Last week Singapore celebrated its 60th year of independence, and yesterday India marked its 79th.

Singapore’s National Day reflected on our collective nation-building journey and the need to keep shaping the future together. India’s Independence Day highlighted economic progress, security priorities, and the drive for self-reliance.

Of course, no nation is perfect — and perfection can’t be the goal, given the complexities of nation-building. Every society works to reduce poverty, loneliness, insecurity, and inequality, especially for the most vulnerable.

Technology can help, but it is human effort — courage, kindness, and service — that truly strengthens the fabric of a nation. 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗮 𝗚𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗶 put it beautifully when he expressed that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

Each year, these celebrations make me reflect on what citizenship and belonging really mean — beyond waving flags or attending events and parades, as wonderful and important as those are.

To me, showing up for a country you care about also includes:

✅Embracing 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 and fostering 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆

✅𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 time or skills to support others

✅𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 openly and respectfully to build 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 and 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆

✅Caring for our 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 and shared spaces

✅Staying 𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 to keep our communities 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 — both online and offline