourselves, pull out when you feel unsafe and stay alert. While i am geographically displaced from the situation your country faces i stand with you all and will use my voice as best as i can to raise awareness about this situation.
http://chng.it/z8qhrX5QxS If you guys could take a few seconds out of your day to sign this petition it would be great. As a Singaporean, i would not know as much as the average American on the police brutality situation in the US, but it's important to acknowledge that black people are systematically being profiled and abused even to the extent of murder by the authorities. Black culture has heavily influenced every part of this world and has given us our modern culture, music, trends and even vernacular. And yet, black people are also discriminated everywhere they go. The least we can do as humans is to stand with them, not only when a devastating act of violence occurs, but in our everyday lives as well. Don't use racial slurs that target black people, don't talk over the feelings of black people regarding this issue, especially seeing comments like #alllivesmatter takes away the true focus from this conversation. Be aware of what's happening because that is so important, ignorance is never bliss. Don't think it doesn't matter just cause it isn't someone you know, or a race you share. Imagine having to fear for your life every time a cop interacts with you or even just taking a leisurely jog around your neighbourhood. No one deserves that, and being part of this conversation helps create a better society for black people to live in. Thank you for reading this far if you have, and stay safe