Latest news with #ICCS
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Tweet and sour
MARIE Abdullah remembers her school days fondly – a time when friendships cut across race and background. 'We were as thick as thieves,' says the 28-year-old event organiser from Kuala Lumpur. But today, she's troubled by what she sees on social media. 'Some of my old friends post things that are downright incendiary. One will openly use slurs when discussing certain issues. Others jump in to oppose them and retaliate in the same manner. 'We were friends. But now I'm thinking about unfriending them. What they write is just too disheartening to read,' she says. Marie's experience reflects a wider trend: social media, once seen as a bridge, is now becoming a wedge. Online polarisation – fuelled by identity politics, misinformation, and algorithmic echo chambers – is fraying the social fabric. The issue took centre stage at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) in Singapore last week. In his keynote address, Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah warned that the very tools meant to connect the people are doing the opposite. 'The very technologies that promise inclusion can entrench exclusion. Our information ecosystems have become battlegrounds. Algorithms have the unfortunate habit of trapping us in digital echo chambers – feeding prejudice and starving nuance. 'This results in fragmentation, a kind of online tribalism. Information, while accessible, is becoming decentralised.' Sultan Nazrin Shah warned that the very tools meant to connect the people are doing the opposite. — Bernama Digital divides Sultan Nazrin noted that while more than five billion people now have access to the Internet, this unprecedented connectivity has not translated into greater unity. 'Digital platforms shape public discourse and private thought. The impact on our economies, our politics and even on our minds is transformative. 'The pandemic was a watershed moment in our living history, not least in how it accelerated our virtual connectedness. It brought wide-ranging digital communities into our very living rooms. We conducted schooling, office work, legal trials, and endless group quizzes on screens.' He said virtual spaces had promised inclusion and a shared global experience like never before and for a time, it felt real. 'Societal cohesion was reshaped by a dynamic online global community, one held together by innovations both marvellous and challenging.' Still, he warned that these benefits come at a serious cost. 'Our digital spaces, which should be so good at opening doors and minds, are instead responsible for closing them. Online hate rises, as does the spread of conspiracy theories, the propagation of extremist ideologies and even violence. 'And with truth itself now up for grabs – with the rise of fake news – trust in institutions and in each other breaks down. 'The very real dangers of this were realised last summer in the UK, for example, in the race riots that followed the tragic murders in Southport. 'The fabric of our social cohesion is being unravelled in the digital realm. And so it is there also that we must focus our efforts to weave it back together.' A 2024 University of California study supports this concern. It found that 80% of youth aged 10 to 18 had encountered hate speech on social media in the prior month. The most common forms were gender-based hate (72%), race or ethnicity-based hate (71%) and religious hate (62%). The study also noted a spike in hate speech reports after the Oct 7 Hamas attack and Israel's military genocide in Gaza, much of it centred on religious identity. A separate report published by the Council on Foreign Relations stated that online hate speech has been linked to a global increase in violence towards minorities, including mass shootings, lynching, and ethnic cleansing, and that policies to deter such speech are 'inconsistently enforced'. Weaponising social media Prof Farish A. Noor, political scientist at the International Islamic University of Indonesia, says social media's adverse effects are now a global threat and one that no society is immune to. 'No country is exempt from this. Even the most ethnically homogeneous societies still have to address social cohesion. And so states have a role to play in keeping in check these communicative technologies that we have, like social media, which have been weaponised. 'I still don't understand why people cannot see that social media can be weaponised. It's evident that it's used as a weapon to create animosity and to foster hatred, contempt, and fear between groups.' Farish says social media's adverse effects are now a global threat and one that no society is immune to. — UIII He says Muslims, in particular, have faced decades of Islamo-phobia that continues to be amplified online. 'Muslims have been victims of Islamophobia for the last 20 to 30 years and a lot of such hate continues to be generated through social media, media and popular culture. 'Whatever prejudice that you may see or suffer from is often engineered. Prejudice, in this sense, is not a natural thing. Someone engineers it. You engineer it by creating false stereotypes. 'You demonise people – entire communities or belief systems – and it's done normally for political purposes. We need to be very wary of that.' While many balk at the idea of controlling social media, Farish believes limits and responsibilities must exist. 'At least there has to be some means to teach people how to be responsible when they use it. You can't simply incite religious or ethnic hatred and say, 'Oh, it's just a joke.' 'It's not a joke – because it spills out into something very real,' says Farish. 'And it has very real consequences. And when that happens, people blame the state for not doing anything. So the states – governments – are in a very awkward position. If they intervene, people say you're censoring. If you don't intervene, they say you let it happen.' Getting back on track One group trying to reverse this tide is Projek57, a Malaysian non-governmental organisation promoting unity in the face of divisive narratives. At the ICCS, Projek57 executive director Debbie Choa shared how the organisation uses its Unity Ribbon campaign to start conversations. 'We are actually from the business community. We collaborate as a social enterprise with businesses and raise awareness by selling our Unity Ribbon pins. We have sold about half a million with support from several organisations. 'This in turn helps us spread a positive narrative on unity, since on social media there's a lot of negativity right now. If everyone comes together with the same kind of narrative, there is hope that Malaysia can move forward. 'Not just Malaysia – I think globally now this message is much needed, right? That we need to be good neighbours.' Choa says education can also help bridge gaps early. She recalls a recent Projek57 event in Bera, Pahang, where students of different backgrounds, including national schools, a private school and Orang Asli children, came together for a Unity Ribbon activity. 'There was a Malay school counsellor attached to a Chinese school there. He connected us to other national schools nearby. We also brought in students from a private school, as well as some Orang Asli students. 'Can you imagine all these kids in the same space? They normally don't meet each other. 'Initially it was a bit of a culture shock. They were shy. But we played some games and got them to participate in creating the unity ribbons.' What happened next amazed her. 'They could talk about how they feel when working with each other and getting to know each other. Imagine if they are studying in the same school.' Colin Swee, Projek57's co-founder, says reconnecting with people on the ground is crucial to understanding the social fabric. One of their initiatives includes cycling across the country to meet people from all walks of life. Choa recalls a simple but meaningful encounter: 'There was a Makcik selling banana fritters,' she begins. When the woman was told what Projek57 was about, Choa says that 'she said, 'Kami anak Malaysia' [we are children of Malaysia] It was so cute. That's how we aspire to live together.' Swee says he has also spoken to former servicemen who fought during the communist insurgency. 'These ex-servicemen didn't do it because of their pay. They were willing to make sacrifices for the country.' To a question about what drives the movement, Choa says: 'And how do we change our own lenses, right? I think reconciliation – having a reconciliation mindset – is not only about forgiving others, but also about how we look at ourselves.'
Business Wire
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
industryGENOME Unveils Groundbreaking Clinical Trial PAO Market Map Report, Powered by AI-Assisted Market Intelligence
TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--industryGENOME, a cutting-edge analytics firm specializing in granular precision insights, has released its first-ever Clinical Trial Patient Access Organization (PAO) Market Map Report, developed in collaboration with WCG, a global leader in providing solutions that measurably improve and accelerate clinical research, and Crosstree. This report offers an unparalleled bottom-up analysis of the PAO sector, using AI-powered classification models to predict private company revenue and stratify market estimates across geographies, subsidiaries, and specialized capabilities. Transforming Industry Analysis with AI-Assisted Precision Leveraging its proprietary Industry Capabilities Classification System (ICCS ®), industryGENOME provides a standardized and globally applicable framework for categorizing businesses. The ICCS ® methodology enhances financial analysis, investment decision-making, and strategy development across the life sciences and healthcare industries. The report was developed in close collaboration with WCG, which played a pivotal role in identifying global industry participants to ensure the most comprehensive market representation. Crosstree assisted industryGENOME in industry classification quality assurance and predictive modeling, enhancing the precision of market insights. 'This report is the most sophisticated analysis of the clinical trial PAO sector to date, ' said Shane Senior, Managing Director at Crosstree. 'industryGENOME's AI-driven predictive engines achieve 85% classification accuracy, surpassing human classifiers, and ensuring the most precise industry intelligence for investors and market participants. The ability to scale this precision across large data sets is unprecedented.' Key Findings from the Clinical Trial PAO Market Map Report Total Market Revenue: $14.95 billion Industry Participants: Over 3,000 global Patient Access Organizations with detailed company profiles for each Industry Stratification: Freestanding, Mobile, Virtual, Provider Embedded, and Service Embedded Sites Top Industry Players: Velocity, IQVIA, PPD, AES, CenExel Clinical Research, ERG, Javara Advanced Market Mapping: AI-assisted data collection and synthesis for high-fidelity revenue estimates allowing for 'sum-of-the-parts' bottom-up market sizing Geo-Stratification Analysis: The United States leads with $10.6 billion in revenue, followed by the UK, Germany, and Australia Why This Report Sets a New Standard industryGENOME's bottom-up methodology, empowered by machine learning and predictive analytics, provides unprecedented insights into the PAO sector. The firm's mapped markets process, which identifies, collects, and analyzes micro-industry data, ensures highly precise revenue estimates, critical for investors, procurement specialists, and drug developers seeking strategic market positioning. Access the Report Today To access the Clinical Trial PAO Market Map Report, visit or contact Jordan Schiding at About industryGENOME industryGENOME is a market intelligence platform for the Health Sciences industry that continuously collects and analyzes millions of data points on pharma services companies, investors, deals, valuations, research, conferences, and news. It produces bottom-up market research reports and company profiles by combining AI with the expertise of industry investment professionals. The platform is distinguished by a proprietary, highly granular taxonomy that categorizes industry participant capabilities through defined relationships. This classification system delivers clean, precise, and actionable insights on the Health Sciences market. Using AI technologies—including natural language processing, machine translation, and supervised machine learning—industryGENOME classifies and curates data. In partnership with Crosstree, the platform trains its classification algorithm for accuracy and precision. Together, they are mapping the Health Sciences market one company at a time to deliver detailed, bottom-up industry segment insights. Learn more at About Crosstree Crosstree is a distinguished boutique investment banking firm focused exclusively on the needs of middle-market companies within three subsectors of the life sciences and healthcare industries: pharmaceutical services, diagnostics and tools, and digital health. Since 2004, Crosstree has advised on more completed transactions in these collective subsectors than any other investment bank. The firm provides clients a full suite of advisory and capital raising services, including both buy-and sell-side mergers and acquisitions advisory, private capital raising, strategic advisory, and valuations. Crosstree's narrow industry focus provides clients the expertise common of a bulge-bracket investment banking firm to middle-market companies and investors, with unparalleled industry insights, well-established strategic relationships across the globe and superior access to capital markets. From our offices in Tampa, Florida, Crosstree has advised clients throughout North America, Europe, India, China, Latin America, and Australia on transactions ranging from $25 million to more than $1 billion. About WCG WCG is at the forefront of accelerating clinical research worldwide, serving as the trusted and preferred partner to biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, contract research organizations (CROs), research institutions, and site partners. Offering a unique combination of expertise, next-generation data and insights, and tech-enabled solutions, WCG reduces complexity and optimizes study operations and outcomes while maintaining the highest standards of human participant protection. For more than 55 years, WCG has maintained a relentless commitment to efficiency, safety, and impact, empowering clinical trials to deliver life-improving therapies swiftly. For more information, please visit or follow us on LinkedIn or X @WCGClinical.
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Responsible public speech is part of a cohesive society: Edwin Tong
Minister for Law Edwin Tong delivers his keynote address at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies on June 26. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE - In a cohesive society, people understand the impact of their words and take responsibility for what they say publicly, including in online spaces, said Mr Edwin Tong on June 26. 'Sometimes, this will mean sacrificing our own desire to be able to say what we want, or anything we want, wherever we want, in favour of being more sensitive and caring about the impact this can have on the person next to us,' he added. Mr Tong, who is Law Minister, noted that people should be especially mindful about hateful speech, as conflict can be triggered by words. 'If you're more mindful, it will lead to a more open, honest public discourse based on facts and not hate, and not disinformation,' he said. He was speaking at the close of the three-day International Conference on Cohesive Societies held at Raffles City Convention Centre. It was organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, of which Mr Tong was formerly minister. Addressing more than 1,000 people, including thought leaders, policymakers and young leaders from over 50 countries, the minister shared his thoughts on how societies can stay cohesive and multicultural amid challenges, such as conflicts, trade tensions and disinformation. One way to build cohesion is to remember is that multiculturalism is not a natural state but a continuous and intentional work in progress, he said. 'We must always glance behind our backs and wonder whether it could be taken away from us,' he said. 'We must always have that slight nervousness about it, and then we will seek to really jealously guard it and protect it.' There must also be a combination of good leadership and citizen support. 'Government policies are useful and they put in place the framework. But it has to be the people who breathe life into these ideals, who practice them every day,' he said. To this end, some degree of social intervention is needed, he said, citing Singapore's integrated living spaces where people of all races and religions live, eat and grow up together. The responsibility to shape and nurture this cohesive society of the future will increasingly fall on young people, he added. Minister Edwin Tong joins in a wefie with ICCS delegates on June 2. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY More than 200 young leaders attended the conference – double the number compared with the last conference in 2022. This group plays a big role in intergenerational bonding, Mr Tong said. 'It's one thing to connect with people of your own generation, but it's much harder to do so across different generations.' Everyone must have an open heart to see across differences, foster shared ideas and build hopes with people who are different, he added. 'And one more thing: We should never weaponise race and religion,' he said. 'It's so easy to do but its impact is so long-lasting, and it breaks the trust that we all seek to foster.' Other speakers at the conference included President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Sultan Nazrin Shah, Sultan of Perak and Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. The conference was first held in 2019 to provide an international platform for interfaith and multicultural dialogue, where participants could exchange ideas and develop solutions to create cohesive and resilient multicultural societies. This year's conference coincides with Singapore's diamond jubilee, Mr Tong noted. The Republic consciously adopted multiculturalism as a core value, and built a national identity while keeping the individual qualities of different communities, he said. He added: 'I believe that multiculturalism lies at the heart of the Singapore story. 60 years ago, as a newly independent nation with a highly diverse population, we were very conscious of our differences, but we decided to form the country that embraced the differences, not in spite of but because of the differences, to make ourselves stronger.' Chin Soo Fang is senior correspondent at The Straits Times covering topics such as community, politics, social issues, consumer, culture and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Star
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Sultan Nazrin: Education, equity and inclusion key to better future
Strength in unity: Sultan Nazrin delivering the keynote address at ICCS 2025 in Singapore. — Bernama SINGAPORE: Efforts to realise a cohesive society are entrenched in four guiding principles of rebuilding trust, prioritising equity, embracing pluralism and bold imaginations, says Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah. Delivering the keynote address at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) 2025, the Perak Ruler said these principles were important in navigating unchartered challenges in the world today. Elaborating on the guidelines, Sultan Nazrin said in rebuilding trust, there was a need to reinvest in the social contract. 'We need transparent institutions, accountable leadership and civic spaces where people feel seen and heard. 'Rebuilding trust means investing in media literacy, digital integrity and honest communication – not just control.' On prioritising equity, Sultan Nazrin pointed out that social, economic and ecological justice must be at the heart of policy. 'We must expand our understanding of equity to include not only disparities among people, but also imbalances between people and planet. A just and resilient future means closing human gaps and healing our relationship with the planet.' Sultan Nazrin also stressed on the importance of embracing pluralism, saying social cohesion did not demand uniformity but required the respectful accommodation of the world's diverse cultures, religions, identities and origins, as well as social and political perspectives. 'It is about recognising human dignity and opportunity in accepting differences, reframing migration and rejecting fear-based politics. 'Trust in our shared humanity is fundamental. Compassion and love for your neighbour is a value taught by every major religion and philosophy, as represented here in our conference. 'And in our connected world it has never been easier to see people on the other side of the world as our neighbours too.' Sultan Nazrin also implored the audience to imagine boldly to strengthen the vision for the desired cohesion, with education as a tool. 'Resilience is about more than survival, it is about vision. Education must equip people to think critically and act ethically. Cities must be designed for inclusion. And policy must be guided by moral imagination.' Sultan Nazrin said three complex interlocking factors fuelled uncertainty and challenged social cohesion, namely digital transformation, dynamics of human migration and uneven economic impact of globalisation. 'The very technologies that promise inclusion can entrench exclusion. Our information ecosystems have become battlegrounds. 'Algorithms have the unfortunate habit of trapping us in digital echo chambers – feeding prejudice and starving nuance. This results in fragmentation, a kind of online tribalism. Information, while accessible, is becoming decentralised.' The ICCS this year focuses on the theme 'Cohesive Societies, Resilient Futures,' which outlines conversations on multiculturalism and foundations of harmony in diversity.
The Spinoff
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
The one simple trick to social cohesion? Trust your neighbours more than your MP
At a gathering of global religious, political and cultural experts in Singapore this week, one action has been cited over and over as a key to social harmony. At the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICSS), more than 1,000 delegates from around the world have listened to former politicians, academics and digital entrepreneurs speak about the increasing polarisation around the world and what it will take for societies to flourish in a new reality. And the message that keeps coming back around, whether in talks about combatting online extremism, increasing social cohesion or embracing multiculturalism, is almost laughably simple: talk to your neighbours. In April, the Helen Clark Foundation released its commissioned report on social cohesion in New Zealand, which painted a bleak picture of the country as one filled with uncertainty, resentment and dissatisfaction. The worrying headline that emerged in local reporting on it was that New Zealanders were 'less happy than their Australian mates, have a lower sense of worth, and are less satisfied with their finances'. 'On every dimension, New Zealand is falling behind,' said co-author Shamubeel Eaqub at the time, pointing to levels of happiness and financial satisfaction. But there was one area where New Zealanders scored significantly higher than Australians. 'More New Zealanders believe government can be trusted to do the right thing (42% vs 33% in Australia),' read the report's summary. Speaking at the ICCS on the newly released 2025 Southeast Asian Social Cohesion Radar, which aims to track a similar sentiment to New Zealand's own report, Dr Farish Noor pointed out the slight decline in trust in government institutions but an increase in civic mindedness across the region. A decline in trust in the state is not inherently a cause for concern, he posited, or a suggestion of decaying social cohesion. In fact, when coupled with a rise in civic-mindedness or community engagement, it was actually a positive. 'Ultimately the state can't be a micro-manager,' he said. 'You have to trust your own neighbours and people.' Ideally there'd be an increase in both trust in the government to do the right thing and trust in our neighbours, but on its own, an increase in what's known as 'horizontal trust' is a positive thing, said Noor. In New Zealand, one's satisfaction with their financial position and trust in government appeared to have an inverse relationship with community engagement and trust. Of the respondents in the New Zealand social cohesion report, Māori and Pasifika were more likely to have had to skip meals due to finances, were more concerned with crime in their neighbourhoods and were least trusting of the government, but were also more likely to be happy, more likely to have helped out someone they didn't live with in the past four weeks, more likely to be part of a community group and more likely to view their neighbourhood as a place where a diverse range of people got along. This apparent contradiction was mirrored in the Southeast Asia social cohesion radar, which showed there was no connection between political systems (or civil liberties) and social cohesion. One very clear signifier of disenchantment in the New Zealand report, however, was age. Those aged under 30 were most likely to feel unstable financially, as well as isolated and disconnected from community. Younger people have reported higher levels of loneliness compared to older people for generations but as the first generation to grow up entirely with the internet, there are new concerns about young people's likelihood of finding real-life community later in life. A recent trend on Tiktok has been young users having their minds blown by the phrase 'the price of community is inconvenience'. The words adorn videos of neighbours moving furniture together, young women getting ready for a birthday they really can't be bothered attending, and cross-generational friendships. The moral? Sometimes being a part of something bigger than yourself means making sacrifices or compromises for the sake of maintaining community. This is the crux of the issue being tackled at the ICCS. Building horizontal trust relies on human-to-human interaction – whether it's speaking over the fence with your neighbour, dropping a friend to the airport or making small talk with the supermarket checkout operator. It depends on exposure, in mundane ways, to people different from ourselves in order to find connection and a common goal (to happily live alongside one another). So how do we do that when digital advancements are removing these opportunities at every turn? In an earlier panel, former ICANN CEO Fadi Chehade predicted that by the time there are 10 billion humans in the world, there will be 100 billion artificial agents representing them. AI 'advocates' who can negotiate on our behalf for better insurance, or work with other people's artificial agents to coordinate schedules. You potentially wouldn't have to speak to another person ever again. A representative from Google then spoke of the developments to its Gemini AI assistant tool and how there would soon be a version specifically for children under 13. There was extensive talk of the role of regulation and governments in fostering community and limiting harmful content on social media platforms in order to create resilient digital systems. No one suggested any of this would increase social cohesion, simply that they would be necessary to reduce the current growing harms. Instead, the one solution for increasing social cohesion that everyone – former politicians, economists, tech experts, dignitaries – could agree on was just to be a real-life neighbour to those around you while you still know how to. Apparently nothing breeds trust, connection and empathy like regular human exposure. As social media expert Benjamin Lee was spoke about the impenetrability of online forums and the resentment they breed, a group of women at the table next to me in the cavernous hotel ballroom started a whispered conversation. I couldn't understand what they were saying but I could certainly hear them over the top of the panel speakers. It was distracting and, if I'm honest, really annoying. I wouldn't have had to listen to them if I was watching the livestream of the event from my hotel room instead. But if I'd done that, I'd have had no idea they existed at all.
