SINGAPORE – Like the classic Chinese legend of the eight immortals who employ their unique powers to cross a sea together, Callie Chen and three other fresh graduates of the Chinese Community Leadership Programme (CCLP) have collaborated to organise a movie screening for children from disadvantaged families.
Chen, who heads social affairs at Ningpo Guild, said: “I come from a relatively small association with limited resources and an even smaller pool of people available to help. There were ideas I felt could be fun and meaningful, but we simply didn’t have the capacity to carry them through.”
The movie screening on Jan 23, 2027, will be held at Huang Clan Association in Geylang, made possible by Stanley James Ng, the youth chairman of the clan association.
Lin Zhanghan, 41, and Nancy Ong, 44, both from the Singapore Foochow Association, are also pitching in to help with the movie screening. Lin is assembling youth volunteers, while Ong helps to find event sponsors and vendors for fringe activities.
Ng said it is rare for clan associations to work together, given that each has its own history and way of doing things.
“CCLP put us in the same room every week. Smaller associations bring ideas and energy, and larger ones like ours can bring space and resources,” he added.
The first cohort of the four-month leadership programme graduated on Nov 4.
Ng, 41, who was voted valedictorian of the cohort, had picked All Wishes Come True, a Chinese animated film inspired by The Eight Immortals Cross The Sea, for the movie screening.
He said the deities’ collaboration is a metaphor for the Chinese community leaders’ team spirit. “Different associations and strengths making one crossing together, doing good, helping people in need,” said the general counsel.
Chen, a 41-year-old financial consultant, hardly had opportunities to meet people around her age who, like her, are active in clan associations until she joined 23 others in their 30s and 40s to enrol in the first run of the programme.
CCLP is jointly organised by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI), and co-developed with Nanyang Technological University.
It will be expanded to two runs for about 50 participants in 2027. The aim is to develop 100 or more next-generation Chinese community leaders over the next five years.
An alumni network will be established for graduates to stay connected, exchange ideas and explore collaborations.
Lin, managing director of Bo Yi Arts & Designs and chairman of his association’s youth league, said the movie screening has provided a platform for his youth volunteers to learn and contribute to society.
“I hope they’ll grow more confident, get to know one another better and feel proud of what they can accomplish together,” he said.
Called Happy Bompipi, the movie event will welcome around 30 families and give a care pack to each child who attends.
Ong, founder of Drum Circle Singapore, said one of her biggest takeaways from CCLP is the connections she has made.
“Working with people from different associations brings together different skills, experiences and ideas,” she said. “The connections also give us a chance to share the challenges and ideas we each encounter in our associations, learn from one another and offer support.”
Participants also explored practical ways to address common organisational challenges. During one masterclass, they developed a basic artificial intelligence-powered prototype to address operational needs such as event scheduling, registration, communications and resource management.
Graduates of the Chinese Community Leadership Programme celebrating Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat’s (centre left) birthday at the programme’s graduation ceremony on Nov 4.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
SFCCA president Thomas Chua, who is also SCCCI’s honorary president, said the community’s continued development needs a new generation of leaders who can look beyond their own organisations, support one another and share responsibility for the community’s future.
He told The Straits Times the graduates’ connections and collaborations are among the valuable outcomes of the inaugural run.
“We will continue to engage them by inviting them to participate in our activities and keeping in touch (with them) to learn about their ongoing contributions to the community,” he said. “Where appropriate, we may also explore opportunities for some to take on roles in our committees and, potentially, the council.”
Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Nanyang Business School on Nov 4, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat, who also chairs the Chinese Community Liaison Group, noted the overwhelming response to the inaugural CCLP programme, with over 120 nominations received.
He also listed three areas of focus for Chinese community organisations: modernisation and transformation, leadership succession, and facilitating interaction between new immigrants and the local community.
Turning to the CCLP graduates and clan association leaders, he said in Mandarin: “I hope all of you will not only remain actively involved, but also encourage more young people to join Chinese community organisations and help nurture the next generation of leaders for our community.”