We Are One: The People's Association Journey, 1960-2010
Jimmy Yap
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2010
ISBN: 9789814266215

"The People's Association was created in 1960 amidst the turmoil of racial and political strife. It had a singular focus: to help forge social cohesion and racial harmony. This it has done very well. Half a century on, Singapore is a stable, prosperous cosmopolitan city, home to people from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. Today, that mission remains as relevant as ever.

This book recounts the story of the People's Association for the past 50 years. PA has contributed significantly to the Singapore story. In the 1960s, it played a major role in fighting the communists and helping to repair ethnic tensions following race riots. Community Centre Management Committees maintained the CC as a secular space, open to all. Institutions such as the Citizens' Consultative Committee helped Singapore's urbanisation programmes succeed. In the late 1970s, new housing estates mushroomed around Singapore, and Residents' Committees brought strangers together to build a sense of community. In the late 1990s, the Community Development Councils were formed to address a growing income divide. These different institutions, in their own way, have helped to knit Singaporeans together."
(from Foreword by Lim Boon Heng)