national education

All of us need friends. Whatever names we call them – acquaintances, confidantes, buddies, or bosom friends, the fact remains that friends are important to us. When we have a good relationship with other people, it is called an interpersonal relationship, or a friendship. Generally speaking, we should be friends with all those who wish to befriend us, and we should stand by our friends who have stood by us in times of need.

 

Singapore has some good friends too. It maintains good relationships with countries like Malaysia, Brunei, Europe, the United States of America and many others. This is called international relations . Friends support each other, and Singapore fully supports its friends by maintaining an open trading system. An open market economy means that all local and foreign entrepreneurs are free to set up their businesses here. As a result of our openness, Singapore is able to grow its capital, develop its technology and acquire new knowledge and skills.

 

Friends who share the same interests sometimes set up their own clubs, such as the Babysitter's Club, the Reading Club or the Soccer Club. Singapore is also a member of several clubs. These include the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the United Nations (UN), and the Commonwealth. These clubs are called international organizations .

 

Through these international organizations, Singapore has worked closely with other countries to engage in the following activities:

•  In the aftermath of the 2005 Bali bombings, the Singapore Armed Forces sent a medical team to Bali to help treat victims at the Sanglah Hospital.

•  In October 2005, in the aftermath of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, the Singapore Civil Defence Force sent a 44-member Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team to Pakistan to aid the relief and rescue operations.

 

These activities are called international efforts. International efforts are activities carried out to improve the conditions within a country's or region's environment.

 

Having friends are important, and maintaining friendships are equally essential. In times of despair, true friends will offer help. Hopefully, by maintaining good friendships with other countries, Singapore's friends would offer help in case we are faced with misfortunes like war or natural disasters, and vice versa.