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Focus on the Family Singapore

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Focus on the Family Singapore is a pro-family Christian charity based in Singapore.[1] It is an affiliate of the American Christian conservative organisation, Focus on the Family, founded in 1977 by James Dobson.[2][3] Focus on the Family Singapore was established in August 2000 and became a registered charity in 2002.[4] It operates autonomously as a charity. The organisation has conducted talks, workshops, nationwide events and counselled parents and couples, with the aim of advocating traditional family units.

Focus on the Family Singapore
Founded2002
FounderTan Thuan Seng
Location
  • Singapore
Websitefamily.org.sg

Overview

Focus on the Family Singapore is pro-life and pro-family, and believes in the importance of outreach and social responsibility. According to its website, FOTF seeks to strengthen the role of male and female in a marriage and traditional family unit.[5] FOTF in Singapore is an affiliate of a US-based organisation of the same name founded in 1977 by evangelical Christian James Dobson.[6] It is a donor-supported Institution of Public Character in Singapore.[citation needed]

The organisation has advocated reparative therapies for gays,[7][8] and speaks out against artistes and events that it deems to have undermined its concept of traditional values.[9]

In 2010 and 2012, Focus on the Family Singapore received the Work-Life Excellence Award and the inaugural Sustained Work-Life Excellence Award in 2014 in recognition of the organisation’s success in promoting flexibility and work-life harmony.[5]

Events and programmes

Family bonding and inmate rehabilitation

The charity organises parent-child bonding programmes to bond over shared activities, including its Dates with Dads sessions.[10] Since 2012, Focus on the Family Singapore has organised Date with Dad in Changi Prison for prison inmates.[11]

Marriage preparation and relationship strengthening

Focus organises marriage preparation programmes that aims to help couples address issues that they may face as newlyweds. [12] In 2018, the organisation launched launched a free online resource to give married couples practical tips, conversation starters, and date night ideas to nurture intimacy with their spouse.[13][14]

Abstinence

Focus organises a programmes, No Apologies, that promotes abstinence and the practice of safe sex to youths.[15][16]

In 2009, following the new UNESCO guidelines for sexual education, there was much debate over the issue of teaching contraception methods to the young among civil groups such as AWARE and FOTF.[17] Following the media attention. the Ministry of Education suspended all sexuality education programmes in schools, except those conducted by the school teachers.[18] The ministry then conducted a vetting process.[18] In 2010, FOTF was one of the six shortlisted external vendor that was chosen to conduct sexuality education workshops in Singapore schools.[19]

Parenting and work-life integration

Parenting with Confidence is a parenting workshop conducted of FOTF that gives advice on tools and principles in raising children.[20]

The Heart of Success workshop introduces staff to the idea of work-life integration.[21]

Counselling services

Focus on the Family Singapore also has a team of counsellors that works with individuals, married couples, parents and families.[22] In 2014, Focus counselors have handled 302 cases across 1,108 face-to-face sessions.[23]

The organisation has been called out for advocating conversion therapies for gays.[24][25]

Media outreach

Focus on the Family Singapore has been on radio stations 938LIVE and BE107FM since 2000. The organisation purchases advertisement spots on television, forum and newspapers and ads in Church magazines such as Harvest Times (City Harvest Church) and Solid Rock (New Creation Church).[26]

Controversy over relationship workshops

On October 7, 2014 a Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) student who attended a relationship workshop, It’s UNcomplicated (IUC), conducted by Focus, shared an open letter she wrote to her principal on her Facebook page. She suggested that the programme stereotyped males and females, portraying girls as "emotional", "want security" and want to "look attractive", while boys "need respect" and "don't want a girlfriend that questions their opinions and argues with their decisions all the time".[27] The programme material also featured lines such as "a guy can’t not want to look" and suggested that girls indulge in doublespeak while boys mean exactly what they say.[28][29] Focus on the Family Singapore, was appointed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development to conduct such modules for junior college students.[30]

Focus has since issued an official response, claiming that the content of the workshop was based on material by experts, including Gary Chapman (author of The Five Love Languages) and Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn (author of For Women Only: What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men)[31] Focus also defended its programmes by pointing out more than 85 per cent of the students polled had rated it as "Very Good/Good" while 89 per cent of students saw he presentation of its facilitators as "Very Good/Good". It was not specified in the press release how many students had actually been surveyed.[32] Shaunti Feldhahn wrote an open letter in response to the issue,[33] saying that the student had misunderstood the material, "We strongly disagree with the idea that teaching the brain wiring and mutual respect is somehow contributing to a "rape culture."[34]

On 17 October 2014, in response to this issue, a letter co-signed by 13 research scientists from National University of Singapore and Yale-NUS contended that the evidence of stark sex-based differences - in both gross brain function and the majority of our cognitive functions are inconclusive.[35]

The Ministry of Education confirmed in July 2014 that relationship and sexuality programs conducted by Focus on the Family Singapore would cease by end-2014 as planned.[36][37]

Relationship with Focus on the Family United States

Focus on the Family Singapore is operated and directed independently of Focus on the Family US, although the two organisations are closely affiliated. In 2009, Focus on the Family Singapore received SG$45,477 in grants from the larger American organisation.[38] In contrast, it received over SG$1 million from donations and fees recovered through its impact programs and services.[38]

Management

Past and present presidents of the organisation include:

  • Tan Thuan Seng (2002–2007)
  • Joanna Koh-Hoe (2007–2012)
  • Lim Yu-Ming (2012-2013)
  • Joanna Koh-Hoe (2013-current)

The organisation underwent restructuring in 2012, and no longer has a president as the head of the organisation. Jason Wong, former Singapore Prisons Service deputy director and lobby group Honour Singapore board member,[39][40] came on board as Chairman in October 2013.[23]

Awards and recognition

The Work-Life Leadership Award was conferred to Mrs. Joanna Koh-Hoe, President of Focus on the Family Singapore Ltd in 2010. In 2010 and 2012, Focus on the Family Singapore received the Work-Life Excellence Award and the inaugural Sustained Work-Life Excellence Award in 2014 in recognition of the organisation’s success in promoting flexibility and work-life harmony.[41]

References

  1. ^ Long, Susan (2 September 2014). "Lim Siong Guan: Superman, Yoda, change crusader". The Straits Times.
  2. ^ "FOTF About Us". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  3. ^ "Global Outreach". www.focusonthefamily.com. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  4. ^ "FOTF About Us". Focus on the Family. 9 February 2004. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Our Mission & Story". Focus on the Family Singapore. Retrieved 2018-07-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ Siow, Li Sen (5 December 2008). "Online campaign leads to rethink at DBS". The Business Times. Fri,.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  7. ^ "focus on the family to hold 'reparative therapy' seminar in singapore". Fridae. 20 November 2003.
  8. ^ "Taiwan Leads Ban on Gay Conversion Therapy". ricemedia.co.
  9. ^ "Petition to get Adam Lambert out of countdown". Today. 26 November 2015.
  10. ^ "Date with Dad 2016". Focus on the Family Singapore. Retrieved 2018-07-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ Tan, Theresa (8 October 2017). "A rare hug from daddy during special visit to prison". The Straits Times.
  12. ^ "Programmes and Services". Focus on the Family Singapore. Retrieved 2018-07-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  13. ^ hermes (2018-02-18). "Still dating my spouse: How 4 married couples carve out time for each other". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  14. ^ "有了孩子 夫妻还需约会吗". 早报. 2018-02-12. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  15. ^ "Sexuality 101". The Straits Times. 12 May 2009.
  16. ^ "Programmes and Services". Focus on the Family Singapore. Retrieved 2018-07-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  17. ^ Ong, Dailin (4 September 2009). "A new spark to the issue". Today.
  18. ^ a b Tan, T. "MOE tightens vetting of sexuality education", The Straits Times, Singapore, 22 April 2009.
  19. ^ Yeo, S.L. & Liew, H. "Ministry picks groups to teach sexuality education", The Straits Times, Singapore, 29 April 2010.
  20. ^ "Programmes and Services". Focus on the Family Singapore. Retrieved 2018-07-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ "Programmes and Services". Focus on the Family Singapore. Retrieved 2018-07-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  22. ^ "Counselling". Focus on the Family Singapore. Retrieved 2018-07-05. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  23. ^ a b http://www.family.org.sg/FOTFS/Downloads/StewardshipReport2014.pdf
  24. ^ "focus on the family to hold 'reparative therapy' seminar in singapore". Fridae. 20 November 2003.
  25. ^ "Taiwan Leads Ban on Gay Conversion Therapy". ricemedia.co.
  26. ^ "FOTF Programs/Events". 10 February 2004.
  27. ^ Lee, Pearl (8 October 2014). "Former HCI students want school to suspend sexuality education workshop". The Straits Times.
  28. ^ Azman, Azim (8 October 2014). "Hwa Chong student's post over 'sexist' relationship workshop goes viral". The New Paper.
  29. ^ "17-year-old JC girl gives Focus on the Family the tongue-lashing they deserve for their pathetic gender stereotypes". Mothership.sg. 7 October 2014.
  30. ^ Fang, Joy (8 October 2014). "Ministries, HCI studying feedback on Focus on the Family Singapore workshop". Today.
  31. ^ http://family.org.sg/FOTFS/contents/FOTFS_Clarifies_I_ts_UNcomplicated_program.aspx
  32. ^ Lee, Pearl (10 October 2014). "Focus on the Family defends relationship workshop, says most students rated it well". The Straits Times.
  33. ^ "An Open Letter from Shaunti Feldhahn in response to the Focus on the Family Singapore school program controversy" - Shaunti Feldhahn". Shaunti Feldhahn. 8 October 2014.
  34. ^ "Author cited in Focus on the Family Singapore pamphlet responds to controversy". The Straits Times. 10 October 2014.
  35. ^ "Female brains aren't pink, and male brains aren't blue". The Straits Times. 17 October 2014. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014.
  36. ^ Lee, Pearl (8 October 2014). "MOE: Relationship workshop by Focus on the Family Singapore to cease by end-2014". The Straits Times.
  37. ^ "Facilitators of Focus on the Family Singapore workshop 'ineffective': HCI principal". Today. 9 October 2014.
  38. ^ a b Focus on the Family Singapore. Focus on the Family Singapore Stewardship Report 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  39. ^ "Oh, my old Singapore". The Straits Times. 31 July 2015.
  40. ^ "Honour Singapore addresses online flak for its Christian board members". The Straits Times. 15 August 2014.
  41. ^ Work Life Excellence Award, Retrieved July 13, 2010.
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