It is the #sg50 weekend! We present you with a special photo series, Next 50. In this series, people from our humanist community were asked about their well wishes and aspirations for Singapore in the next 50 years. It includes many universal values such as kindness, peace, equality and compassion. These photos were taken at our SG50 barbeque on August 1, 2015. Photos by Zhang Chenyuan.
Peace, above all else
“War is the planning and execution of death and destruction on a global scale – the humankind’s wish to destroy itself. No other human misadventure is more horrendous or efficient in self-destruction. In the age of nuclear weaponry it is manifest evidence of collective sociopathy driven by political incompetence and stupidity.”
– Bernard Johnston’s wishes for #next50
Equality
“Tolerance is the first step but we need more as we become a progressive society. Equality means accepting and understanding people from all walks of life regardless of race, sex, religion, age, and gender.”
– Lander Missile’s and Oni Ambrosio’s wishes for#next50
Believe in yourself
“We are responsible for our own choices, in charge of our own morality and answerable to our own conscience”
– Corrine Ying’s wishes for #next50
Empathy & Compassion 
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“Recently a notable public figure said that if we were a godless society, we’ll have many problems. I think all we need is a little more empathy and compassion to help us all be good people. Just look at some of the largely irreligious societies that are doing well, godlessness is a non-issue they found out.”
– Edwin Fong’s wishes for #next50
Clarity
“In terms of policies and regulations, sometimes it is not very well communicated.”
– Douglas Chow’s wishes for #next50
Fairness
“There should be fairness and equality for people here. Regardless of race and religion, we are all africans.”
– Dan Tang’s wishes for #next50
Justice and equality
“I took these words from the Singapore pledge. The humanist philosophy states that all human lives are equally precious, that every person deserves respect. One way to ensure equality is to have just law and to have laws applied in a just manner. Singapore is very proud of having a strong rule of law. My wish for Singapore is that this rule of law continues to develop in a way that ensure justice and equality for all living in Singapore.”
– Zheng Huifen’s wishes for #next50
So, what’s next?
“As the world changes, so must we. How shall we stay together as one and move ahead?”
– Eugene Ng’s wishes for #next50
Equality of opportunity for everyone
“A lot of people believe that meritocracy is alive in Singapore, but the truth is that a lot of people do not get the same opportunities.”
– Hafiiz Rahman’s wishes for #next50
Secularism
” ‘Based on justice and equality’, so our pledge goes. Amongst the principles we follow to that end is secularism; to ensure no one particular religious commandment is ever imposed on anyone in our multi-religious nation by the law of the land.”
– Ivan Ng’s wishes for #next50
Rationalism
“To be able to use reason and evidence to critically evaluate the future.”
Kenny Lau’s wishes for #next50
Live long and prosper!
“This phrase is well-known to any Star Trek fan (maybe only second to “Beam me up, Scotty) but there’s so much depth to it and echoes its creator–Gene Roddenberry’s positive outlook for humanity. And I quote:
‘The human race is a remarkable creature, one with great potential, and I hope that ‘Star Trek’ has helped to show us what we can be if we believe in ourselves and our abilities.'”
– Mariel Agonza’s wishes for #next50
Freedom of choice
“Nobody should actually push their own values on other people. We should have the freedom to choose our destiny.”
– Mike Veltman’s wishes for #next50
Compassion
“It is important to have compassion in Singapore. I feel very sorry for the stray animals. A lot of them were actually born and bred here.”
– Pamela Veltman’s wishes for #next50
Empathy
“I hope that in the next 50 years, Singapore will be filled with deeply compassionate citizens, who display empathy towards marginalised groups in society. To genuinely care about the oppressed and to have a firm understanding of human rights would enable Singapore to be a truly outstanding nation.”
– Patricia Tobin’s wishes for #next50
It’s OK to be offended
“That the Singapore spirit will come to idealise the spirit of free speech as epitomised by the saying: ‘I disapprove what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it’ by Evelyn Beatrice Hall. That Singaporeans will come to realise that being offended is a natural by-product of freedom.”
– Paul Tobin’s wishes for #next50
That it still exist phsically 3m above sea level
“Global warming is a real concern, apart from other forces like a possible asteroid impact.”
– Lee Teng Kwee’s wishes for #next50
Kindness
“If more of us act out of kindness, even the smallest act of consideration, Singapore can be a much nicer place for everyone.”
– Cheng Chee Hoew on #next50
