What, a movie star in school?

Sitting in the conference hall of Singapore Management University last Thurs afternoon, the hundred-plus youth delegates from APEC Voices of the Future 2009 were understandably excited as they awaited the arrival of international film action hero Jet Li. Loud cheers broke out when he finally entered the hall accompanied by Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of MCYS and Chairman of National Youth Council.

Jet Li was not here on business. He was here for a serious purpose: to promote a philanthropic society and share his vision on One Foundation, a charitable organisation he founded in 2007 after coming face to face with death in the 2004 Asian tsunami. Formed in partnership with the Red Cross Society of China, the foundation recently donated $40,606 (RMB200,000) to flood victims in Southern China.


Despite clocking in at a rather fast pace, the dialogue session—originally planned to last for an hour—exceeded by around 40 minutes due to the audience’s overwhelming response. Delegates formed long queues at the two microphones, not wanting to miss this rare opportunity to pose their burning questions to Jet Li, who fielded them graciously.

Many voiced the same concern: how can youths help, given our limited resources?

Jet Li explained that he sees the world as his home. As everyone is part of the “human family”, it is necessary for everyone to share the responsibility of taking care of one another. Viewing the non-profit sector as a chain structure, he said that it was impossible for one to be good at every part of the chain, from sourcing of funds to allocation of funds to the implementation of aid programmes. Hence, while we dream of creating big changes in the world, we have to start with small steps and learn the ropes. We also have to recognise the players needed for the change: government, enterprises, or individuals.

"Only easy things are sustainable,” says Jet Li. True to his words, One Foundation’s "1 person + 1 dollar/1 hour + 1 month = 1 big family" idea is an inspiration for youths and others alike to make a difference in the world with a tiny contribution.


Asked about the obstacles he faced, Jet Li answered poetically: “Life is only beautiful when obstacles are present and we have to crack our heads over how to solve them. If life is a bed of roses, you’re probably in heaven, not on Earth!”

Jet Li’s optimism and passion for making his life a meaningful one left me extremely inspired. Of course, his celebrity status must have helped partially in making the One Foundation work. However, as he puts it, it is no use sitting there and complaining that you have nothing to help with. Certainly, it is not a daunting task to contribute just one dollar or an hour a month.

Every single effort matters, no matter how small. SY

PHOTOS: XU WEINING

Find out more about Jet Li’s One Foundation here.  On a non-related note, check out his 2001 action film The One for some serious entertainment.

Sim Yee is an optimist and believes that everything is okay in the end (if it is not okay, it is not the end). She also dreams of owning all the fairytale-like paintings of Thomas Kinkade someday.

THIS ARTICLE IS PART OF Nov 16-22 :: The Harmony Issue