Yellow Ribbon Project 2008, Celebrating Second Life – Awards Ceremony & Concert
Speech by Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed
Interview with Wakin Chau
I’m really still in prison and my love, she holds the key, a simple yellow ribbon’s what I need to set me free … - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree.
The Yellow Ribbon Project explicitly recognised two hundred and eight ex-offenders who received their achievement awards in the Ceremony held at the Singapore Expo Convention Hall, 06 September 2008.
1. Excerpt from Mr. Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Senior Minister of State (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Mayor, North East District, at the Yellow Ribbon Celebrating Second Chances Awards 2008:
It is my pleasure to be here today to celebrate the success of ex-offenders who had made good use of the second chances given to them. Equally encouraging is the presence of organizations and individuals, who have generously offered ex-offenders the chances to start afresh. Their deeds have also given hope to families of ex-offenders.
We all know that life is not a bed of roses for an inmate who is just released from Prisons. He faces many complex issues. For example, he needs to deal with strained family relationships, difficulties in finding job, accommodation and the rest. Therefore, community support is essential to ease inmates’ transition from Prisons back to society.
The idea of giving second chances is not new. Since the launch of the Yellow Ribbon Project in 2004, I am heartened to see organisations and individuals offering gifts of acceptance and support to help ex-offenders and their families.
The yellow ribbon project allows ex-offenders to be accepted into the community. We should give second chances to ex-offenders and not present a negative social-cognitive orientation. Although many still adopt a mindset that ex-offenders are a threat to society and show our detest to them through non-verbal cues such as staying far away from them (territorial), applying proxemics by maintaining a particular distance from them, there are still others who accept them into society. Some people cannot accept the physical apperances of ex-offenders, for example, the tatoo markings on drug offenders and as they show that they do not treat themselves with respect at all. However, they do not realize that tatooing in fact shows the normative and idiosyncratic characteristic of nonverbal communcation. Tattoing shows the other offenders in the group that they belong to the same group, as known by similarity (principle of organising information).
We should change our perception on the saying that ex-offenders will stay as offenders and will not mend his or her wrongdoings. I agree with the point made in that more organisations should come forward to support the Yellow Ribbon cause. What do you think?
6 comments:
Well, people do tend to prejudice against ex-offenders. They assume that an ex-offender will always be an offender at heart, which is just plain unreasonable.
They also tend to have this perception that tattoos are a sign of ex-offenders. I feel this is really unfair for those with tattoos.
I made several friends in my NS life who tattoos and they are some of the nicest people I have ever met.
Unfortunately, prejudice and discrimination has been around for most of human history. We already have racial, gender and now recently, religious discrimination.
I feel that it would take some time for ppl to start to allow ex-offenders back into the society. I still see many parents who tell their children to avoid even sitting beside ppl who have tattoos all over their body on buses or even when they stand beside them.
Although there is the YRP many of us are still vary of them and we are a little unwilling to give these ppl a 2nd chance. We overlook the fact that they are human and have made some mistakes and we have to give them a chance to change and prove themselves.
Hi.
I have written a similar article about this too. My opinion is that a lot has to be done to change the public perceptions of ex-convicts because there are still people who discriminate them. That is why we have seen various commercials being broadcasted in our local media furiously, to change this distorted mindset.
However, this is going to take quite some time for people to accept them, because even till today, there are still people who look down on ex-convicts as second-class citizens.
Here, here!
I agree with people should change their perception about ex-offenders. They should be given a second chance to repent their wrongdoings.
After all, nobody's perfect =).
cheerio!
Yes, it is very true there prevails a prejudice against these ex-offenders.
As I have written on my blog too regarding this issue, I strongly believe that people of today's society should open up their heart and learn to accept these ex-offenders and give them a second chance in life.
We should move away from our bias mindset that an ex-offender will always remain 'bad' for life. This is part of human nature (idol of the trible) but I belive with more exposure to these group of ex-convicts via the governments' campaign of the yellow ribbon project, we will be more ready in accepting them.
Supporting the cause does not equate to people having their mindset changed. Some people probably support the cause because it is a "right" thing to do.
I personally feel that the stigma will always remain. Such a stigma should also remain so that people are warned of such consequence and is a deterence to those who wish to commit crimes.
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