Thread by @kixes

On the individual level, it's "nice" to see people donating to help others in need. The local media loves to highlight this; the angle is usually how Singaporeans are generous and caring and empathetic, really.

What's less examined is *why* we're crowdfunding in the first place.

Donating is a nice thing as an individual, but as a society we should be asking if it's just that a delivery rider doesn't get work injury compensation/accident insurance 'cos we have a gig economy that leaves companies free of responsibilities for the workers who prop them up.

Local media focused on how encouraging it is to see Singaporeans chip in to raise money for Piang Ngaih Don's family after her case came up in the press. That might assuage our conscience, but I'm sure her family would have preferred her to *not* be murdered by her employer.

Every time something terrible happens to a migrant worker(s) we donate and crowdfund. But only a minority organise to push for *systemic* change that would not just compensate a worker's family, but enact clearer protections that'll prevent this shit happening again.

Meanwhile, the government tweaks around the edges of fundamentally exploitative systems, issues press releases about how there will be more outreach/counsellors/spot-checks/bureaucracy, and we move on until something terrible happens again.

If we really have empathy, if we really want to stop terrible things happening to marginalised/vulnerable communities, we can't stop at donating $$$ via GoFundMe or Giving.sg. We need to be organising and applying pressure for systemic and structural reform.

Support activists who are already doing this, and desperately in need of more voices and more amplification. Stand in solidarity when they are harassed, investigated, or otherwise targeted by the powerful.

There are ongoing efforts in multiple areas calling for systemic change. For instance, NGOs like @home_migrantssg and @twc2sg have been saying for over a decade that migrant workers shouldn't be transported in the backs of lorries. Do what you can to strengthen their calls.

Earlier this month @tjc_singapore published an article detailing the systemic changes that need to happen to provide more protections so domestic workers like Piang Ngaih Don will not be abused and murdered by their employers: transformativejusticecollective.org/2021/04/15/add…

Today, @sgclimaterally submitted a petition, supported by other civil society groups, calling for better rights for gig economy workers like private-hire drivers and food delivery riders:

https://twitter.com/sgclimaterally/status/1388385408484999168?s=20

You can catch up on the key points raised in @sgclimaterally's livestream today, where they talked about workers' rights and climate action:

https://twitter.com/tahubegedil/status/1388394931320811521?s=20

Singapore has a “Many Helping Hands” approach. It’s peddled as an “all hands on deck”, kampong spirit thing. What it often means, though, is that volunteer groups and citizens take on the work of meeting needs that can/should be addressed by the state. straitstimes.com/opinion/all-ha…

But this sort of approach can be remarkably inefficient, requiring people in need of help to go to multiple organisations/agencies to get help a bit here, a bit there. There is a psychological and emotional toll to this.

We can crowdfund till the cows come home to support charities and help low-income families, but the support this generates will never be as efficient as, say, the government legislating a living wage.

Stuff like living wages are also things that only govt can do. Once someone said, “Wasn’t it inspiring to see SGeans step up to volunteer/donate when #Covid19 broke out in dorms?” Yes, but only govt can raise the living standards across the board and deal w/ systemic wage theft.