Open communication between the government and the people through talks and forums

There should be open and honest discourse between the public and the government on how to change the current situation of unsustainable living. Platforms such as public debates, online forums and talks should be created and well utilized by the government to hear what the public has to say. This will make it easier for the government to mitigate the challenges faced by citizens on living sustainably.

One example would be the problem of low recycling rates in Singapore due to the general public claiming that it takes too much time and effort to separate their trash and bring it down to the blue recycling dustbins located in every housing estate. Since the public are also unsure of how to use these government initiatives there should be a clearer manual on which product waste materials can be taken to the recycling bin and which has to be thrown away in general waste. These problems can be more readily addressed if there were open channels for citizens to give their feedback immediately when the policy initially was implemented.

One suggestion on how to make communication flow between the government and the public would be an online forum. This forum should be focused on sustainability alone so as to endure that the importance of sustainable living is highlighted. Currently there are forums online about the environment however they are limited in scope and is often one sided as the government does not respond to these post and comments. The government should run the forum and also be actively responding to questions and comments raised by Singaporeans on how to live more sustainably. This forum platform should be advertised through leaflets in HDB lifts or community centers to encourage public participation on the online forum. The best points raised by citizens could then be invited to a meet and greet talk session with the various relevant ministers. Together the government and the people can work together to find solutions and take initiatives to building a sustainable Singapore.

Government interaction with Citizens have been a one-way communication for a long time and now people are starting to dive into a two-way conversation on the internet (Rich, 2013). The media has a big role to play in opening up channels of communication between citizens and governments therefore the talks should be broadcasted online so it reaches as many Singaporeans as possible. The government should hear out the struggles of the everyday citizen of Singapore and mitigate the problems as quickly as possible. Delays in solving important issues such as uneducated public on how to use recycle bins will demoralize the public causing them to lose interest in living sustainably. The government should nip the problem in the bud and the only way to do so is to be aware of the issue, respond to the issue and work on a good solution to the issue. By communicating more frequently and getting information first hand from the public, the government can solve issues much faster and therefore encourage sustainable living more efficiently.

Sarah Rich (April. 5 2013) How to Improve Government-to-Citizen Communication (April. 2013)

Retrieved from:

http://www.govtech.com/e-government/How-to-Improve-Government-to-Citizen-Communication.html