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TODAY LIVE on TikTok & Instagram

TODAY’s webinar series is back and for the first time we are LIVE on TikTok, on top of Instagram. Join our host Elizabeth Neo and her guests every Friday 8pm, from Nov 12 to Dec 3, as they talk about racism, LGBTQ attitudes, mental health in a pandemic and the redefining success for youths. There are also prizes to be won, so follow us on TikTok and Instagram!

TODAY LIVE on TikTok & Instagram
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Thank you for your interest in TODAY's live webinars. This event is over. Click here to find out more about our latest webinar series as we go live from NTU on Nov 14 and 15, 2022.

TODAY’s webinar series is back and for the first time we are LIVE on TikTok, on top of Instagram. Join our host Elizabeth Neo and her guests every Friday 8pm, from Nov 12 to Dec 3, as they talk about racism, LGBTQ attitudes, mental health in a pandemic and the definition of success for youths. There are also prizes to be won, so follow us on TikTok and Instagram!

 

Nov 12

Racism: How can Singapore move beyond tolerance to being a society that doesn’t judge people by their race or ethnicity?

Racism has made the headlines more than usual in the past year, partly as anxiety and stress over Covid-19 manifested itself in ugly ways. Younger Singaporeans also seem bolder and less restrained about speaking out on issues such as racism that were once deemed taboo. Has racism actually been on the rise, or are we more aware of it because of social media? And how can our society do better?

Panellists: Ng Jun Sen, Laavanya Kathiravelu and Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib

Ng Jun Sen is a Correspondent with TODAY. He reports on a wide range of issues including politics, national security, business and economy, and social affairs. In his years as a journalist, he has written various stories about race and religion issues in Singapore, including a recent Big Read feature on the state of interethnic relations in Singapore following a spate of high-profile racist incidents earlier this year.

Laavanya Kathiravelu is an accomplished scholar on race and ethnicity. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Nanyang Technological University and also the Graduate Coordinator at NTU’s School of Social Sciences.

Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib is one of Singapore’s most respected interfaith activists and thought leaders on religious issues. Imran is the founder and director of the Centre for Interfaith Understanding Singapore, an inclusive interfaith organisation that aims to promote an engaged community with a deep understanding of interfaith ideas and practices.

 

Nov 19

Attitudes on LGBTQ issues: Is there a new normal among Singapore youth?

National surveys have shown that Singaporeans have become more liberal towards LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) issues over the past five years and this mindset shift is mainly driven by the young. But despite growing acceptance, the majority are still opposed to things such as gay sex and gay marriage. As more young, liberal Singaporeans take up space in the public sphere, how will society’s consensus over LGBTQ issues evolve?

Panellists: Yasmine Yahya, Sam Jo and Mathew Mathews

Yasmine Yahya is a Supervising Editor with TODAY. She has 16 years of journalism experience, starting out her career as a finance journalist before covering local politics. She now supervises the team of TODAY reporters covering Singapore news, including on hot-button social issues such as those related to the LGBTQ community.

Sam Jo is a co-host of The SG Boys podcast. He started the podcast in 2020 with two friends as a platform to discuss issues that concern gay men and the larger LGBTQ+ community.

Mathew Mathews is a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies. He has conducted several studies over the years on how Singaporeans view LGBTQ issues, among other things.

 

Nov 26

Covid-19 and mental health: How do we repair the damage inflicted on mental well-being and social relationships?

Anyone would be hard pressed to say that the pandemic has not changed them in any way. Covid-19 had an impact on practically everybody’s mental health and relationships with friends and family — often for the worse. As we head into an endemic Covid-19 life, how do we go about recovering from the strain on our mental well-being and social ties?

Panellists: Natasha Meah, Jonathan Kuek and Shilpa Jain

Natasha Meah is a journalist with TODAY. She covers the health, education, economics and finance, community and social beats. This year she has also written extensively about the impact of Covid-19 on different segments of Singaporeans.

Jonathan Kuek is a mental health researcher and doctoral candidate at the University of Sydney. He specialises in recovery approaches to the management and understanding of mental health conditions.

Shilpa Jain is a former corporate lawyer who founded Talk Your Heart Out, an online counselling platform, during the circuit breaker last year. The platform was inspired by her own struggles with mental health issues such as burnout, and experience seeking online counselling.

 

Dec 3

Measuring success: Whither the 5Cs, how are youths redefining success and priorities in life?

According to popular stereotypes, this generation of young Singaporeans care more about chasing likes and followers on social media or pursuing social causes, than climbing up the corporate ladder or accumulating wealth. Is this really the case? What do young Singaporeans really want in life, and what are the measures of success they think are worth flexing?

Panellists: Justin Ong, Kathy Xu and Rachel Lim

Justin Ong is a journalist with TODAY. He is on the manpower beat and has written stories about the impact of the pandemic on jobs here. He has spoken to many youths about their struggles amid the pandemic and how they perceive their future.

Kathy Xu is the founder and director of The Dorsal Effect, an eco-enterprise that provides alternative livelihood through tourism, for shark fishermen in Lombok, Indonesia.

Rachel Lim co-founded the fashion label Love, Bonito at the age of 19. She started her own online fashion business when e-commerce was at its infancy and grew the blogshop into a multi-million dollar global brand in just over a decade.

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