Inter-Religious Organisation to engage youth and promote family values

SINGAPORE - From July, the Inter-Religious Organisation Singapore (IRO) will be pushing out a series of lectures, dialogue sessions and exhibitons aimed at engaging more youth and promoting family values.

Spearheaded by IRO's youth members, the activities will be documented in a book that will be launched next March, in time for the organisation's 66th anniversary.

"Our youth are the future of Singapore and we must start from them," said IRO president Noor Mohamed Marican, who announced the initiative at a gathering of 30 religious leaders and youth representatives at Palmer Road in Tanjong Pagar on Tuesday evening.

"Through these projects, we hope that the next generation of Singaporeans will continue to preserve the traditional family values found in every religion such as filial piety, mutual respect, honesty, unconditional love, empathy and open communication," Mr Marican added.

Also at the session was Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State for Education and Communications and Information, who stressed the importance of religious tolerance in Singapore.

"Those who have lived through the tumultuous 1950s and 1960s will know that the state of religious harmony we enjoy today is not something that came about by accident," said Ms Sim, referring to earlier riots in Singapore during the period.

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