To me, a safer futureencompasses the following five aspects: psychological defense, social defense, economic defense, civil defense and military defense. Each and every one of ushas a significant role to play in ensuring that the five aspects of defensecome together to build a strong nation for all. Only when we come together tofulfill our collective duties can we combat any threat that attempts to breachour security.
Psychological defense refersto our resilience and unity in the face of a threat. Having a fighting spiritis a key factor that determines whether or not a person can overcome challengesin times of crisis. If a nation isresolved and determined to face the challenge as a whole, willing to stand upto defend what is theirs with pride, they are likely to have a safe futureregardless of the challenge. Therefore, it is important to inculcate a feelingof citizenship in every citizen. One of the Singapore National Educationmessages states that “ We must ourselves defend Singapore”.
This applies notjust to Singapore, but to every country. Every country’s citizen must beprepared to stand up to defend his country in times of crises. It is alsoimportant that they have the strength and resilience to return to their regularroutine as soon as possible after a crisis, as well as support others duringthese tough times. Social defense refers to acountry’s social stability such that citizens of diverse backgrounds appreciateeach other’s cultures and live together in harmony. It is therefore crucial forcitizens to understand each other’s cultural identity in terms of theirheritage, religion, and customs etc. A lack of social defense would mean a lackof peace in society, leading to chaos. In order to strengthen our nation’ssocial defense, we should be sensitive and respectful of all races, includingthose besides our own. Making the effort to learn more about other people’scultural identity gives us insight into their identity and values.
Expandingour social circles by making friendships with fellow citizens from othercommunities is of the essence. Social defense also requires us to keep an openmind and be accepting of new citizens. Instead of shunning them, we must showthem greater consideration and give them time to understand our way of living. Economic Defense is about havinga strong economy that can withstand and support the nation through economicchallenges. It means that a nation must build a good economic foundation toensure its economic stability.
Besides having good and sound economic policiesby the government, citizens can also play their part. For example, citizens cancultivate a habit of saving money and to spend money wisely. With thesignificant changes to the economy resulting from the rapid rise of technologyin the 21st century, one can keep up with the latest technology and stayrelevant and employable, and help keep the country competitive economically. Wecan put economic defense into action by embracing life long learning andcontinual skills upgrading to adapt to the changing needs of the economy. Civil defense is when citizensknow what do in times of crisis. During a disaster, it is important to knowwhat to do in order to help one’s country.
Knowing when to pitch in and what todo can ultimately save not only his or her own life but save their families andtheir neighbours. Citizens can read up on what to do in an emergency and canparticipate actively in Civil Defense exercises, gaining more knowledge andbeing prepared for any disaster. Picking up life-saving skills such as firstaid, CPR, AED, or fire-fighting.
As citizens, people can also be more alert andkeep a lookout for suspicious activity. Last but not least is Militarydefense. Having a strong military is crucial to any country’s safety and tocounter external threats. Be it protecting their nation from being attacked ordeterring foreign intervention, a good military will do whatever it takes todefend his or her country. To remain operationally ready, a countries militarypersonnel has to keep fit, train hard and be emotionally and physicallyprepared of being attacked. Having the latest military technology and equipmentwill definitely boost a nation’s strength. In conclusion, a country needsto have all the 5 defenses strong in order to be safe with very one of itscitizens being well aware of it and be united.
