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We all know that young people are our future. We also all know that for communities to develop in a relevant, meaningful and even sustainable way, youth must be involved in the process.
This issue of Youth Hong Kong looks at recalibrating youth engagement. We talk to them, as well as others, on how and where the most meaningful ways of contribution can be made. It is not always easy, but what we realise is that participation and involvement cannot be just token; it has to be serious and genuine. It must result in youth empowerment so that young people feel a sense of ownership in what they are doing.
As the former Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr Kofi Annan, once said, “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.”
So we know that this is not just an issue for Hong Kong, but for societies around the world. Do share with us your own experiences of youth engagement for the future.
Andy Ho Wing-cheong Executive Director, HKFYG
2022
Young people are our hope and leaders of tomorrow. Recognising the importance of youth work in shaping the future of Hong Kong, we are committed to nurturing our youths and giving them ample room to develop and realise their potential.
It is my vision that young people should be empowered to pursue personal development, contribute to society, and enjoy the fruits of growth of our economy. As pledged in my election manifesto, I will strive to build a caring and inclusive society and enhance upward mobility for our youths. To this end, the reorganised Home and Youth Affairs Bureau underpins the emphasis that the current-term Government places on young people. The Bureau is working at full steam to formulate a comprehensive youth policy and a youth development blueprint with policy targets for the healthy and diverse development of young people.
I believe that development is the gold key to resolving social problems and improving people’s livelihood. With the tremendous and unprecedented opportunities presented by the 14th Five-Year Plan, the GuangdongHong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area development and the Belt and Road Initiative, I strongly encourage our young people to make the best use of Hong Kong’s proactive integration into the overall development of the
country, so that they can all join the ride on the “highspeed train” of national development and realise their personal aspirations.
The Government and I also appreciate that the needs of young people are wide-ranging and ever-evolving. We will therefore create more communication channels for our youths to engage effectively with the Government and community leaders about the issues that matter to them. These range from quality education and careerdevelopment opportunities, to politics and public-policy involvement, home ownership opportunities, family planning and much more.
I look forward to the continuing support from essential youth organisations for building a conducive environment to youth development. That certainly includes The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. Being the largest youth-service organisation in Hong Kong, the Federation has been helping our youths since 1960, organising more than 25 000 activities a year, running an online platform that counts over 450 000 members and producing this must-read quarterly, Youth Hong Kong. Working together, I am confident we can make a significant difference not only for our young people, but also for the future generations to come.
l Youth engagement is a partnership
based on a foundation
reciprocal
l Generational differences have value at all points
the
l
should not be disregarded.
a genuine commitment to change by taking actions.
Someone once wrote, “The more we increase the active participation and partnership with young people, the better we serve them. … And the more comprehensively we work with them as service partners, the more we increase our public value to the entire community.”1
What is immediately obvious in this quote is how much youth engagement is a partnership. It is a reciprocal relationship that is based on a foundation of mutual respect, empathy, collaboration and equality. It is not, as many programmes that involve young people are, simply a quota filling, box ticking, an exercise that results in little implement, and, even less achieved.
However, it is not always easy to attain this level of balance and equilibrium, especially in situations where young people have been called (or classified as) lazy, entitled, superficial, emotional, irresponsible, and now, ‘woke’. Time magazine had this to say in 1990, “[young people] have trouble making decisions. They would rather hike in the Himalayas than climb a corporate ladder. They have few
heroes, no anthems, no style to call their own. They crave entertainment, but their attention span is as short as one zap of a TV dial. … They possess only a hazy sense of their own identity but a monumental preoccupation with all the problems the preceding generation will leave for them to fix.”2 Have these attitudes really changed that much?
At the same time, young people have characterised ‘adults’ as unable to listen, quick to lecture, pedantic, patronizing, insensitive and essentially unwilling to compromise. In a recent survey, “Looking Forward with Gen Z”, by the Walton Family Foundation, it was found that most young people have “low expectations that the government, corporations, and other institutions will prioritise them or take their needs into consideration …”3 These are obviously generalised statements of stereotyping, bereft of nuances and complexities, but the gist is understood.
So, what is the possible solution to this impasse? Much before active engagement can take place, there really has to be a mind shift or both sides. The first and most obvious is
the recognition that the generational differences have value at all points of the spectrum. While those in authority or influence certainly have the greater experiences, they can also sometimes get bogged down in conventional and cautious thinking, lacking fresh perspective and alternative viewpoints that young people bring to the table. Innovative and creative ideas – sometimes so far out of the box – are the propellers of new inventions. We know this so well even in our lifetime with the constant advances in technology and communication. And so, the opening up of how each side ‘sees’ the other must take place. The adults at the table need to be as open minded and curious to hear new ideas or solutions, as the young people must be to listen to practical impediments learnt through experience.
The second issue that rears its head as a potential obstacle is a very real one: talk versus action. The most celebrated climate activist in the world is only 19 years old and she challenges not only world leaders, but everyone on this planet, to stop talking but start doing. “Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah blah blah. Net zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have not led to action,” Greta Thunberg said in a famous speech, whose sting was in her concluding remarks, “Our leaders’ intentional lack of action is a betrayal toward all present and future generations.”4
What makes youth engagement a tricky proposition sometimes is how much are those in power willing to make a genuine commitment to change. This could be the provision of resources, financial or otherwise, or even the support that both nurtures, but more importantly, instigates change. Oft times, when inviting young people
to participate in engagement exercises, it is seen from the perspective of simply offering hands-on experience. While this has its merits, it does not go far enough. There must be more than just allowing young people observer status at the table, but to actually enable them to be facilitators of potential solutions and change. The young people must not only feel part of the process but should also know that their contributions have been taken seriously and, one hopes, been implemented, as well. A manifesto from young people submitted at COP26, listed out key areas where genuine –and accountable – support could be shown. They ranged from involvement in planning policy to design, implementation and evaluation to the scaling up of financial and other logistical support to help young people be the drivers or change.5
What emerges from this, is very obvious and simple: to fully engage young people in their own – and in the community’s development – is not a passive act, but one that has to be bold, have initiative and sometimes even be pre-emptive to what the current status quo might be. No one is arguing that this is an easy task, but the importance and the sustainability must lie in a genuine desire on both sides to make a difference. We say it often enough, ‘the youth are the future’. How about thinking more creatively and say, ‘the future of youth is now’? thus making engagement more realistics.
and
magazine, July
https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,970634-1,00.html
in the World Economic
Perspectives, 11 August 2022. At. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/08/ how-to-give-the-worlds-youth-a-voice-in-shaping-global-challenges/
over
crisis” quoted in The Guardian 28 September 2021. At: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/28/blah-greta-thunbergleaders-climate-crisis-co2-emissions
people ‘leaders of tomorrow”, quoted in the World Economic Forum, 9 February 2022. At: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/stop-calling-young-people-leaders-oftomorrow
YHK is honoured to invite Miss Alice Mak, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs to this exclusive sharing about her thoughts and plans for the youth in Hong Kong in the upcoming months.
l Young people are the future, hope and pillars of Hong Kong. They are also the engine that drives the longterm development of society and the economy.
l The newly established Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) aims to set up policy objectives for the healthy and diversified development of young people with a view to improving their upward mobility.
l A Youth Development Blueprint will be formulated to address four areas of concern to Hong Kong’s youth.
There has been a name change of the Bureau, can you share the importance of young people to the government?
As remarked by President Xi Jinping at the meeting celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the sixth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, when the young people thrive, Hong Kong thrives. When the young people grow, Hong Kong grows. When there is a future for the young people, there is a future for Hong Kong.
Young people are the future, hope and pillars of Hong Kong. They are also the engine that drives the longterm development of society and the economy. The Government has all along attached great importance to youth development. We strive to assist young people in overcoming hurdles in education, employment, entrepreneurship and home ownership so that the younger generation will see hope and opportunities for upward mobility. To effectively take youth work forward, the Government established the Youth Development Commission (YDC) chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration (CS) in 2018 to enhance policy coordination within the Government and enable a more holistic and effective examination of and discussion on issues of concern to young people. To further enhance our effort to support youth development. the new term Government has established the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) to focus resources and formulate overall youth policy and a Youth Development Blueprint, and to set policy objectives for the healthy and diversified development of young people with a view to improving their upward mobility.
What do you see as the Bureau’s top priority among the four areas (education, employment, entrepreneurship and home buying opportunities) mentioned by the CE for youth development?
As mentioned above, the HYAB will formulate an overall youth policy and a Youth Development Blueprint to address the issues of concern to young people. As a matter of fact, the new term Government has commenced preparatory work for the formulation of the Blueprint. As the first important guiding document on the promotion of youth development formulated by the Government, the Blueprint will outline the vision, guiding principles and major directions of Hong Kong’s overall youth development work, covering the four areas mentioned in the question. In accordance with evidence-based and target-oriented principles, it will set out the respective targets of future work, specific actions, initiatives and indicators.
Over the past three years, Hong Kong has faced severe challenges, prompting us to rethink the positioning and focus of our youth work. On the one hand, we should establish more effective channels to gauge the views of young people of different backgrounds in order to help them overcome hurdles in areas such as education, career pursuits, entrepreneurship and home ownership and create more opportunities for them to develop and flourish. On the other hand, we need to put emphasis on nurturing young people’s positive thinking to help them develop positive values, and enable them to become a new generation with national pride, a sense of ownership and responsibility, and with an aspiration and willingness to strive for the future of our country and of Hong Kong.
As mentioned above, the Blueprint is the first important guiding document formulated by the HKSARG to promote youth development. Over the coming months, the Government will, in collaboration with the Youth Development Commission, reach out to the youth and other stakeholders to gauge their views and suggestions in relation to the Blueprint. More importantly, as the Blueprint serves as a living document, hence the youth engagement process will also be a continuous and evolving process. While we target to publish the first edition of the Blueprint by the end of the year, we will continue to engage young people by different means and tap their views, with a view to reviewing and revising the content of the Blueprint in a timely manner to ensure it keeps abreast of the times and addresses the need of youths promptly. In other words, the Blueprint will provide a platform for the Government to continuously engage young people and respond to their needs.
edition of the Blueprint by the end of this year.
You have mentioned community care teams before; can you share more about this?
The District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) is an important initiative of the currentterm Government. We plan to set up Care Teams across the territory to support the Government’s district work and promote community mutual assistance, thereby increasing social capital and community cohesion. Not only will the Care Teams provide caring activities and services on a regular basis, they will also render support in emergency assistance.
"To further enhance our effort to support youth development, the new term Government has established the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) to focus resources and formulate overall youth policy and a Youth Development Blueprint, and to set up policy objectives for the healthy and diversified development of young people with a view to improving their upward mobility."
Planning for the Care Teams is in full swing. More details will be released later this year.
What other ways can young people be engaged to contribute to HK’s future?
What benchmarks are the Bureau considering within the next 12 months?
We strike to continue to press ahead with, improve and optimise the above initiatives as well as roll out new initiatives to meet the needs of young people. These improved / new initiatives would be promulgated in the coming Policy Address. Furthermore, we are working at full steam to prepare the Youth Development Blueprint and we aim to issue the first
As mentioned by the Chief Executive in his inaugural speech, development is the golden key to resolve social problems. The Government will comprehensively raise the competitiveness of Hong Kong and promote economic development. We are confident that in the process of economic development, we will create more development opportunities for young people. This will not only enable young people to unleash their potential and achieve their personal development goals, but also contribute to Hong Kong’s future.
1. Cultivating whole-person development, all-rounded and multi-faceted skills and nurturing positive thinking among youth
To promote positive thinking and well-being of youth people, a new funding scheme will be launched by end 2022 tentatively to sponsor NGOs to organize projects that are conducive to nurturing young people’s positive thinking. Another new funding scheme will also be launched by end 2022 tentatively to sponsor NGOs to provide systematic and quality adventure training for young people in a structured manner.
Besides, youth uniformed groups (UGs), with youth membership of around 110 000 at present, are major partners of the Government to help foster positive values, strengthen leadership skills and attain wholeperson development of young people. Through recurrent subvention, HYAB supports youth UGs to provide informal education and training to young people.
We have also promulgated the Multi-faceted Excellence Scholarship (MES) since 2014 to support local students undertaking the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examinations who excel in sports, arts and/ or community service to pursue undergraduate studies in universities and locally-accredited degree-awarding
institutions in Hong Kong. The MES has helped promote a culture of multi-faceted excellence and benefit young talents, thus facilitating their upward mobility.
The Youth Hostel Scheme (YHS) aims at unleashing the potential of under-utilised sites held by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to meet the aspiration of some working youth in having their own living space. We are grateful for HKFYG’s dedicated efforts in participating in the YHS. The Tai Po Youth Hostel (PH2), operated by HKFYG, has been operating in full swing since 2020. We are very glad to note that the youth hostel is highly welcomed by the tenants as well as the community.
The Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth (MSSY) provides more opportunities for young people to participate in policy discussions. Since the implementation of the MSSY, about 480 posts are held by young people who have been appointed to ASBs directly or indirectly through the MSSY.
We have been organising youth internship activities in the Mainland through the Funding Scheme for Youth
Internship in the Mainland (Funding Scheme) so that young people may gain a deeper understanding of the employment market, work culture and development opportunities therein. Before the pandemic, about 3 700 young people benefitted from the Scheme every year.
As regards youth exchange, we subsidise, through the Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to organise Mainland exchange projects for young people in order to enhance Hong Kong young people’s awareness and understanding of their home country, fostering exchange with the Mainland people and strengthening their sense of national identity. Prior to the pandemic, the scheme sponsored over 15 000 Hong Kong young people to participate in the various thematic Mainland exchange activities every year and sponsored around 3 000 Mainland young people to visit Hong Kong, with Hong Kong young people playing host.
We are closely keeping in view the development of the pandemic, the cross-boundary quarantine requirements between the Mainland and Hong Kong in future, and will arrange for the resumption of our internship and exchange activities when it is safe and practicable to do so and in compliance with the relevant anti-epidemic measures in the Mainland.
To promote youth innovation and entrepreneurship, we rolled out two funding schemes under the Youth Development Fund, namely, the Funding Schemes for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Entrepreneurship Scheme) and the Funding Scheme for Experiential Programmes at Innovation and Entrepreneurial Bases in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Experiential Scheme) to provide entrepreneurial support to young people. We are glad to note that HKFYG has participated in the Entrepreneurship Scheme as well.
The response to the Entrepreneurship Scheme has thus far been very positive. All of the funded NGOs have successfully recruited a total of 217 youth startups with a wide range of areas of business covering research and development on innovation and technology, retails, information technology, etc.
Subject to the relaxation of the anti-epidemic measures in the Mainland, we will arrange for the youth entrepreneurs to visit the entrepreneurial bases in the Mainland cities of the GBA as soon as possible.
Ivan was not even born when Hong Kong was returned to the motherland on 1 July 1997. Neither did he hear much about that historic moment from his parents, except that it was “another phase” in their usual busy working lives. But not being physically present during that piece of history has not deterred Ivan from taking a keen interest in amazing historical snippets and exploring the past of his country.
Ivan’s pride in being a Hongkonger is evident when his eyes literally sparkle as he shares more about working towards being a published novelist one day. “Through the educational curriculum in Hong Kong, we explore topics related to the voting system; rule of law; ethics and priorities; rights and obligations, all of which revolve around the individual from a collective perspective.”
“I hope to be able to weave snippets of Hong Kong’s rich history into my storytelling. By regularly contributing to my school’s newsletter and by entering national writing competitions, I hope to polish my skills and cultivate a stronger sense of community. An affirmation of our identities, stemming from Hong Kong’s diverse culture and values is my goal. I cherish life-at-large and want to protect the ethnic minorities. Just like highly acclaimed writers, Xu Xi and Jennifer Wong, pioneers in their own ways, I look forward to finding my own path amid this everchanging landscape of Hong Kong.”
Like Ivan, Annette was not born when Hong Kong was established as an SAR in 1997. Despite the changes since then, Annette’s parents always emphasize the importance of listening to one another’s views when discussing social issues and before taking a personal stance. “It is important to be an active listener especially in this diverse community.”
Beneath her soft-spoken voice, Annette has a caring spirit and is not afraid to push boundaries for the good of the community. “I actively volunteer in outreach services and have seen many people unable to receive dental treatment so I understand how their quality of life has been affected. That is why I aspire to improve public oral health with technology such as tele-dentistry and new materials to prevent diseases. I am a huge advocate of accessible healthcare.”
“A quarter of 12-year-olds in Hong Kong have caries and I am currently doing research on the use of chitosan1 to prevent and arrest caries. I hope to visit dental schools overseas to further my research and bring insight back with me. Then perhaps I can come up with unconventional approaches to solve such medical issues in Hong Kong.”
Issac was about two years old when Hong Kong became a SAR, two and a half decades ago. His memory of that significant event is faint but he does remember watching the ceremony on television at home with his parents as a toddler. It was a vivid sea of red against white, he says, filled with men in white uniforms marching on a red carpet. Otherwise, Issac remembers small changes over the years: how policemen’s uniforms have changed colour and how the red jubilee post boxes have disappeared, replaced by green rectangular ones as he was growing up. Despite other, monumental changes, he also thinks this is a wonderful time to be in Hong Kong. “Hong Kong has always been a favourite for facilitating startup growth because of its high level of internationalisation. It is an ideal place for startups to promote and test their products and services.”
“My wish for Hong Kong is that there will be a wave of significant new businesses and that this will bring a successful global standing. Right now, people only remember the older successes and creators such as Li Ka-Shing, Michael Ying of Esprit and their counterparts of an earlier era. We should collectively aspire to create new ‘role models’ that will keep doing Hong Kong proud internationally.”
Teresa was six years old when Hong Kong was returned to the motherland in 1997. She recalls how her family had wanted to watch the fireworks in Victoria Harbour initially. However, as it was pouring with rain that day, the plan was cancelled and they watched the ceremony on television instead. Now, Teresa is married herself and has two young daughters aged five and six. She is full of praise for the city’s safety and general stability. “Sometimes my husband works late and if I take my girls out for shopping after dinner, I do not have to worry about our safety even if we return home late.”
“My simple wish for my birth country is that it will continue to be a global hub that enjoys high internet connectivity as well as good international relations. I really hope that by the time my girls are adults, they will want to stay on in Hong Kong, be it for their education or to start families here. It has a diverse culture and it should remain as such.”
Four youth in their 20s or 30s remember faintly the milestone days 25 years ago when Hong Kong first became a Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People’s Republic of China. They share candidly their heartfelt hopes of seeing their birth city continue to grow and evolve.
HKFYG’s Youth Research Centre has released a new study about Hong Kong youth’s hopes. The study took place between March and May 2022, during the ongoing pandemic and nearly three years since serious social unrest. Sentiments expressed provide insight into their top concerns.
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups’ Youth Research Centre released a new set of studies on what Hong Kong youth would like to look forward to in Hong Kong, three years after a spate of social chaos and unabated COVID-19 pandemic. The sentiments from the 1,054 respondents surveyed in May 2022 provided insights on some of their top concerns.
Out of the concerns prioritised by the respondents aged 15-34 years old, the findings are revealed as follow:
Top three priorities that are of utmost concern to Hong Kong youth would be solving their housing problems (45%); listening to them (35.3%), and mending ties with them (27.5%).
expect to see Hong Kong in the following
of
a city in the next
(38.3%)
prosperous, stable (32.4%)
(25.2%)
are pessimistic about Hong Kong’s future
are
trust on youth
not think
to be pessimistic
to be optimistic
a personal level, 38% are optimistic about their future development, while 18% are pessimistic.
say they are uncertain about this.
Tend to be pessimistic
to be optimistic
trust on government
Agree Disagree Uncertain
agree they have a stake in the
Kong’s future.
Disagree Uncertain
The social unrest of recent years and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have brought unprecedented challenges for the government. While Hong Kong is entering a new chapter with a newly elected Chief Executive, the new officials should seize the opportunity to create a vision for society and bring new hope for Hong Kong youth, its other citizens and the city in general.
– Eric Lam, convener of the governance group
The new administration raises youth affairs to the bureau level. The newlyestablished Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) should take all efforts that could help rebuild mutual trust between young people and the HKSAR Government; build confidence of young people towards their personal development aspirations; and build a belief among youngsters that Hong Kong can excel to be better.
– Alan Yip, fellow group member
Different sectors in Hong Kong should promote youth-led community building projects with collaboration and actual actions, so as to empower the younger generation actualizing their ideal community blueprint. This could also help enhance intergenerational interaction, forging new ways for better understanding of different generations in the long run.
– Tony Tsui, fellow group member
The new administration has attached great importance to its KPIs (Key Performance Indices), which should involve youth participation in the formulation and evaluation of these KPIs. Hong Kong’s youth are innovative. Goals would be better set based on inputs from these young people and their strengths. In the long run, it could open up new avenues for social participation from the Hong Kong youth, as well as make the government’s KPI more realistic.
– Oswis Wong, fellow group member
As
countdown to the first policy address of HKSAR Chief Executive, John Lee, in October 2022, YHK asks Dr Stephen Wong from Our Hong Kong Foundation to throw
on the approach of government to youth concerns, while Professor John Burns from the University of Hong Kong
civic education.
Kong should aim to foster an ecosystem that is
to better social mobility, better career progression
a bigger platform where youth can pursue their dreams.
HKSAR government must adopt a reform mindset
takes a strategic approach in the long term, especially because of the rapid changes taking place around the world.
collaboration of government, business and civil society is needed. To encourage citizens and civil society, authorities must restore trust in government. With this, citizens can see that their engagement influences and changes public policy to help meet their
Speaking recently at the South China Morning Post China Conference Hong Kong 2022, Mr. Lee stressed Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability according to the principle of One Country, Two Systems. “Today, we are one of the world’s top three financial centres, the fifth most competitive economy, a major trading and logistics hub, a rising innovation and technology centre and the vital business bridge between our country and the rest of the world.”
Recalling President Xi Jinping’s speech for the 25th anniversary of the HKSAR on July 1 this year, Mr Lee spoke of references to Hong Kong: “proactively integrating itself into the country’s overall development and carving out its role in national strategies.” He went on to say, “I can tell you that President Xi was speaking directly to youi, to each and every one of you. Whatever you want to accomplish, the doors to Hong Kong remain wide open and welcoming.”
Dr Stephen Wong says that youth matters will certainly be on the agenda of the new administration and that the upcoming blueprint would have more concrete details of proposed measures and policies. “You can see in President Xi’s speech that there’s a particular
section on youth, caring for youth; encouraging the youth to contribute and presenting a good future for youth who basically stay and contribute. This spirit of caring for the youth in terms of policy it is what the government can do to help the youth to succeed.”
Elaborating, Dr Wong says, “The Policy Address blueprint should be comprehensive and extensive in the four broad areas. President Xi talked about: education, employment, mobility and housing.” He says that the goal is also to enhance the relevance of vocational training and relevant job skillsets. “Hopefully, this will add new dimensions in which youth can learn and build careers for their future. This is not about just one measure but about an ecosystem that is conducive to better social mobility, better career progression and a bigger platform where youth can pursue their dreams.”
Prof Burns, on the other hand, reflects on how the newly formed Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) could address young people’s concerns, saying that there needs to be understanding about social harmony and civic education. “HYAB could perform a great service by investigating the question of what they expect. To do so requires credible surveys and perhaps focus
groups. HYAB could commission polling outfits such as HKPORI and CUHK’s Asia Pacific Institute, which have good track records of credible, transparent surveys to help us understand young people’s expectations.”
Prof Burns goes on to speculate that young people are concerned about the content and purpose of civic education. “Evidence indicates, especially for youth, that there are mixed expectations, focusing on both material needs and opportunities as well as non-material rights and freedoms.” He emphasizes that these should be respected, adding that, “Youth may perceive that citizenship focuses on both rights and duties and that its purpose is to produce citizens with independent and analytical minds who can participate in public affairs.”
Dr Wong also comments that the HKSAR government must adopt a reform mindset that takes a strategic approach in the long term, especially because of the rapid changes taking place around the world. He says it is equally important for the HKSAR government to seize the ample opportunities offered by the National 14th Five-Year Plan, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Belt & Road Initiative and other initiatives to create strong impetus for growth.
“There must also be a concrete strategy for the delivery of new proposals that will fortify Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, shipping and trading centre,” he says, as well as ventures in innovation and technology, the arts and culture. Having worked with government officials, academics and professionals in Hong Kong, as well as other think tanks and scholars in mainland China and overseas, Dr Wong reiterates the importance to collaborate. “Hong Kong is a small, open economy, so we can achieve high living standards because we actually do business with and have economic relationships all over the world, as well as with the mainland China economy.”
Within the bigger ecosystem, as well as government efforts there should be partnerships with the business, NGO, academic, finance and investment sectors. These are obviously key factors since the government can only do so much.
Dr Wong continues by stressing that “…this open mindset is super important for us to be able to build a bigger platform for our youth. Second, within the bigger ecosystem, as well as governmental efforts there should be partnerships with the business, NGO, academic, finance and investment sectors. These are obviously key factors since the government can only do so much. Nevertheless, growth is crucial for facilitating collaboration between all sectors.”
Prof Burns agrees, saying that for any government to solve social problems effectively, the collaboration of government, business and civil society is needed.
Effectively solving public problems needs the collaboration of government, business, and civil society. That is, everyone working together.
Authorities in Hong Kong have hollowed out civil society, he says, and while official action has closed or expelled scores of NGOs in Hong Kong, many others remain and are doing important work in critical areas such environmental protection, housing, transport and public health. “To encourage citizens and civil society, authorities must restore trust in government. With this, citizens can see that their engagement influences and changes public policy to help meet their expectations.”
Both experts agree that to encourage the rebuilding of a civil society, trust in government needs to be restored. Trustbuilding measures should empower all citizens. Accountability in government can also rebuild trust which is the key to gaining the enthusiastic cooperation of civil society in solving public problems, explains Professor Burns. “To encourage citizens and civil society, authorities must restore trust in government. With this, citizens can see that their engagement influences and changes public policy to help meet their expectations.”
Dr. Wong concludes by saying that a reform mindset and an ecosystem infrastructure would send clear signals to youth of building the future together. He says, echoing President Xi’s anniversary speech again, that whether youth wish to participate in research, give advice during public consultations or execute policy as civil servants, they are the future protagonists [ 未來主人翁 ] in the building and ownership of the city that to many of them is home.
Dr. Stephen Wong is Advisor to HKFYG's Youth I.D.E.A.S and Deputy Executive Director and Head of the Public Policy Institute at Our Hong Kong Foundation.
John Burns is Emeritus Professor and Honorary Professor at the University of Hong Kong.
YHKspeaks to two professionals serving the community, a doctor working in a public hospital and an educator who is the principal of primary school. We found out why they want to serve grassroots people.
Maintaining harmony, from theatre to patient
Dr. Celine Tung* became a general surgeon as a second career option. Her first degree was in biomedical sciences, which focused more on research. “I was not very academically inclined when I was young. No one, including myself would have thought I would become a doctor.” However, her main interest was human anatomy. So she decided to pursue a second degree in the UK, specializing in medicine. It was this unexpected twist of fate that led her to work at a public hospital for the past six years.
“When I decided to pursue a second degree in medicine, I wasn’t even sure if I would get onto the programme. I just told myself to try. Even if I was not accepted, at least I would have tried.” When she did get admitted, she was determined to use her newfound knowledge to serve in public health and says she never thought of looking for work overseas because it is difficult for practitioners like her without specializing and taking more accreditation exams.
A calm resolve colours Dr. Celine Tung’s relationships with both colleagues and patients. Although tension and physical weariness may overtake them on shifts of ten hours or more, she says, “I really treasure their company. One reason why I chose to work in a public hospital is because of colleagues. We are like a close-knit family. We look out for one another and really try to help instead of politicking.”
*Name has been changed at the request of the interviewee
Dr. Tse Wai-lok tried many jobs including administrative work and modelling before finally settling on teaching. It gave her the greatest fulfilment because it meant taking part in the moulding of young lives. “It was while I did postdoctoral level training that I experimented in various teaching methods. I was once a student too and I began asking myself what could do to make lessons interesting and stimulating, instead of just theoretical.”
This simple zeal and desire to innovate has seen Dr. Tse receive rave reviews from the media and parents for her efforts as principal of The HKFYG Lee Shau Kee Primary School. “The school provides free, wellrounded education and we strongly believe that every child is unique. As long as we adopt the right methods, the students will discover the joy of success equally.”
Dr. Tse shares further that with the right values and critical thinking skills, she is hopeful that youth will then have a correct outlook and grow up as healthy individuals eventually.
Café21 is one of the social enterprise projects established by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG). It is managed and operated by young people and is located on the ground floor of the HKFYG Building. It provides high-quality food and beverages.
Café 21 is a hidden gem for professionals working around Quarry Bay and Taikoo Shing, as well as those craving healthier meals. The style of cooking adopted at Café 21 emphasizes less sodium, less oil and less sugar. Some of the ingredients are also sourced from the HKFYG’s organic and hydroponic farms, known as the “farm-to-table” movement. Foodies who want to reduce their carbon footprint and who care for the environment should definitely try out the menu of locally-sourced and seasonal ingredients at Café 21.
Special recommendations include:
l Purple potato mash with chicken stuffed wholemeal pita bread (includes a tomato salad on the side)
l Cauliflower rice quinoa with a choice of sauces (beetroot, pumpkin and mushroom sauces available)
l Purple potato banana smoothie with nuts
Café 21 has a floor area about 1,300 feet and free wifi connectivity is available, making it an ideal venue for training programmes, lectures and even private functions.
Catering services are also provided for tenants of the HKFYG building.
Contact and further enquiries: tel 3188 5792.
Youth who want to run their own cafes in future might also try out an internship arrangement at Café 21. Relevant skills such restaurant operations and customer services make good hands-on training. Interns who perform well may also be offered parttime or full-time employment opportunities!
Simply scan the QR Code for takeaway self-pickup:
The world around us is changing faster than ever and economic challenges are creating huge social problems. At such a time, we encourage youth to make innovative changes on behalf of their society and in response, they are increasingly using their creativity to design solutions that could improve lives while giving people new experiences.
The new HKSAR administration, meanwhile, is embarking on a new path in youth policy that aims, among other things, to “create opportunities for young people’s upward mobility and comprehensively raise their all-roundedness and competitiveness through providing a wider array of development opportunities and support measures” as well as to “provide a platform for young people to participate in public affairs.” In parallel, HKFYG is launching a programme called “Stepping Forward with Commitment to Hong Kong”. It is starting to gather 20,000 young people in Hong Kong to contribute to the development of their community.
Now, The HKFYG Inno Impact Project ( 獻計有方 ) 2022 which is based on the concept of social return on investment is underway. Its five themes are: FinTech, Elderly Health Care, Housing Development Planning, Sustainable Development and Cultural and Creative Industries.
The project encourages youth aged 18 – 35 to submit innovative proposals that create social value and shared returns. Five proposals that are both innovative and creative will be selected and each may receive up to HK$200,000 in cash as well as mentorship, networking, free venue support and opportunities for promoting their ideas.
If you have any innovative ideas, whether you are a student, at work or a startup entrepreneur, please grab the chance to apply now for “The HKFYG Inno Impact Project 2022”.
2022 marks the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR. YHK asked 25 young undergraduates, professionals and parents about their aspirations for the future of Hong Kong.
Alison Carless, Human, Social, and Political Science undergraduate, and NGO founder
Despite learning challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, 13-year-old Peter Liu took the initiative and made good use of his time to enrol and completed four Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) from various internationally renowned universities to further deepen his love for Mathematics. He subsequently sat for the International A-Levels (IAL) exams in 2021, scoring high marks in Mathematics; Advanced Mathematics as well as getting an A grade in Physics.
Peter Liu, a 13-year-old Secondary Three student from HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College (HLC) Shui Wai becomes the youngest student to be admitted into The University of Hong Kong’s Engineering Science faculty and starts his semester in the Bachelor of Engineering programme in September 2022.
In hindsight, Peter shares that it was the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak that accelerated his knowledge and deeper learning for Mathematics. “In Secondary One, I took a total of four MOOC courses, namely: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at The University of Queensland; Mathematical Calculus at The University of Adelaide; the University of Adelaide’s basic human biology on cells and tissues; and Python Programming at the Harvard University.”
“Among them, the completion of the Mathematical Calculus self-study course boosted my confidence in self-studying Mathematics. The Python programming class also sparked my interest in computing and laid the foundation for my future college choice.”
Despite being an accelerated learner, Peter remains humble and thanks his parents, teachers and classmates profusely. “Although I am a grade skipper, my classmates are very friendly to me and helped me integrate well into the new class in September 2020. I have become good friends with some of them.”
HKFYG Lee Shau Kee College’s (HLC) Principal, Mr Lim Chun Pong shares that Peter’s initiative to sign up for the MOOC courses demonstrates the College three ‘self’” motivations – ‘self-learning’, ‘selfdiscipline’ and ‘self-confidence’. Since co-organising MOOC courses with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) from 2016 onwards, HLC students are allowed to take elective courses from world-renowned universities via online learning to broaden their horizons and cultivate their ability to be independent learners.
Mr Lim adds, “while other students may find virtual learning to be challenging especially during COVID-19, Peter seized and adopted every opportunity.
The HLC was established in 2006 and has been a directsubsidy English secondary school for 16 years. It has achieved outstanding results in school development and English performance. Other than the MOOC course collaboration with HKU since 2016, HLC was also shortlisted for the 2019 Reimagine Education Award, which is the first for a secondary school in Hong Kong. In line with the development of the MOOC curriculum, the College also launched the “HLC Top Excellence Programme” in 2019, allowing students with outstanding academic performance to apply for skipping grades from Secondary 1 to Secondary 3, or Secondary 2 to Secondary 4.
In response to Peter’s success story, HLC plans to further develop the “HLC Top Excellence Programme” in the next school year, so that capable Secondary 3 students can apply for admission to the Secondary 5 International Programme (IAL).
HLC aims to create a nurturing environment where its teachers and students learn, grow and realise their dreams together.
Thedecision to migrate is often related to important life changes. Young people constitute a significant proportion of human capital flight and serious shortages of homegrown talent can result.
The number of international migrants has been growing sharply over the last two decades, reaching 281 million people living outside their home country in 2020, up from 173 million in 2000 and 221 million in 2010.
Two-thirds of all international migrants live in just 20 countries. The US is the largest destination, hosting 51 million international migrants in 2020, followed by Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the UK. India topped the list of countries with the largest diasporas in 2020, with 18 million persons from India living outside of their country of birth. In 2020, young migrants accounted for 11.3% of the total migrant population and 2.6% of youth globally.
In many parts of the world, young people choose or are forced to migrate to escape persecution, poverty or violence or are displaced due to the effects of war or climate change. As such, youth may be refugees, asylum-seekers and unaccompanied minors, but the main reason for migration is economic.
The proportion and number of child and young migrants vary by region. As of 2020, the share of young migrants is higher in low-and middle-income countries than in highincome countries. China, after India and Mexico, accounts for the largest number of people who have left home to migrate elsewhere. There are more than 10.7 million Chinese overseas today – about 60 million, if their descendants are included –according to the International Organization for Migration.
According to the latest ILO Global Employment Trends for Youth, the global youth unemployment rate is 13.6%, an estimated 73 million. Between 2000 and 2017, the number of youth migrants increased by 21%, more than twice as fast as the youth population in general (9%). This increase is likely to be the result of high youth unemployment rates in many developing countries and the phenomenon of the “youth bulge” or demographic dividend where there is an expansion of the labour force within an age group.
The situation has been compounded by the pandemic which has severely affected labour markets around the world, hurting young people more than other age groups. Globally, youth employment fell by 8.7% in 2020 compared with 3.7% for adults. Based on available country-level data, the fall in employment has been much more pronounced in middle-income countries.
On the other hand, in June this year, mainland China’s jobless rate among urban 16-24-year-olds climbed to 19.3% and is forecast to continue rising. A record 10.76 million university students will graduate, compounding the problem. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, youth unemployment rose to 10-15%, much higher than 4-6% for unemployment overall and is expected to stay above 10% in 2022.
Naturally, in the face of unemployment, there is greater motivation to emigrate. For home countries, the brain drain is particularly challenging if young workers move permanently to foreign countries. This can result in a shrinking labour force and can impact economic growth and development. From the perspective of destination countries, the compositional shift towards younger workers is likely to be positive, a “brain gain.”
According to University Grants Committee statistics in July this year the jobless rate of graduates improved to 2.2% last year from 3 per cent in 2020, with 325 out of around 22,000 graduates still unemployed when the survey was done last year.
Despite the unemployment rate in Hong Kong, the city’s technology sector, including fintech companies, faces a serious shortage of talent. Emigration from Hong Kong since last year has driven up salaries for technology graduates while expatriates have stayed away from Hong Kong because of the city’s stringent quarantine measures. Some employers who are anxious to retain talent began allowing staff to work remotely from other countries.
l In 2020, international migrants in the OECD numbered 31.7 million.
l Subsequently, all categories of permanent migration fell in 2020, with family migration showing the largest decline.
l Migrant employment rates also declined in three out of five OECD countries in 2020.
l 1 in 10 migrants were unemployed in 2020 compared to 1 in 15 native-born residents in OECD countries.
l Nevertheless, more than two-thirds of immigrants were employed on average in the OECD.
l Women and girls make up about half of all international migrants worldwide.
Read more
• un.or g/en/desa/international-migration-2020-highlights
• migr ationdataportal.org/themes/child-and-young-migrants
• migr ationdataportal.org/themes/migration-drivers
• ilo.org/global/topics/labour-migration/policy-areas/youth-and-migration/lang--en/index.htm
• ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/ documents/publication/wcms_737657.pdf
• un.or g/youthenvoy/globalization-migration/
• bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-31/china-unemploymentrate-for-young-people-hits-record-highs linkedin.com/pulse/tackling-youth-unemployment-hong-kong-joe-ngai
• ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/ documents/publication/wcms_737657.pdf
• wsws.or g/en/articles/2022/07/23/bunb-j23.html
The Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department recently reported a 1.6% decline in the city’s total population from 7.41 million people to 7.29 million in August 2022. YHK talks to historian, Professor Elizabeth Sinn, about the ongoing migration wave and its parallels in history.
l Migration through and from Hong Kong is often circular, involving multiple trips through, out and back that characterize Hong Kong as an “in-between place.”
l A sense of deep familiarity and both emotional and cognitive attachment hold Hongkongers close to their home city, beside job security and career progression.
l While sense of belonging and identity remain fundamentally constant despite mobility, they are flexible and can be affected by “high temperature” or “low temperature” situations.
Hong Kong’s mid-year population in 2022 was 7,291,600, down 1.6% from mid-2021, according to the Census & Statistics Department (CSD). Declining birth rates have contributed to the fall, while the mortality rate has edged up, partly because of the ageing population. Nevertheless, the significant net outflow of 113,200 Hong Kong residents in the past year is already higher than in 2021.
Hong Kong’s population has always been mobile, for work, study and other reasons, both across its borders and to and from its port. The history of the phenomenon is recorded by Prof Sinn in her book, *Pacific Crossing: California Gold, Chinese Migration, and the Making of Hong Kong. She argues that migration through and from the city is often circular, involving multiple trips through, out and back that characterize Hong Kong as an “in-between place.”
Another outstanding feature of Hong Kong migration and its transoceanic character is the way in which eastwest trade with California invigorated the old Nam Pak trade that linked north and south China with routes to South and Southeast Asia. These routes intersected in Hong
Kong, moulding it as a leading port of the 19th century. People as well as goods left from it, not just for California but for other parts of the world including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, transforming it into “the nerve centre for numerous business networks and empires.”
20th Century and Beyond
Although Hong Kong had a thriving local population by the 20th century, it remained an important in-between place. As Professor Sinn notes, it was a popular destination and transit point for mainland Chinese refugees escaping the Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s and 1970s, and also right after the Liberation of 1949. During the Vietnam War, refugee boat people used Hong Kong as a departure point for the US and other destinations, making up another round of migration.
The famine in the early 1960s was another form of migration that took place when families escaped from mainland China with their children. As Prof Sinn recalls, “When I was growing up in Hong Kong in the 50s, there were a lot of people leaving through Hong Kong. Some of them went to Taiwan, but Hong Kong was very often the first stop. It
in-between place
…from a small-scale entrepôt of goods into a large-scale entrepôt of people
was very important at that time as a transit point for people from China going either to Canada or to America.”
In 1967, there was another rise in emigration because of the pro leftist, anti-colonial riots in Hong Kong. “Many people now forget that at that time, suddenly, almost overnight, some rich people who were really afraid that the communists would come, upped and left with their children although the numbers were very small.”
The next wave came in the late 1980s and 1990s when it was clear that Hong Kong would be returned to China. Hongkongers started applying to emigrate to western countries. “The government became very concerned because of the brain drain and lot of policy research was done on the impact. But some of these people started to come back a few years later if they couldn’t find good jobs in the States or Canada.”
This was the period of the “astronaut families” when fathers stayed in Hong Kong to make money while wives and children resided overseas. However, by the end of the 1990s, there were a lot of returnees.
Hong Konger, you get used to seeing people come and go.”
She says that Hong Kong’s role as an in-between place might eventually shift to destinations including other cities in the Greater Bay Area. “People will be moving around, like water finding its own level. Wherever there is an opportunity, people will go there.” Mobility will become more fluid, in effect. So-called “global citizens” might, for example, have ten homes all over the world and so do not fall into the traditional category of immigrants.
In a final remark, Prof Sinn says that while sense of belonging and identity remain fundamentally constant despite mobility, they are flexible and can be affected by situations. She calls these situations “high temperature” or “low temperature” moments and that some of these can affect the sense of being Chinese or of being a Hongkonger. When one is driven by “high temperature” moments such as loneliness, homesickness or even a particular craving for comfort foods like wonton noodles, a battle of strong emotions emerges that connect one firmly to one’s native place.
By the end of the 1990s, there were a lot of returnees. That was an amazing wave. We talk about waves of immigrants, but we don’t talk about waves of returnees. If you talk to people who are in their 40s and 50s now, there are a lot of these returnees still here.
It would be really interesting to study future migration waves, says Prof Sinn and look for parallels. On a personal note, she wonders about her son and grandson. “Jack, my grandson is in England now. He’s 12 now and I can see him coming back after he graduates. Why not?”
Afterall, there are many reasons for the circular flow of people to and from Hong Kong, she points out. “I’m sure there will be people going and people coming back.” This matches in some ways the historical phenomenon which she described in “Pacific Crossing” and she thinks that today’s flow of people leaving from and returning to Hong Kong is part of an ongoing pattern.
Professor Sinn observes that a sense of deep familiarity and both emotional and cognitive attachment hold Hongkongers close to their home city. Speaking about her own peers as well as the younger generation, she notes that job security and career progression matter a lot. She emphasizes that the focus should be on the constant mobility and fluidity of movement. “As a
Any debate on identity entails not only individual feelings but also how we as individuals are perceived by others, Prof Sinn reminds us. Danger may lie in holding fast to personal beliefs and a self-absorbed bias that is too limited and blinkered. It can overlook the need for ongoing dialogue with members of other communities and fellow global citizens as well as those whose beliefs do not match one’s own.
Born and educated in Hong Kong, Elizabeth Sinn is a historian with a general research interest in Modern China and Hong Kong and special interest in the history of charity, business, culture, the press and migration. Before retiring in 2004, she was the Deputy Director of the Centre of Asian Studies (University of Hong Kong) and a member of the University’s University Research Committee. Outside the University, she was a member of the Humanities Panel of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council. She has served on the Antiquities Advisory Board; Royal Asiatic Society (Hong Kong Branch) and also the Hong Kong Museum of History.
In this new column, we will be speaking to different people with interesting careers in Hong Kong. YHK speaks to Beverly Yau who has chosen a path that would have been quite unconventional not long ago –quantity surveying.
Beverly Yau has always wondered what goes inside a construction site whenever she walked past one as a child. Other than seeing the ongoings with lots of trucks, mixers, sand and cement being poured, her inquisitive mind went off thinking if there is ever a bigger role to play behind all those activities.
That was when she decided to pursue her childhood curiosity more, as she chanced upon a BSc (Hons) Quantity Surveying programme at the University of Reading during an education fair. “I chose the University of Reading as it has always maintained a strong positioning among UK universities, as well as world rankings.” Beverly did not stop at just being immersed in her books during her time in United Kingdom. She would make use of every term break
to try to get an internship opportunity wherever she could. When it was time to graduate, she saw a clear direction for her future. She would return to Hong Kong because of more readily available jobs given the proximity of rapidly developing cities within the Greater Bay Area. Beverly is a corporate member of The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyor, and won the HKIS QSD Assessment of Professional Competencies (APC)
Best Candidate Award in 2020.
Beverly also comments that since she has always been good at numbers, she decided to specialize in quantity surveying. Her role as a quantity surveyor is mainly to prepare cost plans, tender documents, provide cost and
There is initial silence. Then everyone starts becoming very polite and talk softly, when I walk into their midst and wants to clarify something.
contractual advice, payment valuation and cost control of construction projects. It is not always about work, work and work. Beverly shares an interesting fact that as a quantity surveyor, there are interesting moments that amuse her. For instance, there is literally a change in ambience, whenever she walks into a situation full of chaos and usually full of male counterparts.
For anyone who will be keen to pursue a career as a quantity surveyor, Beverly has these tips to share:
• Being sensitive to numbers – there will be a lot of figures to run through daily
If you think you have an interesting profession that is inspiring and worth considering as a career choice, let us know! We would love to connect with you. Drop us an email at cps@hkfyg.org.hk!
• Great communication skills – there will be coordination needed with different project teammates, such as the project manager, architect, engineer, contractor and so on.
• Be prudent – every project is unique, and may include different details; budget and lots of contract clauses.
The concept of the virtual world, “Metaverse” has been popularised since 2021 and is considered a new trend that everyone should know about. This report looks at what can be done so that Hong Kong taps into this global economic opportunity.
• 69.3% said they have heard about the Metaverse but only 37.4% said they had any real knowledge about it
• 56.0% said they had taken part in the Metaverse and main activities were gaming (46.1%), entertainment (17.0%) and meeting friends (16.7%)
• Interest in the Metaverse was rated at an average of 6.11 points out of 10
• Confidence in cryptocurrency and NFTs was rated on average at 4.98 and 4.83 points out of 10 respectively
The Metaverse signifies the arrival of Web 3.0 with a new economic structure. Web 3.0 is a decentralised network based on blockchain technology. Users are able to obtain financial returns for content they contribute as well as retaining ownership thereof. Therefore, the Metaverse can generate many business opportunities. According to Bloomberg, the Metaverse market may reach US783.3 billion in 2024 vs. US$478.7 billion in 2020, representing an annual growth rate of 13.1%.1
A few governments have already introduced policies to support the economic development of the Metaverse. For instance, the Korean government has introduced the “Basic Plan for Metaverse Seoul” in which a metaverse ecosystem will be built for all administrative services including the economy, culture, tourism, education and civil complaints. In the US, the government has started to formulate policies related to cryptocurrency and digital assets with an aim to maintaining technological leadership in central bank digital currency.
In Hong Kong, the government has not yet introduced any measures to regulate cryptocurrency or digital assets, nor has it indicated any support for their development. As an international financial centre, it is necessary to look at what kind of policy and measures Hong Kong should formulate in order to strengthen its position.
• There is optimism about the long-term development prospects of the Metaverse economy but interviewees agree that more applications are needed to build confidence among the public.
• Experts generally think that the Metaverse can bring about more choice for enterprises but SMEs are still searching for suitable business models to upgrade their business.
• Some interviewees think that the application of the Metaverse is relatively mature in the games industry and that this experience and technology can be extended to businesses that focus on play, visual and auditory experience.
1 Bloomberg Intelligence. (December 1, 2021). “Metaverse may be $800 billion market, next tech platform.” Retrieved February 14, 2022. bloomberg.com/ professional/blog/metaverse-may-be-800-billion-market-next-tech-platform/
Silver Ng, group member: “Hong Kong should formulate a digital economy development policy as soon as possible in order to catch up with the global trend. It should also recognize the status of digital assets such as cryptocurrency and NFTs. Furthermore, Hong Kong should carry out measures to improve the development environment of Web 3.0 including the plan to enhance network infrastructure, popularize digital assets based on blockchain technology as well as regulate cryptocurrency transactions and various decentralized financial products.”
Raymond Mak, group member: “The government should launch a “Metaverse Development Pilot Programme” to alleviate the difficulties faced by SMEs in developing Metaverse businesses. It could also incubate SMEs in industries with potential, such as gaming, entertainment, art and design through the relevant chambers of commerce providing technical and application knowledge as well as opportunities to visit successful companies in the field. Funding could be provided for projects which can upgrade businesses using Metaverse technology.”
Issac Poon, group member: “The government should play a more active role in promoting the Metaverse. It could launch Metaverse public services to meet the needs of the general public through the Trade Development Council, the Tourism Board and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, building Metaverse versions of the convention and exhibition venues for those who may not be able to come to Hong Kong, reconstructing historical buildings in the virtual space and building the Metaverse version of performance and recreation venues.”
Published title Tapping into the Economic Opportunities of the Metaverse
Respondents 1,292 young people aged 15-34 were polled in April 2022. 20 young people working in the area of the Metaverse and 7 experts were also interviewed.
More details in Chinese: yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2022/07/31/yi070/
Enquiries Amy Yuen 3755 7037
Our carbon footprint can be greatly reduced, by making small changes to our daily choices conscientiously. YHK finds out how will this new Decarbonisation Platform encourage more Hong Kong youth to record their carbon reduction and nurture a ‘greener’ lifestyle.
all produce greenhouse gases (GHG) emission. Also known as carbon footprint in our daily lives – be it in our food intake; our daily habits; the transportation we take and even the household energy we use. Also the high level of GHG emission will intensify the climate problem of our planet.
Sustainability Unit hopes to get more youth along the carbon footprint reduction, by launching a new Decarbonisation Platform, where they will record their carbon footprint reduction through these 10 daily life actions:
2
2. Turn off a computer when not using
off a computer could have a much bigger impact
reducing
1. Purchase 100% cotton clothes
Cotton clothes has lower carbon emission, compared to polyester clothes
10. Use the fan instead of the air conditioner for an hour
Fans consume 99% less energy than air conditioners.
food
3. Replace a face-to-face meeting with online meeting
Virtual meetings can reduce conference emissions by up to 94%1
9. Shorten shower time by 5 minutes
Shortening the shower time can help saving the energy used in heating up water.
up
per
5. Enjoy non-cattle meat meals
Cattle are ruminant animals which emit methane during their digestion process, which is about 25% of the world's GHG emission
3
8. Travel by public transit trains
The carbon emission per capita of tak ing railways is lower than taking private vehicles and buses
7. Travel by public buses
Transit-based greenhouse gas emis sions per passenger mile are signifi cantly lower than those from driving.
Sources:
1https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Trade-offs-between-face-to-face-communication-and-carbon-footprint-Different-markers_fig5_357086912
6. Walk for 30 minutes
‘Active transport’ – cycling, e-biking or walking – can help tackle the climate crisis.
The art and craft of writing not only piques student writers’ budding creativity, it also greatly nurtures critical thinking. The two winners of the School Young Writers Nurturing Programme 2021-2022 this year have been announced and their winning entries were printed for sale at the Hong Kong Book Fair.
This year’s the School Young Writers Nurturing Programme 2021-2022 attracted more than 300 student entrants from 106 secondary schools this year. 80 of them were selected to participate in a series of learning, training, practice and competition activities including writers’ training workshops and camp with both fiction and non-fiction categories.
The winner of the fiction category is Daisy Hui, a F.4 student of Chiu Lut Sau Memorial Secondary School. Her work entitled “Dear Don & Saya" brings readers into a fantasy world, and explores with the protagonists between a world straddling between fantasy and reality.
The winner of the non-fiction category is Scarlett Chan, a F.3 student of YLPMSAA Tang Siu Tong Secondary School. Her work entitled “Island L’amore”
records observations about life chaptered into the 4 seasons from a 14-year-old’s perspectives.
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups’ Executive Director, Mr Andy Ho Wing-cheong commented that “School Young Writers Nurturing Programme 2021-2022 and Hong Kong Creative Writing Competition have been well-received so far. We have trained 650 primary and secondary school students who nurture the love for reading and writing in past 3 years.” From the students’ works, he could see that it had been a learning journey for all of them. They learnt to express themselves, articulate their thoughts and record their experiences through writing.
Many esteemed writers and experts from the Hong Kong Chinese literature scene served as instructors for
the writing workshops. The online writing training camp was also successfully completed in April. Activities such as student writers’ sharing sessions and creative exchange sessions were also arranged to allow students to interact with their tutors.
School Young Writers Nurturing Programme 20212022 and the creative writing competition are held every September and continue to the following July. The programme’s objectives are to increase the level of interest in Chinese writing among primary and secondary school students while creating an atmosphere conducive to writing within the school environment. The Project is divided into two categories: fiction and non-fiction. The work of the two winners is published and put on sale, while excerpts from other selected outstanding works are published online.
For details please visit cps.hkfyg.org.hk
The
aim of this upcoming Conference is to provide a platform for experts who hope to assist youth to build healthy, law-abiding values. Overseas and regional experts, scholars and youth workers are invited to share their views on youth crime prevention issues.
Youth delinquency is a well-known societal problem. The public in general is greatly concerned about the impact of rapid social changes and the evolving emergence of deceptive tactics.
Therefore, on Thursday 17th November 2022, as part of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the HKFYG
1. To review global strategies and practical experience in tackling youth crime problems
2. To connect experts and scholars for multi-disciplinary collaboration and to make recommendations for strategies to tackle the problems faced
3. To showcase the achievements and evidence-based implementation plans of Youth at Risk Services of HKFYG over the past 30 years with an online exhibition
• Date: 17th November 2022 (Thursday)
• Time: 9:30am to 5:00pm
• Venue: 9/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building
• Format: Mixed mode (with both online and face-to-face sessions)
• Language: mainly Cantonese and English (simultaneous interpretation services to Mandarin is available)
• Target participants: Experts and scholars, social workers, youth workers, primary and secondary school principals and teachers, tertiary and university students, the general public who are interested in the issues
Youth Crime Prevention Centre (YCPC), the Conference on “Youth Crime Prevention: A Roadmap for the Future” will provide a platform connecting experts and scholars for multi-disciplinary collaboration. By working together, it is also hoped to make recommendations for forwardlooking strategies to tackle various aspects of youth crime.
• Morning: Two Keynote Speeches and a Plenary Session
Overseas and regional experts, scholars, youth workers and youth are invited to share their views on “Challenges and Opportunities of Youth Crime Prevention in Hong Kong.”
• Afternoon: Three parallel sessions, with a total of six thematic sessions, inviting experts, scholars and youth workers from various disciplines to share and discuss service rationale, models, interventions, skills, practical experiences, etc.
Six themes:
“Law-abidingness and Values Education”
“Cybercrime: Prevention and Tackling Strategies”
“Youth Drug Issue: Prevention and Tackling Strategies”
“Neo-Intervention Strategies to Youth Crime and Deviance”
“Youth Delinquency, Family and Community”
“Youth Mental Health, Wellness and Crime Prevention”
Online shopping has created much convenience in recent years, but often, the environmental impact is significant so before we hit the “Make Payment” button, we should stop and seriously rethink our habits.
l Our increased exposure to aggressive marketing, which often influences us and entices us to buy more, has led to a new consumption style, such as online shopping.
l As online shopping rarely uses cash as a payment method, people are also less aware of their budgets when buying online, making them likely to buy more than they need.
l Help to reduce the environmental impact of online purchases by changing online shopping behaviour instead.
The size of the “consumer class” (ie. people who are able to buy more goods and services than satisfy their basic needs) will grow from 3.5 billion to 5.6 billion by 2030. This exponential growth will result in greater resource exploitation, more greenhouse gas emissions and worse pollution. Indeed, by 2050, the equivalent of three planets will be needed to satisfy current levels of consumption. They are unsustainable
because we are overconsuming the planet’s resources.
In the past few decades, this overconsumption problem has become critical with the rapid internet penetration. Our increased exposure to aggressive marketing, which often influences us and entices us to buy more, has led to a new consumption style and online shopping is a new environmental challenge that we should be aware of.
Online shopping has become the trend in recent years. With just one click, be it on our computers, mobiles or tablets, a purchase can be made. There are no time or venue restrictions and when people are exposed to all the goods and discount advertisements online, they are likely to be lured into unplanned purchases. The offer of free shipping over a certain amount also encourages consumers to add more items to fulfill the free delivery requirement. The convenience of online shopping not only highly increases the frequency of online purchasing, but also encourages impulse buying.
Moreover, according to some studies, when using virtual payment methods, transactions appear less real as consumers have the feeling that they are not really spending money. As online shopping rarely uses cash as a payment method, people are also less aware of their budgets when buying online, making them likely to buy more than they need.
When making online purchases, people cannot physically check items before ordering, so it is common for them to return items which do not fit their expectations. Moreover, if free returns are offered, people may buy several sizes and colors of the same products, keep the one which fits and return the rest. These make the return rates of online shopping as high as 40%. Greater greenhouse gas emissions from transportation result and what’s even worse is that 20% of the online returns end up in landfills.
Excess packaging is another major contributor to the environmental impact of online shopping. To protect products from damage during transport, online retailers often use excessive filler material such as inflatable plastic air bags, bubble wrap and cardboard to wrap the product. Most such packaging is not recycled at the end point. In 2020, 780 million pieces of online shopping packaging waste were produced in Hong Kong, and on average more than two pieces of packaging were used for each product. Moreover, adhesive tape which is not recyclable is widely used in the packaging of online shopping, making waste separation and recycling more difficult. Result? The excessive packaging of online shopping causes severe problems of municipal waste and wasted resources all over the world.
1. theworldcounts.com/challenges/planet-earth/state-of-the-planet/number-of-consumers
2. santar ius.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Do-online-environments-promote-sufficiency-or-overconsumption-Journal-of-Consumer-Behavior-2020.pdf
3. ear th.org/online-shopping-and-its-environmental-impact/
4. emer ald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/SJME-03-2018-007/full/pdf?title=impulse-buying-behaviour-an-online-offline-comparative-and-the-impact-of-social-media
The spectacular “#WYWT – What You Wear Tomorrow – Fashion Show” was a rare and unimaginable opportunity for 20 young designers from vulnerable and challenging backgrounds.
Together with members of the Youth Crime Prevention Centre at The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG), the young people presented 20 fashion series designed in collaboration with 76 students from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). The collection clearly reflected the participants’ creative flair and confidence, while providing motivation for their peers to live life by staying true to themselves.
Yi1 said the #WYWT programme freed her innermost thoughts and allowed her to incorporate her clothing design concepts with textile art. Yi was also able to adapt her newly acquired calligraphy skills to a contemporary style by penning a chrysanthemum poem. In Chinese culture, chrysanthemums symbolise autumn and the ninth lunar month. The Chinese word for chrysanthemum is similar to jū( 菊 ) , which means “to remain” and jiǔ which means “long time.”
The experience was sheer liberation for Yi, who dreamt of becoming a teacher when she was young but had to contend with a difficult family environment filled with
misunderstandings, bickering and high expectations. This made her extremely stressed and she started exhibiting extreme behaviour disorder symptoms. Being able to express her feelings through the chrysanthemum poem gave her a channel for her hopes of pursuing her goals eventually.
Likewise, introverted Hong2 found challenges while growing up in a single parent household without adequate financial and spiritual support. His original dream of becoming a professional cyclist had been abandoned due to the lack of resources. However, working with his team in the #WYWT programme gave Hong an opportunity to demonstrate his determination to overcome challenges and difficulties in life. His confidence level soared and he was able to express himself boldly through his design and styling while engaging in a unique experience that has greatly enriched his life.
The project leader, Dr. Jin Lam, an Assistant Professor at PolyU School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT) said, “Through #WYWT’, we hope that the younger generation can develop strength and talent within themselves and in others, learning to appreciate and have confidence in themselves.
“While connecting the community with the #WYWT, we believe that by using fashion as a medium through the codesigned outfits, both the teenage participants and the PolyU students are able to fully express their own unique values and potential as well as pluck up the courage to face life’s challenges.”
Mr Wilson Chan, Deputy Executive Director of HKFYG remarked, “I am a firm believer that everyone has talent, and I am so happy that this student-led project has given all the participants the opportunity to showcase their imagination. To participate in a process that encompasses every level of fashion production, from ideation to
presentation, and by weaving art and fashion together to highlight their stories, both the PolyU students and the Federation’s teenage participants have gained a greater understanding of their strengths, thoughts and feelings. This will go a long way to build up their confidence and creativity.”
The Show was coorganized by SFT, (formerly known as the Institute of Textiles and Clothing), the PolyU Service-learning and Leadership Office and HKFYG. The idea was to unleash the teenagers’ imagination & innovative potential and enhance their self-confidence. The programme also allowed the PolyU students to apply the practical skills they had acquired on their courses and enhance their sense of social responsibility through serving the community.
HKFYG Website: hkfyg.org.hk M21 Multimedia Web: M21.hk
Head Offce 2527 2448hq@hkfyg.org.hk
Youth S.P.O.Ts
Youth S.P.O.T. 21 3755 7021spot21@hkfyg.org.hk
Heng Fa Chuen Youth S.P.O.T. 2557 0142 hfc@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Shaukiwan Youth S.P.O.T.2885 9353sw@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Hung Hom Youth S.P.O.T.2774 5300hhit@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Farm Road Youth S.P.O.T.2715 0424fr@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Wang Tau Hom Youth S.P.O.T. 2337 7189wth@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Ping Shek Youth S.P.O.T.2325 2383ps@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Tseung Kwan O Youth S.P.O.T. 2623 3121tkoit@hkfyg.org.hk
LOHAS Youth S.P.O.T. 2702 2202ls@hkfyg.org.hk
Felix Wong Youth S.P.O.T. 2706 2638fw@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Verbena Youth S.P.O.T.2997 0321vb@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Jat Min Youth S.P.O.T.2647 0744jm@hkfyg.org.hk
Lung Hang Youth S.P.O.T. 2698 5565lh@hkfyg.org.hk
Tai Po Youth S.P.O.T. 2656 3257tp@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Cheung Wah Youth S.P.O.T.2669 9111chw@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Kwai Fong Youth S.P.O.T.2423 1366 kfit@hkfyg.org.hk
Tsuen Wan Youth S.P.O.T. 2413 6669tw@hkfyg.org.hk
Tsuen King Youth S.P.O.T. 2498 3333tk@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Kin Sang Youth S.P.O.T. 2467 7933ks@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Tin Yiu Youth S.P.O.T.2445 4868ty@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Tin Yuet Youth S.P.O.T.2445 5777tyt@hkfyg.org.hk
Hung Shui Kiu Youth S.P.O.T. 2448 7474hsk@hkfyg.org.hk
M21 Multimedia Services
Jockey Club Media 21 3979 0000enquiry@m21.hk
Employment Services
Youth Employment Network 3113 7999yen@hkfyg.org.hk
Social Innovation and Youth Business Unit 3595 0945sic@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Social Innovation Centre3595 0945sic@hkfyg.org.hk
Youth Business Hong Kong 3595 0945ybhk@hkfyg.org.hk
Leadership Training
The HKFYG Leadership Institute2169 0255info@leadershipinstitute.hk
Leadership 21 2169 0255 leadership21@hkfyg.org.hk
Volunteer Services
Membership and Volunteer Unit3755 7220membership@hkfyg.org.hk
Youth Volunteer Network 3755 7220yvn@hkfyg.org,hk
Open Up Volunteer Centre Website: www.openup.hk Youth at Risk Services
Youth Crime Prevention Centre 8100 9669ycpc@hkfyg.org.hk
Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung Outreaching Social Work Team 2487 6151osw-tk1@hkfyg.org.hk
Sai Kung and Wong Tai Sin Outreaching Social Work Team 2701 8866 osw-skwts@hkfyg.org.hk
Extended Service for Young Night Drifters 2702 2202ynd@hkfyg.org.hk
Youth Support Scheme 2396 4711yss@hkfyg.org.hk
Anti-drug Service 2473 0133ad@hkfyg.org.hk
Counselling Services
Clinical Psychology Unit 3755 7021wp@hkfyg.org.hk
Wellness PLUS (Hong Kong) 3755 7021wp@hkfyg.org.hk
Wellness PLUS (Kowloon) 3422 3161 wmc@hkfyg.org.hk
Wellness PLUS (New Territories West)3755 7021wp@hkfyg.org.hk
Wellness PLUS (New Territories East)3755 7021wp@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Student Support Centre3422 3161ssc@hkfyg.org.hk
School Social Work Unit 2395 0161ssw@hkfyg.org.hk
Student Guidance Team (Primary School)2395 0162sgt@hkfyg.org.hk
Student Guidance Team (Kindergarten)2395 0162sgt@hkfyg.org.hk
Media Counselling Centre 2788 3433mcc@hkfyg.org.hk
Media Counselling Centre (Youthline)2777 8899
Media Counselling Centre (Open Up)Website: www.openup.hk
Media Counselling Centre (uTouch)2788 3444utouch@hkfyg.org.hk
Education Services
Education Services Unit 3755 7107education@hkfyg.org.hk
Ching Lok Kindergarten/ Ching Lok Nursery 2886 8856cl-swh@hkfyg.org.hk
Ching Lok Kindergarten (Yaumatei) / Ching Lok Nursery (Yaumatei) 2385 6868cl-ymt@hkfyg.org.hk
KK Cheng Kindergarten 2385 2622kkc@hkfyg.org.hk
Lee Shau Kee Primary School 2448 1011lskps@hkfyg.org.hk
Lee Shau Kee College 2146 1128hlc@hlc.edu.hk
Continuous Learning Centre 2130 4000clc@hkfyg.org.hk
Living Life Academy 2130 4000lla@hkfyg.org.hk
Parenting Services
Parent Support Network 2402 9230psn@hkfyg.org.hk
Family Life Education Unit (Eastern/Wanchai District) 2567 5730psn-ew@hkfyg.org.hk
Family Life Education Unit (Kowloon City District) 2774 3083psn-knc@hkfyg.org.hk
Family Life Education Unit (Tai Po/North District) 2658 3097psn-tpn@hkfyg.org.hk
Family Life Education Unit (Tsuen Wan/Kwai Tsing District) 2490 2662psn-twkt@hkfyg.org.hk
Creativity Education and Youth Exchange
Creative Education Unit 2561 6149ce@hkfyg.org.hk
Centre for Creative Science and Technology 2561 6149ce@hkfyg.org.hk
Youth Exchange Unit 3586 8448ye@hkfyg.org.hk
Mainland Affairs Office 3705 1501mao@hkfyg.org.hk
Zhongshan Sanxiang Youth Training Centre 3586 8448ye@hkfyg.org.hk
Cultural Services Unit 2395 5753 csu@hkfyg.org.hk
Community Team Sports Office 3611 6670cts@hkfyg.org.hk
Tsuen Wan Indoor Sports Centre2413 6669twisc@hkfyg.org.hk
Camps Unit 2395 5759camp@hkfyg.org.hk
Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp 2792 2727otc@hkfyg.org.hk
Lamma Youth Camp 2982 1929lyc@hkfyg.org.hk
Stanley Outdoor Training Camp 2813 8886s@hkfyg.org.hk
Tai Mei Tuk Outdoor Activities Centre2664 4686tmt@hkfyg.org.hk
The HKFYG Leadership Institute – Lodge2169 0255info@leadershipinstitute.hk
Research and Publications
Youth Research Centre 3755 7022yr@hkfyg.org.hk
Professional Publications Unit 3755 7108cps@hkfyg.org.hk
The HKFYG Youth Hostel PH2 2656 0009ph2@hkfyg.org.hk
WL Residence 2915 5532wlr@hkfyg.org.hk
Café 21 3188 5792cafe21@hkfyg.org.hk
PH3 5933 6323ph3@hkfyg.org.hk
Organic Farm 2838 4808organicfarm@hkfyg.org.hk
Hydroponic Farm 9333 2551hf@hkfyg.org.hk
The Dragon Foundation Secretariat2811 2779 info@dragonfoundation.net
Development and Support
Partnership and Resource Development Office 3755 7103partnership@hkfyg.org.hk
Corporate Planning and Staff Training Unit 3755 7088td@hkfyg.org.hk ; cp@hkfyg.org.hk
Corporate Communications Office 3755 7022cco@hkfyg.org.hk
Sustainability Unit 3755 7110sst@hkfyg.org.hk
User Experience Unit 3905 1546ue@hkfyg.org.hk
HKFYG Building Management Unit3755 7098bm@hkfyg.org.hk
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) is going to raise awareness on environmental issues among youth, making Hong Kong a more sustainable and liveable city through these 3 levels: Sustainability Foundation, Sustainability in Action and Sustainability Leadership. HKFYG’s aim is to further nurture and inspire them collectively to become leaders of sustainability.
Within a year, we hope to mobilise more than 1,000 youth to participate in carbon reduction action via the HKFYG’s “Youthled Decarbonisation Platform”. We hope to support Hong Kong’s goal in achieving carbon neutrality by reducing carbon emission through daily life activities, promoting carbon reduction in the community and recording their achievement on carbon reduction.
