JAKARTA - What would happen if 30 young leaders from Indonesia and Singapore gathered for a week to "operate a kitchen" for diversity? Through the BRIDGE program (Bilateral Relations and Intercultural Dialogue for Growth and Empowerment) held by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), these agents of change proved that strengthening harmony can be done in a fun and immersive way.
During January 12-16, 2026, they didn't just sit in a seminar room, but went down to the corners of Singapore to understand the meaning of real inclusiveness.
City Exploration that Opens Eyes
This program is packaged through a series of activities that are very close to the daily lives of urban communities:
Social Walking Tour: Explore the historic Selegie-Prinsep district with The Foundry to see how local citizen initiatives embrace all walks of life.
Life in the Heart of the City: Visiting Toa Payoh to understand how public housing design is key to the integration of diverse residents.
Dialog Through Stories & Food: A unique workshop with The Black Sampan that uses digital media and culinary as a means of building inclusive conversations.
Harmony in Diversity: Learn the practice of interreligious tolerance directly at the public education gallery.
Building Empathy, Not Just a Theory
For the participants, BRIDGE is more than just an exchange program. It is an emotional networking event.
"Although the context of our country is different, the challenges related to inclusion are universal. This is a journey that starts with empathy and continues with action," said Amalina Binte Abdul Nasir, a participant from Singapore.
A similar thing was expressed by Budy Sugandi, a participant from Indonesia. According to him, this moment is a two-way dialogue event to find ways to create a comfortable community for anyone.
Hope for an Inclusive Future
CEO of the Singapore International Foundation, Corinna Chan, emphasized that young leaders play an important role as a bridge of difference. With the relationship established during this week, it is hoped that concrete actions will emerge that will make the people in both countries more resilient and united.
In short, BRIDGE proves that understanding differences can start from the same step on the city sidewalk, honest digital stories, to sitting together at the dinner table.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
