In an interview with Channel NewsAsia, SMU School of Social Sciences undergraduate Lee Ci En shared his involvement in the Human Library SG Project. This interactive event allows “readers” to borrow the time of diverse participants, called "books", to learn about their lives. It aims to encourage open and honest conversations and challenge common stigmas or stereotypes. The first session was held on Oct 30 at youth centre The Red Box, which saw some 400 readers joining in conversations lead by a plethora of individuals with varied identities. Ci En, who was born with achondroplasia, a genetic condition that causes dwarfism, spoke about the challenges he faced when he was younger and how he had to deal with stares and finger-pointing. Nevertheless, Ci En said that his difference does not make him worse off than anyone else, because “it gives him a very different set of values and perspectives”. He added that he is able to emphatise with people with disabilities or other special conditions, and understand the resilience and how they cope with it.