History and recent events have made clear that laissez-faire models of multiculturalism - which recognise diversity but are not bolstered by proactive efforts to build a shared identity between people of different races and religions - have failed, said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
But while multi-ethnic cohesion is never assured, neither is polarisation a given, he said in a speech at the International Conference on Communities of Success on Oct 14.
"We can build on the positive experiences we see, as we strive to build resilient multi-ethnic social compacts, and enable minority communities to succeed and thrive," he said.
Mr Tharman said there is a broader loss of trust between communities in many other parts of the world, which serves as a reminder that multi-ethnic cohesion, even once achieved, can never be taken as a given.
"They illustrate an uncomfortable reality: that history does not progress automatically towards greater understanding between people of different races or religions, a deeper sense of shared identity, or lesser segregation, even as societies advance in wealth," he said at the conference held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
This story is from the October 15, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the October 15, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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