Good morning ladies and gentlemen,
1. At the Social Service Summit last week. I shared the importance of leveraging on technology and digitalisation for greater impact. We also touched on how we must continue to strengthen our sector and uplift our professionals. It is not just about technology, but also your thoughts, the organisations you represent and the people you are meeting. The Tribe Ambassadors’ programme is one example of how we do that.
2. This morning, I thank the 36 Tribe Ambassadors for their enthusiasm and their commitment. The spirit that you bring to the stage – as you can see – is very powerful. All of you are full-time social service professionals, but you took time out and spent the effort and time to build your digital skillsets, to be innovative and creative in the way that you help your partners. Let me thank your leaders too for supporting you on this journey.
Social Service Professionals as Digital Ambassadors
3. In exactly a month’s time, we will be celebrating our National Day. It’s also a very special National Day, because it celebrates 60 years of independence. Not many countries have a journey like ours. Singapore has been special, and not only because of our economic prowess. Our social service sector has always been an integral part of Singapore’s social fabric. Whatever problems we may have faced – whether it was an economic downturn, financial currency crisis and even Covid-19 – our social service professionals are always up front and centre. They come out and sometimes endanger themselves when helping society face the problem and recover from the crisis.
4. It is therefore timely that we now reflect on the evolving role of social service professionals. Because we are very interconnected, you will understand why we are broadening the definition of the social service sector beyond social service workers, who are integral to this sector, but are also part of a bigger economy.
5. I’m very happy that many of you stepped forward. You responded to MSF and NCSS’s call for Tribe Ambassadors earlier this year. As social service professionals, you are a beacon of strength and hope to the people who come, the people you meet. You have been walking alongside them through adversity, helping them so they can thrive like everyone else. Now, this is how we build a stronger, resilient community with no one left behind. Every time we meet with adversity, we are assured that this is temporary. We will get back there.
6. As Tribe Ambassadors, you are in a unique position – beyond being practitioners of care at work, you are voices of credibility and compassion for the social service profession. In this age of digitalisation, I hope that even as we use more of A.I and want only to be efficient, we must never take out the human touch in doing this work. And that is actually part of the magic. In the end, we are still there, and we need you. We want you to be there.
7. When stories are told, myths debunked and awareness raised on social media through videos, gamification concepts and podcasts – it is very creative! I used to think there was only one way to connect. In fact, there are many, many ways. At the end of this presentation, I am discovering that at the heart of it is that many of you have got really good, heartfelt stories.
8. As I mentioned to one in this room, Asians are really bad at praising themselves. When others praise them to tell them how good they are, they will say, “It’s not like that.” But stories are ways we can convey facts that are enduring and long-lasting, and more so when we share our stories with authenticity and openness.
9. This not only affects the people who listen to it; more importantly, you will create a ripple effect — speaking to fellow professionals, inspiring new entrants to the field, and encouraging the public too, to think and act empathetically. This is not something that happens outside their lives. It happens in our society. Both the clients and the people who work with our clients are part of our society, and this happens every day. Over time, I hope your voices will help sustain this network of trust, shared learning, mutual support and understanding from the whole sector.
10. As we embark on the next phase to execute your ideas, I would like to leave you with two thoughts:
a. First, may you always remember that our “heart” lies at the core of our work. Everyone is not just a body. I believe that everyone has a heart, a mind, and of course, a soul. As we leverage technology and AI to improve service delivery, the objective is for efficiency only – not to replace you, not to replace the human touch or replace the empathy. As an engineer myself, A.I. can replace a body, but never the soul, and you bring that soul to your work. Reading Li Fei-Fei – it’s very easy to read, although it’s about A.I - in The Worlds I See, she says, “Still, even the flashiest hardware is a means to an end, which is why the guiding principle of our work remains the well-being of people, not merely the efficiency of processes.”
b. Second, there is also power in collaboration, in unity and in working together, because this is how societies amplify importance. As one of our Tribe Ambassadors, Ming Fang, aptly described “Building thriving communities isn’t the work of one, but when many come together”.
Conclusion
11. In closing, again, let me thank our Tribe Ambassadors, for stepping up and stepping out, so you can carry the voice of the social service sector. Your commitment to continuously innovate is very important, and very exemplary for professional development.
12. Again, thank you to our social service agency leaders for supporting our Tribe Ambassadors on this journey and giving them the time and space to grow. That is how we give meaning to the work and make the work more innovative and creative. Give them time and space to grow, and I hope you don’t fear the utilisation of A.I. Use them as tools for collaboration to make an even greater impact.
13. This year, we celebrate our social service professionals. We will continue to spotlight the people shaping our society from within and behind (the scenes). We must continue to champion our professionals not just as doers of good work, but as ambassadors of compassion, empathy, and inclusivity.
14. Thank you.