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AMID the skyscrapers and coastline of Surfers Paradise in Australia’s Gold Coast, one can spot a large surfboard with a digital clock, determinedly counting down.

The Commonwealth Games will descend this week onto the Gold Coast’s beaches, bringing with it the world’s best athletes and nagging questions of relevance, competitiveness and economic effect.

The multi-sport event has gathered various nations of the British Commonwealth every four years since 1930, barring a few wartime aberrations. It was originally known as the British Empire Games, hosting various combinations of countries, with Australia and Britain among the mainstays. The 2018 Games will draw athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and territories who will compete in 275 events over 18 sports.

Despite the impending glow of an international audience, familiar concerns over the games’ substantial cost and dwindling significance have again come to the fore, this time in the Australian state of Queensland.

There is little doubt the Commonwealth represents a particular, if ageing, type of might — it still represents about a third of the world’s population. Set up in the mid-20th century as Britain allowed for the self-governance of many of its territories, the Commonwealth of Nations have no legal obligations to one another, but instead aim to further shared values like democracy and freedom of speech.

But, in a post-Brexit landscape, and with many countries shrinking further into isolationism, questions have been raised not only of the games’ relevance, but the relevance of the Commonwealth itself.

“The Commonwealth matters to me,” said Jacqui Gooding, a New Zealander who was visiting Surfers Paradise on vacation.

“The queen is our leader — I don’t want a president.”

Gooding’s husband, John, dismissed the idea that the games would be absent of sporting and political relevance.

“It’s about bringing all the nations of the Commonwealth together,” he said.

“It shows the power of sport in diplomacy, and the importance of the Commonwealth.”

Organisers on the Gold Coast said they expected the games to reach a global audience of 1.5 billion. For context, the 2014 World Cup had about 3.2 billion global viewers and the Rio Olympics had about 3.6 billion.

The mood of locals varied from enthusiasm to curiosity to, occasionally, eye-rolling frustration at construction and traffic delays.

Nick Atkins, who runs a co-working space on the Gold Coast, has been an advocate for attracting and retaining talent in the region. He said he was more excited about the government’s spending on infrastructure than the events themselves.

“For me, personally, I don’t know who the Commonwealth’s best javelin thrower is, or table tennis player or swimmer,” he said.

“But, there’s an undeniable positivity on the Gold Coast for it.”

Peter Beattie, a former premier of the state of Queensland, and the chairman of the Gold Coast Games, said that he empathised with those who had reservations about the event.

“I understand that there’s always a bit of cynicism: Is this the remnants of the Empire? Look, it came from the Empire Games, but its relevance and relationship with the Empire Games is very tenuous,” he said.

This year’s games, for the first time, will feature an equal gender split of events. Women will compete for the same number of me-dals as men, a feat that organisers said had not been replicated by any other major multi-sport international event, including the Olympics.

Beattisaid that the games would send a message about the advancement of women that he hoped the Olympics would emulate.

Others said the games presented athletes with a rare chance at higher competition like the Olympics and World Championships — and some athletes with perhaps the peak competition of their careers

“I just snuck into the Commonwealth Games. It was the first major team that I made, representing Australia — they have more relaxed standards,” said Steve Moneghetti, a retired Australian runner who eventually competed in four Olympic marathons.

“It’s a good stepping stone, and certainly for some athletes it will be the only multisport competition that they go to.”

It is easy to see why for certain nations these games may be just as watchable as the Olympics — there’s a far greater chance of seeing a fellow countryman win.

Medal count aside, host cities have faced increasing pressure in recent games to ensure that the economic effect of the event proves both positive and sustainable.

Last year, the South African city of Durban was stripped of the right to host the games in 2022, following a series of missed deadlines and financial shortcomings. The African continent has never hosted the games.

Before that, India’s 2010 Games were marred by accusations of substantial overspend and corruption.

The 2014 Games in Glasgow proved something of a litmus test for the economic and cultural credibility of the event

There, a large chunk of responsibility fell to an American, David Grevemberg, who had previously been part of a team that secured an agreement that would require Olympic cities to also host the Paralympics.

“Post India, we had a brand that’s relevance was being questioned,” said Grevemberg, who today is the chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation.

By ADAM BAIDAWI.

Read more @ https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2018/04/353305/commonwealth-games-it-still-relevant

LOVE was in the air for everyone on Valentine’s Day, celebrated last week, including by the campus fraternity. At universities and colleges around the globe, student associations organised many events to celebrate the day to spread love among students and academic faculties.

In Malaysia, students showed their love of community on campus during the day. It came in the form of volunteering, relationship awareness, as well as organising simple and fun activities with friends.

Nottingham University in Malaysia organised a talk on relationships, themed “But the Greatest of All is Love”, on Feb 8.

According to Vinsensius Felix Putra Andy, or fondly known as Felix, the talk was on the introduction of tools to conduct moral reasoning and judgment, which is the basis for true Catholic relationships.

Vinsensius Felix Putra Andy.

“We decided to choose this topic so that our members are exposed to these concepts, especially since it is Valentine’s Day and this could be in the minds of people. The talk was led by Father Clarence Devadass, a Catholic priest,” said Felix, who is the chairman of the Catholic Student’s Society.

Felix, 21, who is in Year 3 of Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, said as the event served to deepen the moral understanding on relationships, they could support their friends who are dating; by encouraging them if they are on the right track or advise them if they are not.

“Furthermore, the Catholic community on campus will benefit from the talk as well, as moral judgment is important to strengthen our faith so that we do not fall into immoral and unethical relationships.”

Hani Nadhirah Azaman

Hani Nadhirah Azaman, 20, said Nottingham Malaysia students are very supportive of each other. Thus, she grabbed this opportunity to organise a Valentine’s Day event “Love. Enactus Valentine’s Day Sales” by using Enactus UNMC as a platform to execute the event.

The main purpose of the Valentine’s Day sales event was to spread love and also encourage self-love.

“The Valentine’s Day event was a collaboration with the university’s student association, in which we sold gift packages consisting of a combination of fresh rose, helium balloon, a box of chocolates and a card.

“Students and staff could pre-order their choice of gift package via our promotional booth the week before and a few days before the actual event day,” said Hani Nadhirah.

Enactus UNMC also provided free delivery service with self-written message on the card for a personal touch.

“On Feb 14, we sold the same items to ensure that students who did not get a chance to pre-order them could buy something for their significant others,” she added.

She believes that the event would make the sender and recipient feel special and strengthen the bond between partners, friends and even between students and lecturers.

“Spreading love will radiate positive vibes around the campus. To achieve this goal, our main objective was to sell as many gift packages as a token of appreciation among students and lecturers.”

Shahrrathey Laxme Balasubaramaniam, 23, from SEGi College Subang Jaya, organised an event called #itsOK2bSingle, to promote the ideology of love is for all and not only for couples.

Among the activities are Valentine’s performance, games on speed dating, sales of roses, baked goods, scented rose soap, free make-up session and a Valentine’s photo booth.

“We tried to reinforce the idea that single people should not feel bad about not having a partner and to promote self-love and appreciate what we have.

“If given another chance next year, we would like to throw a Valentine’s Splash Party for singles and couples,” she said.

Taylor’s University Community Service Initiatives (CSI) Volunteers vice-president Rachel Wong Pui Ee, 20, said being a communication student at Taylor’s University added value to her involvement in community-centric events as she was able to use critical thinking and elements of mass communications in the planning process.

“Although they can be challenging, as it takes a lot of time and a lot of effort, I stand firm on the belief that passion is key in helping me develop my skills through experience and, more importantly, contribute to the less fortunate.

“This is where I am able to evaluate what the less privileged needed and how exactly we can cater to their needs,” said the first-year student in Mass Communication (Public Relations and Marketing).

Nottingham University in Malaysia organised a talk on relationships led by Father Clarence Devadass (fourth from right).

Rachel said its current project, “One-Stop Centre: New Year, New Clothes”, revolves around the idea of giving and spreading love, as well as positivity.

She said the recent launch of the CSI One-Stop Centre started CSI’s efforts to serve as a collection centre for donated goods and a platform to enquire about CSI Volunteers and community service for the Taylor’s community.

The “One-Stop Centre: New Year, New Clothes” project’s purpose is to donate unworn and pre-loved clothes to underprivileged children through CSI Volunteers and kick-start the One-Stop Centre’s efforts.

“Additionally, a visitation will be made to the children’s home to conduct some activities and give clothes to them.

“If we are able to enjoy our festive seasons, it is only fair that the less privileged communities are able to do so as well.

“This project is also aimed at shedding light to our One-Stop Centre, where we want to let the community know that they can donate or give back to the community all-year-round.

“We encourage the Taylor’s community to donate necessities and spread love through this platform.

“From previous CSI activities, I believe that everyone can agree that the most rewarding thing is to see the smiles on the faces of our beneficiaries.

“Spreading love is not only in the form of monetary gifts or quantity, it is the initiative, the mindset, the heart and how we can be an inspiration to them, as well as be inspired by them,” she said.

BLOOM co-founder Marcus Liaw Jia Yoong, 21, said he and his partner Kelly Siaw started up an online florist, BLOOM, to allow everyone to show their forever lasting love through affordable and top quality bear bouquet.

“In conjunction with Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year, I approached CSI to collaborate as I was intrigued by the ‘New Year, New Clothes’ project.

“Since Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year are just few days apart, it would be good opportunity for BLOOM and CSI to collaborate and contribute to orphans who would need new clothes for the festive season.

By Zulita Mustafa.

Read more @ https://www.nst.com.my/education/2018/02/337484/spreading-community-love-campus

By LEE CHONGHUI

TEN Malaysian students were chosen to join the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) academic fellowship programme in the United States recenty.

A fully-sponsored event initiated by the 44th US president Barack Obama in 2013 for youths aged 18 to 25, the programme seeks to build the leadership capabilities of youths in the region, strengthen ties between the US and Southeast Asia, and nurture an Asean community.

The students joined their peers from the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to form the programme’s Fall Cohort, which had activities in the states of Hawaii, Nebraska, Connecticut, Illinois and Massachusetts.

Each student had the opportunity to study in an American university for a period of five weeks to learn about three chosen topics, which are Civic Engagement, Social Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development and Environmental Issues.

With close collaboration between the selected universities and the US government, the programme was well spread out to cater to three main objectives: to cultivate leadership skills, immerse participants in American cultural history and, most importantly, to practice and gain knowledge about the selected theme.

This diversified the programme into an array of lectures, incubator workshops, travelling, team-building and also volunteering activities each week.

“As one of the participants, I find this an interesting combination of learning the values and visions of Asean and its future potential with our different languages and contrasting cultures, while at the same time adapting to the fish-out-of-water experience of living in America for five weeks,” said Malaysian participant Marissa Asfirah Saiful Lizan.

She highlighted that the valuable merit of the programme lies in its diversity and common denominator of not only learning together, but also learning from one another.

“There are two cohorts each year, the Spring Intake in March and the Fall Intake in September. The latest cohort had 10 Malaysians, divided into five different states in America.

“I was in the Social Entrepreneurship and Economic Development theme in the University of Connecticut,” she said.

The accounting student from Yayasan Pendidikan Cheras (YPC) International College and her group spent the majority of their time on campus with road trips to Boston and Hartford over the weekend amidst classes and volunteering squeezed in with visits to Ivy League universities, such as Harvard and Yale University.

“Programme participants were also granted access to an online course by the University of Peace, a university endorsed by the United Nations. Our time at the University of Connecticut concluded with a pitch presentation of our individual projects,” said Marissa.

Apart from studies and related activities, the students also travelled to New Haven, New York, Philadelphia and to Washington D.C. to visit cultural and educational sites to further their understanding of the US.

“We were given the opportunity to meet and have insightful discussions with entrepreneurs, politicians, State Department officials, meet the Malaysian ambassador, along with the other Malaysian delegates under the programme. The closing session comprised feedbacks, reflective speeches and an opportunity to meet and network with other YSEALI fellows.

“There were many pinch-me moments throughout this programme, which will forever be home to so many beautiful memories,” said Marissa.

For her, it was a priceless opportunity to not only be recognised and be a part of the YSEALI alumni, but also an opportunity to represent Malaysia.

“I urge university students to take a shot and apply for the programme. It is an opportunity to fail, learn and grow within a safe space in a new country, and travelling and volunteering with people from different countries. This experience will always serve as a constant reminder that there is still so much out there to learn and experience,” she said.

By NST Education.

Read more @ https://www.nst.com.my/education/2018/01/328290/building-leadership-and-cross-cultural-understanding

Cultivating national unity is an uphill battle for any country, the slope becomes steeper for countries which are much more diverse like Malaysia. When I was in primary and secondary school, we recited the Rukun Negara every Monday morning, we painted the school walls with Jalur Gemilang next to ten smiley people representing different ethnic groups in Malaysia. Most common of all, we always had to write essays on national unity, harmony in a multiracial society and the spirit of patriotism. Back then, none of these tasks seemed unusual, challenging or hypocritical.

As I grew older, I find the idea of national unity difficult to fathom and even harder to advocate. I wonder if it is because I was having more exposure towards the social fabric and political reality or if I was in fact growing up in the most tumultuous years of the Malaysian political landscape. From the eyes of my 10-year-old self, I saw that Malaysians are fundamentally capable of living and progressing in terms of in harmony and unity.

Later I realise that it is the nature of governance and politics, in particular the institutionalisation of our differences such as raced-based politics, affirmative action and adversarial judicial system that pushed us further apart.

Unity in Malaysia requires all Malaysians to have an in-depth and objective understanding of how Malaysia was founded and what it takes to build a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country on the basis of justice and fairness, both of which are the fundamental virtues of our Federal Constitution. It requires Malaysians to be mindful that in order to march forward as a successful united country, we need to first acknowledge that we are Malaysians and this national identity and narrative should prevail over any differences that we may have.

Moderation in isolation does not preach any particular value. It is merely a philosophical idea that every issue, action, decision or even every thought can be measured on a spectrum. In order to call an approach a moderate one, one must then consider and identify two ends of the spectrum. For instance, Islamic extremistism has been a popular term.