Speech by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth & Sports at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games Culture and Education Programme Pictograms Launch Mr Tan Boon Huat
Chief Executive Director of the People’s Association Mr Nicholas Conceicao,
Director of Outward Bound Singapore, Mr Michael Foo
Deputy Director of Outward Bound Singapore, Members of the Media, Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning I am happy to join you on Pulau Ubin today and I thank the Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) for hosting us. Pulau Ubin is an icon of Singapore. We may be a very dense, urbanised city-state but we do also have surprisingly significant areas for outdoor adventures in a lovely green natural environment. In just 318 days, 5,000 athletes and officials from 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) taking part in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will get first-hand experience of what Singapore has to offer. Besides taking part in the various sport competitions, the YOG athletes will also take part in Island Adventure on Pulau Ubin, one of the many Culture and Education Programme activities during the YOG. Some of you may ask: what has an Island Adventure got to do with the YOG? The answer is simple – the YOG is more than just excellence in sports. A key and unique feature of the YOG is going to be the integrated sport, culture and education programme, or CEP for short. It aims to encourage young people to take up sports as well as adopt and live by the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect. It is the CEP that differentiates the YOG from the Olympic Games. In the YOG, young athletes will not only compete and strive for excellence in the sporting arena: they will also interact, celebrate and forge bonds over the 12 days by taking part in a wide range of fun and engaging educational activities. We believe that besides their achievements on the sporting front, athletes will take back fond memories of the friendships forged, fun experiences and meaningful learning through participation in the CEP. The CEP will centre on the themes of Olympism, Skills Development, Well-Being and Healthy Lifestyle, Social Responsibility and Expression. Athletes can choose to take part in over 50 activities reflecting these themes. Today, we mark yet another important milestone in our Singapore 2010 journey – the completion of the CEP pictograms. Seven pictograms representing the seven CEP activity formats will be unveiled. The Games-time CEP formats comprise Island Adventure at OBS, Pulau Ubin, Chat with Champions, Discovery Activity, World Culture Village, Arts and Culture, Community Project, and Exploration Journey. The development of the activities within each of the CEP format is on track. Today, we will get a sneak preview of Island Adventure, one of the CEP formats. While most CEP activities will be held in the Youth Olympic Village, there will also be activities outside of the Village, such as the Island Adventure and Exploration Journey. I am glad that OBS has come forward to be a CEP partner for Island Adventure, and to share its expertise in conducting team-bonding and outdoor adventure activities with the athletes. Through the activities conducted by OBS, young athletes will learn about important life skills and the importance of teamwork while stretching their limits to overcome challenges and fears in a safe, supportive and fun environment. We hope that the young athletes coming to Singapore will accept the invitation to travel out of the Youth Olympic Village to Pulau Ubin. I am sure they will find it a great way to spend the day after their competition and make their YOG experience a unique and memorable one. Thank you.
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