Why we need to talk about race

Dr Mathew Mathews from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) a think-tank within the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS, observed that the vestiges of racism here stem from our innate in-group preferences, which have sometimes left us lacking in sensitivity and self-awareness when we interact with those who are ethnically different. He opined that if we are to overcome this, we need to talk about our differences, as much as we talk about commonalities, as it is through this process of frank discussion and an openness to understand others that we can eliminate unfair stereotypes and biases.

• TODAY, 19 August 2016, p20 & p23