Singapore Island Country Club to hold poverty simulation exercises for its members So a fancy country club in Singapore is trying to recreate lives of poor Singaporeans for its members to experience, because you know, they probably could not find anything else to do with the money — like donate. Singapore Island Country Club plans to conduct a “poverty simulation” exercise for its members to see life from the perspective of the poor, according to the media. They have teamed up with a local Voluntary Welfare Organisation (VWO) Methodist Welfare Services to launch this programme for the members and have advertised it on the members’ magazine. Source The VWO says that this programme is usually conducted for schools and volunteers. But while the club was trying to encourage empathy and compassion, the only emotion the programme seemed to have stirred was anger from the controversy generated. Problematic programme Netizens criticised how the programme appeared condescending. Source Source Source Even Singaporean filmmaker Martyn See thought something was funny about it. There were others however, who defended the programme. Blogger Andrew Loh said: The programme is not to humiliate the poor or ingratiate the rich with some superficial knowledge of poverty… After […]
8 years ago
