JUNE 2O11
Woman with a bird of Fair Trade silk / Photo: Courtesy of www.maisavanhlao.org
SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY AND ROBIN HOODS
TREASURE HUNT
Oxfam Hong Kong’s Sustainable Livelihoods Adviser Johan Rock says the more Robin Hoods in Hong Kong, the better.
An old man and a child search for love. Sandy Wong, Education Officer with Oxfam Hong Kong, introduces the newest workshop at our Interactive Education Centre.
HEAVEN IN LAOS It’s Fair Trade, certified organic, made with solar power, and scented naturally. It’s silk and tea from Mai Savanh Laos.
JAPAN: THREE MONTHS AFTER The Oxfam priority in the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear crisis is to assist women, children, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities, writes O.N.E editor, Madeleine Marie Slavick.
OXFAM PIX Around the world, people are trying to make their lives stable in the face of the huge changes due to the climate change crisis.
18 NEW PARTNERS With a highlight on Live and Learn for Environment and Community.
O.N.E will move to our main page at www.oxfam.org.hk. See you there.
ONE PERSON
O.N.E: Would you say that sustainable
Sustainability and Robin Hoods in Hong Kong Johan Rock is Sustainable Livelihoods Adviser with Oxfam Hong Kong, working on livelihood programmes in Africa and Asia. O.N.E asked him to help us explore the many faces of sustainable development.
development is about having a strong economy and a good environment? Johan: That’s definitely part of it, yes. Economic growth is important, at least in developing countries. And the growth has to be green. It has to respect the environment. Which is why we are promoting agro-ecological practices. O.N.E: Tell us about these practices and why they’re so important. Johan: It’s a kind of farming that imitates nature and helps protect our natural resources such as soil, water and air. In Vietnam for example, many farmers follow the ‘vuong-ao-chuong’ practice, which can be translated as ‘garden-fishpond-pigsty’. Farmers use leftovers from vegetable gardens to feed pigs. The manure is then taken to a pond, where it makes plankton grow that the fish will feed on. And pond water is used to irrigate and fertilise the garden. The cycle is closed. Nothing is lost. Some farmers go even further and let their fish swim freely in their rice fields to eat insects, so that less pesticide is needed. As you know, the world is facing a severe food crisis. We need to produce much more food, and we have to do this in ways that protect the world’s natural resources. Agro-ecological practices, in combination with some (safe) industrial fertiliser and maybe pesticide, can do that. Green practices can also help farmers adapt better to the climate change crisis, for instance by conserving water or growing drought-resistent crops. O.N.E: What else is needed for sustainable development? Johan: Social and cultural aspects are at least as important. Economic growth alone, even if it is green, does not give you sustainable development. The wealth created by that growth has to be shared fairly. China’s economy may be growing at an incredibly fast pace, but so is the gap between the rich and poor. The same is true for Hong Kong. Just the other day, I met this old man. I had seen him before, searching the garbage bins for some
Johan’s son at a climate change action in Hong Kong
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
recyclable plastic or a cigarette butt. But
You also have to look at how we treat the
campaigning for labour rights and social
this time he approached me, asking, “Son,
rest of the world. For instance, part of the
security. Continue educating Hong Kong’s
can you spare me a smoke?” Which I did.
pollution in the Pearl River Delta is caused
younger generation. And speak out on
He then started telling me about his life.
by Hong Kong employers who moved
other urgent issues too. Take nuclear
He had worked in factories, had swept the
their factories to the mainland, where they
energy for instance. In the wake of what
streets, taken care of gardens, and so on.
keep wages low and working conditions
happened in Japan, people are worried
For very little pay. Now retired, he has to
substandard, simply to make more profit.
over plans to increase Hong Kong’s
supplement his meagre welfare benefits
Hong Kong’s financial sector too is
reliance on nuclear energy from the
by whatever money he can make from
creating problems in developing countries.
current 23 to 50 per cent in ten years time.
collecting waste paper and plastics. Sad,
Plus, our carbon emissions (per capita)
I read that the Hong Kong authorities want
isn’t it? On one side, we have those who
are too high.
to consult the people, later this year. That’s good. We have to seize this opportunity
drive around in Ferraris. On the other side, so many folks struggle to survive, even
So, in short, Hong Kong still has a long
and promote green sources of energy
after a lifetime of hard and honest work.
way to go before it can call itself a truly
such as wind and solar.
That’s dead wrong. And not sustainable.
‘developed’ and ‘sustainable’ city.
O.N.E: Is Oxfam Hong Kong working on
O.N.E: Is there hope?
O.N.E: One more question. You will leave Oxfam Hong Hong soon, right? What will you do next?
these social issues? Johan: Oh yes, absolutely! I look around Johan: Oh yes. And I regard these
me and I see a lot of potential for change.
Johan: Yes, we leave Hong Kong in
projects as some of our best work! In
I see it in the eyes of those elderly folks
July. No concrete plans yet, but with more
Hong Kong, we have been campaigning
who search the garbage bins for paper or
than 20 years working in sustainable
for the minimum wage and social security.
plastic, anything they can get some money
development, I guess I’ll remain in the
With good results. The large majority of
for. Discontent over the extreme gap
same sector. But we’ll see. Life’s a box of
the population now supports minimum
between the rich and poor is growing. More
chocolates, right? Never know what you’re
wage legislation and social security.
and more people are speaking out against
gonna get
But a lot remains to be done. Foreign
it. For example, there was a newspaper
Oxfam. Contribute in one way or the other.
domestic workers are still excluded from
article recently about Father Law Kwok-fai,
Even long-distance.
the minimum wage. Both the minimum
who invoked the anger of some of Hong
wage and the social security benefits have
Kong’s richest people by condemning their
been set too low. And we see how some
behaviour and speaking out for poor folks.
employers look for loopholes and cut
So, clearly Hong Kong has its own Robin
down on paid rest days and meal breaks.
Hoods
. I’d love to stay in touch with
O.N.E: We count on it! Johan: Please do.
. And that’s good. Where there
are Robin Hoods, there is hope. O.N.E: How would you rate Hong Kong in terms of sustainable development?
The youth of Hong Kong too give me hope. Just look at the popularity of our Interactive
Johan: Not too well, I’m afraid
.
Education Centre. So many teachers and students come to our interactive
To be fair, Hong Kong is one of the few
workshops here. For me, taking the
cities in the world that has kept so many
elevator up with a bunch of kids on their
green areas. All you have to do is get
way to the Centre has always been quite
on a bus and in no time you’re in the
a thrill. A lot of young Robin Hoods in the
countryside. That’s great. I love it. But
making
how ‘developed’ and ‘sustainable’ a city
these kids. Every day they are confronted
is does not depend on how many nature
with commercials and TV shows that incite
parks it has. And it definitely doesn’t
them to “buy this, buy that” and “get rich”.
depend on how tall its buildings are or how
We need to make them immune to all that
many shopping malls it has
brainwashing and convince them that the
.
! We need to invest even more in
true heroes of this world are those who To me, it depends first of all on how it
stand up for poor people and the planet.
treats the poorest among its residents – elderly people, the sick, the unemployed,
O.N.E: What else can we do for a more
blue-collar workers, and so forth. In this
sustainable Hong Kong?
regard, Hong Kong does not do well. We
TOP:
have one of the largest gaps between rich
Johan: Continue promoting agro-
and poor people in the world.
ecological practices. Continue
Johan Rock with colleagues in Nepal
BOTTOM:
Johan’s daughter (centre) playing with children in
Beijing
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
HEAVEN IN LAOS - SILK AND TEA, NATURALLY From the start, this silk and tea farm in
business called Mai Savanh Lao, or Silk
They scent their mulberry and green tea
southern Laos made the decision not to
Heaven Laos.
with their home-grown basil, lemongrass
use any chemicals. “Our farm is located
and ginger.
on the wonderful and pristine Boloven
Solar power brings them the huge quantity
Plateau and we want to keep it as it is for
of hot water needed for silk production,
Apart from their 25-hectare certified
the future,� say the Schmidts, Philippe
minus the carbon emissions and the cost.
organic farm, they run a silk weaving and
and Elisabeth, a husband-and-wife
Fertiliser is made naturally, with cow dung,
dyeing training centre in northern Laos,
team who in 2005 started this Fair Trade
ash, cabbage and left-over vegetables.
and tea operations in Vientiane. They
cocoons
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
and
employ 35 people full-time, all of whom had once been poor, and have trained hundreds of others in farming, weaving, dyeing and marketing.
In April 2011, Oxfam Hong Kong invited Mai Savanh Lao to present their Fair Trade products to international buyers at HOFEX, a biannual regional food and hospitality tradeshow held in Hong Kong. “It’s a good opportunity to see the market trends and to plan for the future.” For more: www.maisavanhlao.org
silkworms
drying lemon basil
washing lemon basil
mulberry and basil
tea for sale!
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
OXFAM IN JAPAN By Madeleine Marie Slavick
It is almost three months since the three disasters that hit Japan – earthquake, tsunami, nuclear crisis. Evacuation centres remain full. Some people are living in their cars. Others are living in a state of ‘jishuku’, a kind of seclusion. They tend not to socialize; if they are working, they tend to return home right afterwards – they fear being stranded anywhere. Of the 13,000 dead who have been identified, more than half were over the age of 65. Oxfam is assisting at-risk women (especially mothers), children (especially infants and babies), ethnic minorities (especially people who do not speak Japanese) and people with disabilities (especially women). We have planned to work for at least one year and mostly in these five prefectures: Aomori, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Iwate and Miyagi.
Why women? In Japan, there are only a few
Why people with disabilities?
organisations that specifically address
Access to urgent supplies may prove
the needs of women and gender has not
difficult for people with limited mobility.
been mainstreamed in disaster relief work
Oxfam has arranged for goods and
either. We will focus on single mothers,
services to be delivered for people with
pregnant and lactating women, women
disabilities. Health care is a priority aspect
who have survived sexual or domestic
of this response.
violence, women with disabilities, ethnic minority women and low-income women. In the initial phase, we provided counselling for women, privacy for
What about the nuclear crisis?
breastfeeding, sanitary napkins and other
What happened at the Fukushima nuclear
personal care products. A 24-hour hotline
plant underlines the multiple challenges
is now active.
that the world faces in redesigning its energy systems. Oxfam believes that the
Why children?
production and the delivery of energy
Psycho-social support is as necessary
and as reliable as possible. It also needs
as the material, especially for children
to be accessible to all.
need to be as safe, as clean, as green,
who can be easily traumatised. Oxfam has provided counseling and also clothing for infants, diapers, wipes, and more. Child support has been offered for single parents. In Japan, April marks the beginning of a new school year, and many school-buildings had been functioning as
Madeleine Marie Slavick is editor of O.N.E. For updates, keep an eye on Oxfam Japan’s website http://oxfam.jp/en and on Oxfam’s blog, where Akiko Mera, Executive Director of Oxfam Japan, blogs here from time to time: http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/blog/. Oxfam’s partners include Japan International Cooperation on Family Planning: (http://joicfp.or.jp/eng/), Japan Women’s Shelter Network and Single Mother’s Forum.
evacuation centres.
Why minorities? Approximately 40,000 non-Japanese speakers were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Primarily migrant workers, women married to Japanese men, and students, they tend to be marginalised in Japanese society and support has been limited from the embassies of their own countries. Oxfam has arranged for translation services, and for multi-lingual information in print, on DVD, through websites and radio broadcasting – we also supplied solar-powered radios.
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
Mother and daughter searching for a book to read / Photo: Oxfam Japan TOP:
Safe water and other supplies for survivors / Photo: Miki Tokairin, JOICFP LEFT:
FM 80.1 reaches out to ethnic minorities in different languages / Photo: Oxfam Japan BOTTOM:
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
Buddies On A Treasure Hunt By Sandy Wong
Every day, the old man went to the hill near his home. He took along a shovel, with which he dug up the soil at the foot of the hill, bit by bit. One day, a sad-faced child came to the hill. Seeing the old man patiently digging, the child asked out of curiosity, “What are you doing?”
UNCLE HUNG / TEASURE HUNT Uncle Hung leads children on a hunt for love and other treasures at the Oxfam Interactive Education Centre, located right in Oxfam Hong Kong’s office in North Point / Photos: (left) Brenda Lee and (top) Cara Lin, Oxfam Hong Kong
“I am searching for treasure,” said the old man. “What kind of treasure are you looking for?” the boy asked. “I am looking for my son. How about you, why have you come here?” the old man asked. “I lost my father.”
This is a story about searching and love,
But before helping others, sometimes we
Uncle Hung tells the tale of the old man
nature and sustainability.
may need to know how to help ourselves
and the child who explore love as they
first. When we are vulnerable, do we
embark on a treasure hunt together. The
These days, many things remind us
really know what love is? Understanding
workshop reminds us of the importance
that life can be fragile. A person, a tree,
is the process of searching.
of touching and connecting with people, community and nature, lifelong.
a village, a city, our quality of life and social relations, all fade out and gradually
Oxfam Hong Kong’s Interactive Education
deteriorate, even disappear. We may be
Centre is offering a new workshop,
Would you like to accompany Uncle Hung
left feeling anxious and uneasy. Maybe we
“Buddies On A Treasure Hunt”. The
on a journey to search for your own inner
need love to fill in the cracks in our lives.
workshop is led in Cantonese by Uncle
treasure? Please visit http://www.cyber
Hung the storyteller (Yuen Che-hung),
school.oxfam.org.hk/iec.php?cat=1&id=155
But what is love? Is love what we see in
who is also an actor and an author of
the media – good people performing good
several books. “We need to build our
deeds? How do we explain love to our
lives on the basis of love,” he says. “The
children? Do we really know what love is?
only way to develop your own values is to
At Oxfam Hong Kong, we always say we
explore and understand your own feelings
are “helping people to help themselves”.
and emotions.”
Sandy Wong, Education Officer of Oxfam Hong Kong, works with different educators and artist-teachers in developing workshops for the Oxfam Interactive Education Centre.
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
Finding Sustainable Ways to Cope with Climate Change
BLOOD COCKLE: Temperatures in Ben Tre, Vietnam, are increasing, and this dark sheeting helps keep the water of the tidal river cool – the way the blood cockle like it. / Photo: Bui Thi Minh Hue, Oxfam
RICE:
SHEEP:
Farmers experiment with different varieties that can withstand the changes in the climate in the Philippines, such as long periods of sustained rain. / Photo: Rice Watch and Action Network (www.r2phils.org)
This breed of sheep called ‘Tan’ is suited for the very dry climate of Gansu Province, in northwest China, where desertification is on the rise / Photo: Xiao Sha, Oxfam Hong Kong
O.N.E JUNE 2O11
18
N
Every day, Oxfam Hong Kong works alongside hundreds of groups around the world, from small NGOs to international bodies, from government departments of developing countries to community groups based in Hong Kong.
ew
PartnerOrganisations
CHINA VOICES Speak Out Against Poverty in Mainland China
Here are 18 ‘partner organisations’ that we are supporting for the first time.
CHINA
Beijing • Beijing Migrant Workers Community Social Service Investigation and
Preparation Programme Team • Beijing N-friends Information Consulting • Technology & Education: Connecting Cultures (Beijing Chapter)
Guangxi • Prata-cultural Development Centre, Ethnic Minority Affairs Bureau
• Fishery and Veterinary Bureau, Douan Yao Autonomous County • Fishery and Veterinary Bureau, Tiandeng County, Chongzuo City
Guizhou • Education Department, Jiangkou County
• Education Bureau, Songtao County • Education Bureau, Congjiang County • Service Centre, Shangji Town, Zunyi County
Shandong • Jicheng Social Work Service Organisation Yunnan • College of Economics and Management, Yunnan Agricultural University
• Tengchong People’s Hospital PHILIPPINES • Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia,
Oxfam Hong Kong has launched a book of stories and photographs that features the views and accounts of people whom Oxfam has met in 23 years of anti-poverty work in Mainland China. The publication depicts the lives of farmers, women, migrant workers, ethnic minorities and community workers in China’s impoverished rural areas.
Asia DHRRA, Manila
VIETNAM • Live and Learn for Environment and Community, Ha Tinh
• Daknong Department of Planning and Investment • Daknong Women’s Union • Daknong Department of Finance and Planning
In this edition of O.N.E, we highlight
and many youth-led initiatives. These
Live & Learn for Environment and
agents then inspire climate awareness
Community, in Vietnam.
and action among other youth nationwide – they have already worked in 15
Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable
provinces.
countries to climate change, and disaster risk reduction and climate change
Oxfam Hong Kong’s support will enable
adaptation with poor people is an Oxfam
the Network to expand to 20 provinces
priority in the country. As part of this work,
and 3 cities. The project expects that in
we have awarded a US$20,000 grant
one year at least 150 more young people
to Live & Learn for Environment and
will have become agents; at least 3,000
Community, a youth organisation based in
youth will have participated in at least 10
Ha Tinh.
youth-led initiatives on disaster risks and climate change; and the Network will have
Live & Learn created the Green
developed new collaborations with many
Generation Network (The He Xanh),
organisations (government and non-
which empowers youth and environmental
government), business groups, and media
voluntary groups to become ‘green
communities.
change agents’ through training, coaching
Working with people against poverty www.oxfam.org.hk |
2 20 2 2
Available at Swindon Books, Kubrick Book Stores, Relay, Dymocks, CUHK Press, Times Publishing, Hong Kong Readers, MCCM Creations, Xiyao Book Store and Oxfam’s online shop at www.oxfam.org.hk
O.N.E (Oxfam News E-magazine) is published by Oxfam Hong Kong, 17th Floor, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong. The publisher does not necessarily endorse views expressed by contributors. For permission to reprint articles, please contact us; normally, we grant permission provided the source is clearly acknowledged. O.N.E is available free to all, in both an HTML and PDF version, and in Chinese and English.
O.N.E will move to our main page at www.oxfam.org.hk. See you there.