Volume 1.

Issue 2
Si The Sustainability
Institute

Welcome
to the Sustainability Institute!
aidha - ‘that to which we
aspire’ when translated from San-
skrit was chosen as the name of the
non-governmental organization set
up in July of 2006.
A program that started out
in 2004 as an initiative under the
National Committee of United Na-
tions Development Fund for Women
(UNIFEM) Singapore, expanded on
its own as a non-governmental
organization in 2006. It began as a
pilot program “Migrant Workers
Project” offering typical skills like
baking, guitar lessons and also
learning how to use the computer.
aidha’s core was to deliver high
quality financial education targeting
specifically for women migrant
workers.
.Lasting Positive Impact.
“Learning & Insights from
Personal Sustainability
“Sustainability represents an
Journal” -
idealized societal state where
By Jacqueline Wong people live long, dignified,
comfortable & productive lives,
satisfying their needs in
Sustainability secures for the business a “license to oper-
ate” at a minimal, and offers a rich ground for business innova-
environmentally sound &
tion at its best. With easy access to information, consumers can socially just ways so as to not
now easily obtain information and data on a business’s opera- compromise the ability of other
tions - where they operate, whom they hire, how they treat em-
human beings from doing the
ployees, what natural resources do they use, how they treat the
by-products of their processes etc. In order for a business to earn same now & into
the license to operate, they are learning in current times that they the distant future.”
must care for the larger eco-system in which they exist, or face
- Brian Kermath
serious public disapproval or boycott.

Imagine Singapore is about creating hope &

Singapore has come a long way
from a concrete harsh urban
environment to the verdant
Garden city in which we live,
work and play.
Our tree-lined roads
interspersed with lush
greenery, beautiful parks and
gardens, have left our visitors
to Singapore with a lasting
impression. This reputation is
the fruit of the Singapore
government’s concerted
efforts to green up the island
over the past four decades.
National Parks—Singapore
AIESEC - Poverty Jobs DB Career & Edu-
Through Our Lenses cation Exhibition 2009
Forum Our participation at the
Held at SMU with fair was a good chance
guests from aidha and to meet the community.
the National Commit-
tee for UNIFEM Singa-
pore.
The Sustainability
Institute
420 North Bridge Road
North Bridge Centre
#05-39/40
Singapore 188727
Email:
sustainability@sequoia.com.sg
www.sustainability.sg
possibilities through conversations that mat-
ter. It is an effort to bring Singaporeans from
all walks of life together to discover the true
essence of our strengths, qualities, & spirit
that have stood the test of time. It is the dis-
covery of our communities’ hopes & aspira-
tions, verbalized through active dialogue &
engagement. Simply put, we imagine a na-
tion in conversation.
Add your name to the ever-growing
movement of people who is energized to the
discovery of our communities’
hopes & aspirations.
Email us at :
sustainability@sequoia.com.sg
www.imaginesingapore.sg
“Learning & Insights from
Personal Sustainability
Journal”

By Jacqueline Wong

Sustainability secures for the business a
“license to operate” at a minimal, and offers a
rich ground for business innovation at its best.
With easy access to information, consumers can
now easily obtain information and data on a
business’s operations - where they operate,
whom they hire, how they treat employees, what
natural resources do they use, how they treat the
by-products of their processes etc. In order for a
business to earn the license to operate, they are
learning in current times that they must care for
the larger eco-system in which they exist, or face
serious public disapproval or boycott.
Businesses that are irresponsible would in
the end face deselection by consumers, partners
and the society, or the resources upon which
their business is based would only run dry. On
the other spectrum, are the “wave riders” (as
they are referred to in “Green to Gold”) who
know how to tap on sustainability ideas as a
source of entrepreneurship and innovation that
can be turned into profitable ventures. They see
the value that the increasing interest in
sustainability brings new business opportunities
and casts them in positive light in the eyes of
investors.

Similarly, for social organizations, Doing Well is the foundation to enable social sector organizations
to Do more Good. In Jim Collins’ ‘Good to Great - Monograph for the Social Sector’, he wrote about
Great business organizations having a clarity about their “Hedgehog” - which is a combination of
three overlapping questions, including a) What we are most passionate about, b) What are we best in
the world at, and c) What drives our resource engine. Similarly, for social sector organizations, hav-
ing clarity on these three questions are just as important. Unlike businesses, their bottom-line would
include the number of believers in their cause, sponsorships, brand-value, and ability to hire the best
talents Therefore, doing well would include paying attention to the same things that a business at-
tends to, including marketing, branding, quality of service, quality of employment they provide, and
financial viability. As social sectors become increasingly competitive, the social organizations that
will survive (or remain sustainable) are the ones that can differentiate themselves by their distinctive
impact and quality of products and services. Even though profit is not the measure of success, busi-
ness and operational excellence is still a relevant and important indicator of Doing Well.

One of the key ideas we emphasize when consulting for social enterprises and social organizations is
that “social does not equal mediocre”. There is no reason why a social sector organization does not
seek to deliver five-star products and services. Therefore, Doing Good and Doing Well is a “core the-
ory of success”, and the end game for all organizations. Related to the above, in fact, I would sur-
mise that the only organizations left eventually would be the ones that do good and do well. All other
quadrants are truly not sustainable in the end.

Sustainability radiates through Individual, Organization, Society and Biosphere (W.I.S.E.)

As William McDonough, the renowned architect and author of Cradle to Cradle said, “Designing ren-
ders visible our hopes and dreams… it is the first signal of human intentions”. One of the fruits or
Designs that came from my learning journey with MPOD over the past one year is the founding of the
Sustainability Institute. The mission of SI is to create Lasting Positive Impact, inspired by Weather-
head’s Bold Ideas, Lasting Impact. In many ways, it espouses to bring to the forefront the guiding
idea of “OD for Sustainability” that MPOD has imbued in me. It became a lens that powered my work
and gave Sequoia Consulting a new focus. Interestingly enough, when I founded Sequoia nine years
ago, it already has a mission and a story that is very much about sustainability. For one, the Sequoia
tree is an icon and generative metaphor for sustainability, and the mission of Sequoia is to “create
organizations that are worthy of people’s commitment”.

.Lasting Positive Impact.

www.sustainability.sg
 Sustainability Institute (SI) furthers and extends the mission of Sequoia by
moving to the next frontier of looking at ways to enable and build capaci-
ties in organizations who are interested in more than profits, and inter-
ested in more than social philanthropy and charity. In other words, organi-
zations are worthy of the society and stakeholders’ commitment.

SI was incorporated on Jan 2008, focusing on research, education/

awareness and consultancy for the four pillars of W.I.S.E. –
Great Workplaces
Innovations for Sustainability
Societal Engagement
“We only get one Environmental Conscience
shot...fail to act SI’s W.I.S.E framework became a “teachable point of view” that we are
now using to teach and share with businesses that are interested in ex-
boldly enough & panding their agenda for sustainability. We have been receiving a lot of
positive responses and feedback on how this has been a source of inspi-
we may fail ration for them as traditionally, most business leaders tend to hold a more
limited definition of Sustainability as equal to “Green”.
completely.”
We begin to share with them the opportunities and benefits they would
Alex Steffen gain from expanding the way they look at sustainability to drive improve-
ments in employee engagement and employment practices (Great Work-
places); create new “out-of the box” blue-ocean innovations that they
never thought of before using Sustainability as a spring-board; consider
ways they could do something good for the society by aligning their busi-
ness to a worthy social cause, and finally consider ways they can reduce
their carbon footprint in their supply chain and business processes,
thereby saving costs.

Sustainability...what’s in it for me? For my business?

W
I
S
E
.Lasting Positive Impact.
www.sustainability.sg
National Parks -
Community in
Bloom

By Chong Han Lim

(NParks)

Introducing the ‘Community in Bloom’ (CIB)

Programme
Singapore has come a long way from a concrete harsh
urban environment to the verdant Garden city in which we
live, work and play. Our tree-lined roads interspersed with
lush greenery, beautiful parks and gardens, have left our
visitors to Singapore with a lasting impression. This
reputation is the fruit of the Singapore government’s
concerted efforts to green up the island over the past four
decades.
Looking forward, our long-term vision is to evolve Singapore
into a ‘City In A Garden’. To ensure that these efforts are
sustainable, every one of us has a role to play. It is important
that the community takes ownership of this vision and is
actively involved in the greening efforts. The ‘Community in
Bloom’ (CIB) programme was hence conceived in 2004
with this purpose – to nurture a gardening culture and to
introduce gardening as a healthy hobby for everyone.
Community gardening is a collective effort by the community
to cultivate plants in common green areas to create gardens
for all to enjoy. Individuals in the community take up the
initiative and responsibility for organizing, planting and
maintaining the gardens. An essential aspect is that the
garden be a focal point for people to come together to enjoy
this activity as a group. Apart from tending to their plants,
these plant lovers meet regularly to share gardening tips and
plant specimens. They organize visits to other gardens to
meet like-minded people and to exchange innovative
gardening ideas. This Programme also facilitates the
creation of self-help networks among the community in the
aspect of caring for plants, where successful gardening
groups are encouraged to reach out to start-up groups.
There are various types of community gardens, namely
found in:
(1) Public Housing Estates: Gardening plots are sited in
common green spaces within housing estates. They
are cultivated by residents and managed by the
Residential Committees.
(2) Private Housing Estates: Homeowners can set up
roadside gardens on green verges in front of their
homes along roads in their estate, and cultivate their
own community gardens.
(3) Schools and other Organizations: Gardening plots
are cultivated within the premises of schools or
organizations, where teachers, staff or volunteers
have the opportunity to care for their plants.
Ivory Heights
Condominium
Community
Garden
In line with nurturing a gardening culture and to introduce gardening
as a healthy hobby for everyone, efforts have been made to
educate the next generation and helping them to develop skills,
knowledge and values that promote a love for greenery and care for
the environment.
The ‘Community in Bloom’ Schools resource materials (CIB
Schools) were specially designed for this purpose - to turn
gardening activities and nature appreciation into mini projects and
school gardens into outdoor classrooms. Aimed at developing
science process skills, project management skills, teamwork and
entrepreneurial skills for the students, these engaging gardening
activities nurture a love for gardening and also a passion for nature
and the environment.
Serangoon
North
Zone 6 RC
Community
Garden
The response towards Community in Bloom has been encouraging.
Since its inception, communities that participated in the programme
have witnessed a number of positive changes: residents returning
to outdoor green spaces; school teachers using gardens as
outdoor classrooms; kindergartens integrating outdoor play with
indoor activities; and senior citizens gathering and socializing in
the gardens. These are testaments of a greater living environment,
increased community involvement and more cohesive
neighbourhoods. Communities involved in the programme have
grown closer and are collectively proud of what they have created.
It is this sense of joy and spirit of togetherness in gardening that will
be a key pillar in the transformation of our Garden City into a “City
in A Garden”.
For more information about CIB, visit http://www.nparks.gov.sg/
cib

.Lasting Positive Impact.

www.sustainability.sg
AIESEC - Poverty
Through Our
Lenses :
By Azliza Asri
On February 13, 2008—the AIESEC POL team
held a forum with leading members of Singapore
Management University (SMU) faculty and women
leaders from the non-governmental organizations
(NGO) sector here in Singapore.
The aim of the forum was to gather like-
minded students from SMU & Junior College stu-
dents who are interested to learn more about the
issue of poverty; to understand in greater detail the
complexity of the issue from SMU faculty (John
Donaldson—SMU Assistant Professor of Political
Science), aidha President (Dr. Sarah Mavrinac) &
the National Committee for United Nations Devel-
opment Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Singapore
General Manager (Sreyashi Sengupta).
Staggering & depressing facts about the state
of the poor in the world today set the discussion on
poverty - with almost 48% of the world’s population
living on less than $2/day as according to the
World Bank recent statistics, students are given a
glimpse of the challenges facing impoverished
communities around the world. Consequently,
there are approximately 4 billion people living at
the “Bottom-of-the-Pyramid” & it is a challenge for
these communities to meet their basic necessities
on a daily basis. Furthermore, according to the
Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit
(BAWB), one person dies every 3.6 seconds from
malnutrition & related causes.
Economic development factors such as edu-
cational opportunities, gender equality, access to
basic sanitation, children’s well-being along with
stable governance seemed to contribute to a com-
munities’ ability to manage its poverty levels. Co-
incidently, women’s ability to gain educational op-
portunities is highly correlated to the rate of her
children's success in the community (ie. literacy,
health levels, economic viability for the mother &
family). Gender equality is, thus an important fac-
tor to look at when needing to understand the
complexity of communities’ ability to remove
themselves from the cycle of poverty. Women usu-
ally are able to take better care of the finances for
their children’s education or to source for the fam-
ily daily food necessities (ie. Rice, water, cassava,
sugar or flour). Additionally, women tend to be in a
better position to alleviate their family’s poverty
levels because of their nurturing personality.
.Lasting Positive Impact.
www.sustainability.sg
Sreyashi from the National Committee for
UNIFEM Singapore shared with the audience a story in
India of a women’s struggle to gain some income while
working on a farm (4 hours walking distance from her
home) even till her last days of pregnancy. She endured
a painful experience while giving birth to her child in a
situation that didn’t allow her the choice that women in
developed countries have - clean sanitized surround-
ings. UNIFEM’s work is about empowering women
through programs, workshops & campaigns - ‘Say No to
Violence against Women’, ‘Day-off’ or the ‘Stop Child
Sex’ campaigns. These campaigns are aimed to raise
awareness on these issues while also providing funds
for participation through these programs too.
aidha - a non-governmental organization that
started in 2006, provides financial education to mi-
grant workers in Singapore. Domestic helpers usually
from Indonesia & the Philippines would take up classes
such as career & money management, technology &
communication, and advanced entrepreneurship &
management classes. These classes are designed to
develop participants’ skills & knowledge so that they
are able to create small businesses (ie. hair salons,
sundry shops) upon their return home - as a way to find
means for financial independence. These programs not
only provide these financial skills & knowledge to the
ladies but also build on their self-esteem that empow-
ers women in their lives.
The topic on poverty is a complex issue that
requires understanding from many differing factors &
not one that can be easily understood, but also not
one without a solution in due time. It is an issue that
requires thorough understanding of its complexities’
culture, native language & religion - especially, when
carrying out development work on the ground.
“ Wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking, for it is merely useful and for the sake of
something else.” - Aristotle
Additionally, Dr Mavrinac shared with the audience her experience in the Philippines last
July when aidha was carrying out its research work. She shared her thoughts with the audience
that we cannot fully realize the depth & gravity of communities living in poverty despite our years
of research or immense reading on the topic much better than the communities who are living in
such conditions on a daily basis. Our thoughtfulness, complete open-mindedness & a humble un-
derstanding of their struggles along with a sense of sincerity in wanting to aid these communities
eradicate poverty is probably a best first step. Despite such grime facts on the issue of poverty,
Donaldson also encouraged the audience to see that the possibilities in alleviating poverty is pre-
sent & abundance. It might not be an easy-enough task but in due time it is possible to reduce
the percentage of communities living below the poverty line. This is especially true with the pres-
ence of NGOs such as UNIFEM & aidha; that are determined in delivering the strategies, pro-
grams & tools necessary to alleviate poverty, specifically - to the women in the community. Like-
wise, Sreyashi also believe that achieving gender equality is key to alleviating poverty.

It is the ‘double dividend’ that is present in the notion that gender equality will improve the
lives of both mother & children. Women with better educational experience tend to favor & are
able to provide better quality of life for her children. The education, knowledge & skills that these
women are able to achieve are trickled down to her children - they become more confident in
their decision-making (especially, in financial matters that are inclusive of the family’s well-
being), better nourished children & the like. Moreover, women with higher literacy rates do enter
the formal labor sector that translates to contributing to a higher Gross National Product (GNP) of
a country.

In Singapore, Madam Halimah Yaccob - head of

the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) Women’s
Development Secretariate (WDS) has set up &
chaired a national panel to get more women back to
work. In times of economic turmoil & uncertain infla-
tion rates, the move to attract more women back to
work under the SGD$3 million fund has boosted em-
ployment rates with the inclusion of women back to Pictures Courtesy
of :
the labor sector to an all-time 17-year high according The Sustainability
to the Straits Times dated November 17, 2008 issue. Institute
- Visits to Thailand
To date, Singapore’s labor sector includes an increas- &
Kingdom of Saudi
ing percentage of individuals with tertiary education - Arabia
up 13% from 25% in 1998.
Poverty Around the World
“Some 835,000 women are now in the market, United Nations Millennium
Development Goals (UNMDG 2015)
compared to 818,000 a year ago, mainly due to the
 Reduce by half the proportion of people living
efforts by the government and the unions to get more in extreme income poverty (living on less
women back to work.” than $1 a day)
 Ensure universal primary education
Alleviating poverty in regions around the world is  Eliminate gender disparity in primary & sec-
a great possibility - one that can be achieved with ondary schools (by 2005)
 Reduce infant & child mortality by two-thirds
much hope & perseverance in due time.
 Reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters
 Ensure universal access to reproductive
health services
Implement national strategies for sustain-
“Poverty is the worst form of 
able development in every country by 2005,
so as to reverse the loss of environmental
violence.” resources by 2015
(“Attacking Poverty: Opportunity, Empowerment &
Mahatma Gandhi Security” - World Development Report
2000/2001)

.Lasting Positive Impact.

www.sustainability.sg
 That to which we
inspire...aidha.
By The Sustainability
Institute
aidha - ‘that to which we aspire’ when translated
from Sanskrit was chosen as the name of the non-
governmental organization set up in July of 2006.
A program that started out in 2004 as an initiative
under the National Committee of United Nations Devel-
opment Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Singapore, expanded
on its own as a non-governmental organization in 2006. It
began as a pilot program “Migrant Workers Project” of-
fering typical skills like baking, guitar lessons and also
learning how to use the computer. Seeing the potential of
the program, Executive Committee members of the Na-
tional Committee of United Nations Development Fund
for Women (UNIFEM), they decided that the project has
the capacity to run on its own. aidha’s core was to deliver
high quality financial education targeting specifically for
women migrant workers.
Current President Dr. Sarah Mavrinac headed the
expansion of aidha as its own NGO. A former finance Pro-
fessor at the prestigious INSEAD School of Business, Dr
Mavrinac set out the first financial education class at her
place of residency. Domestic workers who have heard
about the “Migrant Workers Project” under the National
Committee of UNIFEM Singapore were eager to start en-
rolling at aidha. To date, aidha offers classes such as
career & money management, technology & communica-
tion, advanced management & entrepreneurship, and
also elective courses like style with confidence & skills in
the 21st century.
These classes are aimed to provide the needed
knowledge & skills for the students to be able to under-
stand basic business tools & concepts. With hopes, that
they are able to set up their own business once they re-
turn home - for example, to set up a hair salon, café, or
sundry shops. Taking classes at aidha gives them the self
-confidence boost when they leave Singapore with a
wealth of resources as a means of financial independ-
ence - the qualification will give them the opportunity to
find employment back home. From one of the research
findings conducted by the National Committee of UNIFEM
Singapore, it was concluded that aside from abuse cases
facing women in developing countries, the skill on how to
save is a great primary concern.
Subsequently, aidha fills the gap present in the so-
ciety by providing financial education classes to migrant
workers in Singapore. Since its inception in 2006, aidha
has to date provided its courses to over 1,200 women in
Singapore.
.Lasting Positive Impact.
www.sustainability.sg
Dr. Mavrinac believed that even when aidha is an
NGO, it should not skim on the quality of its class notes or
the individuals teaching the courses. Her vision was simple
& crisp - to handpick the best individuals to teach the
courses. aidha courses are taught by corporate trainers &
Professors from the local universities. Students are also
given class notes atypical of those handed out in university
classes. She doesn't believe in compromising the quality of
the courses even though the courses are running from an
NGO. She believes in a balance while running aidha’s op-
eration & as an advise to aspiring social entrepreneurs -
crafting a brand image is an essential first step. It reflects
the quality & image of organization.
When asked what are the capabilities & strengths of
aidha? Dr. Mavrinac pointed out that “providing high qual-
ity intellectual capital” is aidha’s competitive advantage.
However, she does not wish for aidha to grow in massive
numbers - that is not one of aidha core competency In-
stead, aidha aims to capitalize on its energetic entrepre-
neurial capabilities (as a generator of intellectual capital).
One of aidha’s vision is to develop a network of replication
centers that provides aidha’s course materials at a stan-
dard subscription fee. This is one of the possible ways
aidha is able to provide income generating activity in the
years to come.
She also believes in delivering the value in aidha’s
financial education courses & feels that that should create
interest from the public.
In 5 years, aidha’s contribution to the society would
hope to have transcended Asia & possibly creating repli-
cation centers internationally such as the Middle East,
London, New York, Italy or Greece where domestic workers
are present. Despite such grandiose hope & vision, pro-
viding financial education to women migrant workers will
inherently be a core for aidha. As a long-term impact for
aidha, she hopes to have a lot less poor people in the
world & that the eradication of poverty is possible & not
just a mere dream.
For more information about aidha, visit
www.aidha.org or email info@aidha.org
Our participation at
Jobs DB Career &
Education Fair 2009.

By The Sustainability
Institute

The Jobs DB Career & Education Exhibition that took place on March 20th to the 22nd drew a sizeable crowd. In times
of economic downturn & inevitable uncertainty, the exhibition came at a right time. Job seekers and those who are interested
in upgrading themselves did find the exhibition beneficial.
The Sustainability Institute (Si) participated to be part of the “Education” section of the fair. Presenting the work that we
at Si, it was a good opportunity for us to launch our programs & workshops. Our main objective was to present Si to the public
with the launch of our 2009 Programs & Workshops.
1. Sustainability Programs & Workshops
2. Live. Laugh. Love
3. SEEDS
4. Life & Career Coaching

We also took this opportunity to acquaint visitors to our booth about Singapore Compact. The key attraction to our booth was
the immense interest on the issue of sustainability. They were keen to know if currently, there are any organizations
(government or non-governmental) that are promoting sustainability or the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to
businesses (especially) - or the community-at-large in Singapore. And they were also keen in finding out what measures are
being taken to promote CSR or sustainability issues to the community in Singapore.

The issue on sustainability is recently getting coverage & currency in Singapore. The local newspaper - The Straits Times pub-
lished an article (on March 24, 2009) entitled “Going green makes sound sense” written by Euston Quah & Qiyan Ong. It out-
lined the exact sentiments felt by sustainability skeptics. Therefore, there is a clear need to understand the essence of sus-
tainable development for the betterment of society - especially in respect to how businesses in Singapore can do a part in
paving its way toward sustainability (be it in its CSR or through community engagement). Businesses need to address these
issues to create better business practices that aligns with standard laws & policies while at the same time reaping comfort-
able profits for the company. There is no time like the present to begin to learn & understand about these sustainability is-
sues & subsequently, integrating sustainability as a key business agenda.

Understand
what is,
Imagine what
can be,
Create what will
be.

Imagine Singapore is about creating hope & possibilities through

conversations that matter. It is an effort to bring Singaporeans from all
walks of life together to discover the true essence of our strengths,
qualities, & spirit that have stood the test of time. It is the discovery of our
communities’ hopes & aspirations, verbalized through active dialogue &
engagement. Simply put, we imagine a nation in conversation.

We believe that people grow in the direction of questions we most

frequently ask ourselves. Positive images precede positive action. Through
workshops using a simple & accessible approach of asking questions
called Appreciative Inquiry, Singaporeans conduct interviews that will help
in the expression of the hopes of our families, friends & neighbors.

We have experienced the ability of this approach to bring positive changes

- the mere act of being asked these questions serve to deepen the quality
of connection between people & strengthens the individual’s sense of
hope for the future.

We have done it before, we will do it again. We have what it takes to

succeed.

Join the ever-growing movement of We are currently collaborating with NTUC to

people believing in their dreams! gather positive stories for their “Upturn the
For further information Downturn” portal.
or to be part of the project,
email us at
sustainability@sequoia.com..sg Thank you Anderson Junior College students
for your participation!
Visit us at
www.sustainability.sg