I was surrounded by a labyrinth of unfamiliar bodies as people hastily flooded into the room. I remember the antiquated television set being adjusted to the news channel as people around the room watched in anguish, horror, and disbelief. Almost twelve years later, I can still explicitly describe the scene that unfolded as students and teachers in my elementary school in Singapore clustered together to watch the news announcing the collapse of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.
Being in elementary school, I had a fairly narrow-minded outlook on world and preferred to dwell on subjects that were solely of concern to me. At the time, I could not understand why events occurring in New York City were being broadcasted in Singapore, and more significantly, why Singaporeans held so much interest in an incident that did not directly affect them. As I have learned more about civic life over the past couple of years, I have grown in my understanding of the world and now appreciate the extensive network of nations, institutions, communities, and people that attests to the globalizing body we are today. In such a way, I feel “civic” describes connection, particularly how we as individuals connect to society and our surrounding communities.
Through the years, our social, political, and economic connections have grown exponentially and it is indisputable that our actions affect others, regardless of whether we know and realize it. That is where “civic” enters the picture; it establishes these connections that provide human beings with a sense of identity, responsibility, and harmony within their community. “Civic” drives people to think beyond themselves and individual interests, encouraging them to see the world through wider lens and take actions for the betterment of society.
At the tender age of six, I failed to understand why people in Singapore gave such importance to events happening thousands of miles across the world. As I grew, I understood that it was because we are connected to each other despite the boundaries and prejudices spanning across nations, ideologies, ethnicities, and society. “Civic” is ultimately the instinctive connection—this intricate network of people, places, and things—we share with the world to inspire compassion, goodwill, and forward progress for all of humanity.