ADDRESS BY MR TEO CHEE HEAN, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE AT THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF PATH ON SATURDAY 4 AUGUST 2007, VIVOCITY, 2.45 PM
Good afternoon Minister of State for Finance and Transport, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, MPs Ms Ellen Lee and Dr Lam Pin Min, Founder and President of Social Innovation Park / MP Ms Penny Low, Ms Elim Chew, team of PaTH Champions, members of the press, guests and everyone present here today.
1 is my pleasure to be able to officiate the launch of PaTH - Pop and Talent Hub, Singapore’s first social enterprise and talent development hub.
2 We live in a global era.
And sometimes, the pressure to perform, to be relevant and even to make a living by itself, can be daunting.
For some of us, we press on.
For others, they give up.
For the marginalised, it is even harder.
Rejection, the loss of self-esteem and dignity, are just some of the problems faced in the midst of change and progress.
3 Ironically, it is also in this era, in the stages of advancements that we can actually find solutions and help everyone that matters, including helping the marginalised level up.
4 PaTH was set up with this challenge, of finding a space for every talent in Singapore to maximise his or her capabilities, regardless of backgrounds, physical or intellectual abilities.
It is about knowing there are possibilities in our society for each of us to contribute back, to make a difference and impact lives.
It is about helping to join hands of those who need to realise that their time on earth does not stop here, where opportunities still abound, and they too, can still be relevant and self-reliant.
We also invite social entrepreneurs to think out of the box and collaborate with us in this new economy, where we all can be truly inclusive, cohesive, empowered and find new ways to awaken that social consciousness in you.
5 There is a talent in each and everyone of us, and there is a chance for us all to be purpose driven.
It is never too late to step out again, make that call to apply yourself one way or another.
Re-invent, re-create, be aware of self but also look beyond the individual perimeters.
We can find new meaning in our own lives.
6 Once again, together with Social Innovation Park, I’d like to thank you all for your presence at this event and to our talent participants, continue to believe in yourself and to our sponsors, volunteers, mentors and the entire project team at PaTH, a special thank you in helping us all to light up THE PATH TODAY.
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