On 23 January 2026, Cohesive Societies, Resilient Futures, a compilation of speeches and thought leadership reflections drawn from the 3rd International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS), was launched by Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the Ministry of Manpower. Edited by Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, Dr Amanda Huan, Claribel Low, and Lam Teng Si, the volume captures the strategic ideas and conversations that shaped the conference in June 2025.
During the launch, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash noted that the ICCS has become a platform for dialogue in an increasingly complex global context. He remarked that contemporary societies are facing growing uncertainties and that the multicultural and multilateral frameworks of the previous years are now under strain. In this context, forums like ICCS enable sustained engagement across differences assume greater significance.
The publication of Cohesive Societies, Resilient Future functions not only as a record of the proceedings of the 3rd Conference, but also as a means of continuing the dialogue. Dr Leong, Senior Fellow, Head of Social Cohesion Research Programme at RSIS, who leads the ICCS initiative, underscored this intention by outlining three key purposes underpinning the publication, which he described as the “3Cs”:
- Capturing the conversations and key learning points from the conference
- Strengthening the Connection with speakers and delegates, as well as with the wider community of advocates, practitioners, policymakers and academics invested in the work of social cohesion
- Ensuring Continuity, so that insights generated at ICCS extend beyond the event and remain part of an ongoing and evolving discourse
The book opens with a foreword by Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman of RSIS. It features keynote addresses delivered by His Excellency Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore, and His Royal Highness Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, Sultan of Perak and Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Alongside these addresses, the book compiles curated commentaries and articles from conference speakers, offering readers insights into the principal discussions that shaped the conference.
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