a quarterly journal from the hongkong federation of youth groups
Youth
March 2022
Volume 14 Number 1
HONG KONG
Connecting the Generations
Contents
OVERVIEW 4
Intergenerational connectedness
March 2022 | Youth Hong Kong
INTERVIEWS 6
Population pain points Stuart Gietel-Basten, HKUST
9
Demographic dividend and dependency Vera Yuen, HKU
YOUTH SPEAK 12
Future planning, future fears
PERSPECTIVES 18
Relatives, respect and responsibility Jenny Liu and Ronald Chan
20
A multi-generational family in conversation
23
Perennials to millennials Elaine Morgan
Volume 14 Number 1
4-5
6-11
OVERVIEW
INTERVIEWS
12-17 YOUTH SPEAK
ON THE AGENDA 26
Agetech solutions with user-centred design
18-25
SERVICES 29
Lighten Dementia a social enterprise
31
Harmony across generations
PERSPECTIVES
YOUTH WATCH 33
26-28
Fertility and longevity compared Elaine Morgan
ON THE AGENDA
FEATURES 36
Pandemic medic Chris Ng
38
Sustainable energy Sunny Chan
29-32 SERVICES
HKFYG PUBLICATIONS 40
Youth IDEAS Report on the sports industry
33-35
HKFYG NEWS 42
Caring to Call, Calling to Care
44
Neighbourhood First: Loving Calls
47
YEN for slash workers
48
2022-2023 Annual Plan
50
Stanley Camp for summer
36-39
51
Farms: organic and hydroponic
FEATURES
YOUTH WATCH 1.7%
2.2 %
24.5%
32.2%
40-51 HKFYG
21.4%
YOUTH HONG KONG published quarterly by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups EDITORIAL BOARD Andy Ho (Chair) Elaine Morgan (Contributing Editor) Ada Chau (Managing Editor) Wilson Chan Angela Ngai Lakshmi Jacotă Hsu Siu-man Christa Cheung William Chung Miranda Ho Hon Adviser Veronica Pearson CIRCULATION (unaudited) 9,000 in Hong Kong, throughout the region and overseas
2
VIEWS EXPRESSED are the authors’ and interviewees’, may come from official sources, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board or publisher
ARTWORK & DESIGN DG3 & HKFYG
REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS without written permission from the publisher is prohibited
LAYOUT & PRINTING DG3
OVERVIEW & INTERVIEWS Elaine Morgan, Lakshmi Jacotă, Ada Chau & CPS team
ISSN 2519-1098 (Online)
TRANSLATION William Chung & Angela Ngai PHOTOGRAPHS By editorial team, acknowledged as captioned, stock images or in public domain TRADEMARKS All brand names and product names are registered trademarks. Youth Hong Kong is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in articles.
COVER DESIGN DG3 ISSN 2071-3193 (Print) WEB cps.hkfyg.org.hk/yhk-issies CORRESPONDENCE to The Editor, Youth Hong Kong, 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong TEL 3755 7108
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups was founded in 1960 and is the city’s largest youth service organization. More than 25,000 activities are organized by over 80 units annually with attendance of nearly 6 million. Services Camps, Leisure, Cultural and Sports Services, Counselling, Creativity education and STEM, Education and continuous learning, Employment and entrepreneurship, Exchange, Leadership training, M21 Multimedia, Parenting, Publications, Research and Publications, Volunteering, Youth at Risk, Youth SPOTs
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Editorial March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
As the month of March began, the youngest and the most elderly people in our community were very much on the minds of us all. Covid-19 has given their vulnerabilities a new and most unwanted prominence so it is fitting that we look at the city’s demographics and see where trends lie. We read regularly of how quickly the profile of the population of Hong Kong is changing. On the one hand, fewer babies are being born, while on the other, it is now possible to lead long and healthy lives for many more decades than were possible in the not-so-distant past. As the “greying” of Hong Kong society advances, what are the opportunities for the younger and the older generations to connect? We have found that especially amongst volunteers and entrepreneurs, young people are finding ways to contribute which both ease and address the challenges the elderly face. Read their stories and tell us other ways through which generations can be connected. Ageing is something that will happen to all of us at some stage!
Andy Ho Wing-cheong Executive Director, HKFYG March 2022
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Overview March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Intergenerational connectedness No one disputes the rather stark figures we are confronted with. In 2021, the number of births in Hong Kong fell below 40,000 for the first time in more than 50 years. By 2033, 30% of the population of Hong Kong will be over 65. We know the reasons why: people are putting off starting families while better health and livelihoods extend lives. We also know that the trend is not unique to this city but applies to many other economies around the world. There are many studies, analyses and even governmental policy documents that expand on these themes, the reasons for this imbalance in demographics, the burden placed on the sandwich generation as a result, and what could or should be done as a counterbalance to help cities and countries grow economically and socially.
how we view the elderly, but second in how we see the gap between generations being bridged. However, to meet the challenges more fully, we also need to delve into areas that potentially have long-lasting sustainability and a greater impact on the lives of the elderly. Perhaps nowhere is this more obvious than in technology, digitalization and entrepreneurship. For example, the Federation’s “Digital SAY” (Seniors and Youth) initiative encouraged young people to form caring teams, visit the elderly people at home or at community centres and train them in digital technology. As a result, the physical health and cognitive abilities of the elderly improved and they were able to access information and entertainment while building social networks and friendships.
We now tend to stereotype the elderly, and even contribute to their social isolation.
We also know that strong intergenerational relationships were fairly common in the past, especially within families. However, as societies have become wealthier – and people busier – the elderly are seen increasingly as a burden to be separated from normal life and sent to live in care homes. The interconnectedness that came of having aged parents living with us, imparting wisdom and experience, is no longer prevalent and there are fewer opportunities for the different generations to learn from one another. One sad ramification of these changes is the way in which we now tend to stereotype the elderly and even in some ways contribute to their social isolation, resulting in less well-integrated lives, across all the generations. HKFYG as a youth service organization believes that rebuilding intergenerational connectedness is the way forward. We have seen this especially during the challenges of the pandemic. Volunteering to help or just reaching out through visits and calls has made a difference, first in 4
Thanks to HKFYG youth entrepreneurship programmes there are several examples of startups supporting the elderly. The Longevity Design House uses recycled materials to make elderly-friendly accommodation, supported by Youth Business Hong Kong.1 Another success is Eldpathy, a social enterprise that focuses on nurturing understanding of the mental and physical needs of the elderly while directly involving seniors in developing training and educational programmes.2 Young entrepreneurs are also focusing on businesses that help the elderly. For example, a young graduate from Hong Kong Polytechnic University has been recognized for his novel elderly healthcare solutions, including a magic “pillbox” which can remind people to take their medications regularly and on time.3 Similarly, in Vietnam4, a social enterprise was created to improve the physical and mental health of the elderly by
Plenty of room for young people to take a lead in building intergenerational connectedness.
linking them to exercise, medical advice and social services as well as connecting them with new friends. During the pandemic, these services have grown exponentially and are now seen as contributing to long term connectedness with the elderly community.
As a youth-oriented organization, HKFYG needs to be in a position where it advocates addressing the needs of the elderly through business and technology initiatives launched by young people. Then it can encourage young entrepreneurs to find their place in a world that actively creates solutions to practical needs.
Services have grown exponentially and are now seen as contributing to long term connectedness with the elderly community.
Singapore also gives government support to the “silver market.” The low birth rate and pace of ageing in the city-state mean that by 2030 there will only be 2.1 working age people for each citizen aged 65 and above. One example of a startup receiving government backing is GlydeSafe, an intuitive walking aid for the elderly. First tested in hospitals, then moved into the community, there are now plans for further expansion.5
These few examples are taken from a vast array of specialized innovative projects that target the elderly. They indicate that there is plenty of room for young people to take a lead in building intergenerational connectedness so that it goes beyond simply looking after one’s grandparents to considering their needs and caring about them.
As Hong Kong turns grey – like other Asian countries and the rest of the world – finding innovative, creative and positive ways for young people to make a difference will help to build social cohesion and destigmatize views on the elderly. Such intergenerational connectedness has a legitimate place in all our societies and economies.
Read more 1. longevitygroup.net/ 2. eldpathy.hk/ 3. polyu.edu.hk/publications/excelximpact/issue/202104/knowledge-transfer-entrepreneurship/ transforming-elderly-care-with-smart-solutions 4. undp.org/publications/how-young-entrepreneurs-asia-pacific-responded-covid-19 5. cnbc.com/2015/06/28/entrepreneurs-target-asias-elderly.html
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Interviews March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Population pain points l Director of the HKUST Center for Aging Science, Stuart Gietel-Basten, says most young females in Hong Kong today will live till they are 100.
l 香港科技大學老齡科學研究中心主任貝斯圖（Stuart Gietel-Basten）表示，大部分香港年輕女性將活到 100 歲。
l There are high opportunity and financial costs for them to bear if they have children and these are reflected in Hong Kong’s very low fertility rate.
l 高昂的生活成本，讓本港女性不願養育孩子，導致極 低的生育率。
l Women also carry a disproportionate burden for elderly care when traditional attitudes still prevail.
The speed of population ageing in Hong Kong depends on several factors, says Prof Stuart Gietel-Basten, including the interplay between social change, population trends and public policy. “Social values have changed. An increasing number of women give birth late, if at all, and an inadequate pro-child policy does nothing to encourage them.” This contrasts with Europe where, as he points out, “the majority of first births are now outside marriage.
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l 受傳統性別刻板印象影響，女性普遍肩負照顧家中長 者的責任。
An increasing number of women give birth late, if at all, and an inadequate pro-child policy does nothing to encourage them.
Getting married is not seen as a boundary to child-bearing whereas here the link between childbearing and marriage is a big sticking point. In Europe you can try things out before marriage.” Here, there is a high rate of postponed marriage and many women never marry or have children. Although Hong Kong differs markedly, similarities exist in other areas, conventional gender roles for example. “The burden of looking after elderly relatives as well as child-raising still falls on the shoulders of women and there is a disproportionate effect on the opportunity costs they bear as a result.”
It’s about dignity Prof Gietel-Basten’s research involves interviewing many women in East Asia. “They all say they quite like the idea of having children but don’t want a husband or a motherin-law to look after.” Penalties involved in having children in Hong Kong are the same as in Singapore and Japan. This is partly due to the inflexibility of school systems and the lack of adequate government-supported childcare provision compared to other parts of the world.
“Think of it like this,” he continues. “To get a replacement rate of around two children per woman, for every woman who has one baby, another woman needs to have three babies. However, if one woman has no children, another needs to have four children.” This is the only way to achieve a stable replacement rate, and yet, as he points out, “You don’t see many families with four children walking around Hong Kong, do you?”
Ageing apace Hong Kong is not alone. The number of women of childbearing age in mainland China has gone down by 40m in the last 10 years and will drop by another 60m by 2050. Economies change as demographics change multiplying problems. “If your economy relies on cheap labour and there are fewer people, labour costs rise. What happened in Britain 100 years ago only took place in Shenzhen in the last decade or so.” By comparison with China, Britain is ageing much more slowly though problems with its pension and public health systems are looming. “Hong Kong has no equivalent to UK’s established pension system so it may be easier to reform institutions here.”
They all say they quite like the idea of having children but don’t want a husband or a mother-in-law to look after.
Housing is another sticking point, given the size of Hong Kong flats, the expense of buying a suitable home and the need for and cost of childcare. “It’s not all about money,” he continues, “it’s about dignity.” Women work hard at school to get good results, go to university and get decent jobs. “Their identity is invested in all this so if there is no support for having children from employers, what do you expect?” he asks.
Sub-replacement fertility The answer to that question is fertility decline. Hong Kong has had one of the lowest fertility rates in the world for some time and because of Covid-19 and social unrest, it has dropped even further in recent years. The replacement rate for any population is 2.1. This means for population numbers to stabilize, every woman of child-bearing age must have a notional 2.1 children, Prof Gietel-Basten explains. “We use total fertility rate (TFR) for the purposes of comparison and at present our TFR in Hong Kong is just 0.9.”
Imagine this scenario, the professor says, offering a glimmer of light. “A million people are aged over 70. Let’s pretend that the average age at which they will begin to need expensive health care and health services is also 70. In future, however, there may be 2 million people over 70 but the average age at which they will need those services is 80. The boundary will have been pushed back, so even though the numbers of elderly double, the level of need remains the same and so the situation doesn’t get worse.” Taking the analogy further, he points out that most Hong Kong over-80s today had much less access to education compared to the generations that followed. They also had to work in harsh conditions with poor medical and health care. Comparatively, the over-80 Hongkongers in 50 years’ time will be well-educated. They will have had relatively good health care most of their lives and many will have good jobs. “Even 7
Interviews March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
if there is no change in the level of elderly care, they will probably be better off than the over 80s today.”
Addressing pain points Asked how best to prepare, he says the pain points have to be addressed and the first of these is elderly poverty. “The solution is a universal, non-contributory social pension.” There are two main challenges to achieving this. A very conservative fiscal policy which is resistant to what is seen to be “giving out money” needs to change. An acceptable definition of poverty needs to be found that takes into consideration both liquid and non-liquid assets. Moreover, there is the need for diversified income protection beyond MPF.
Being retired, with no income will come as an emotional as well as a financial shock. The second pain point is lack of available care for ageing at home. “Urgent challenges to overcome are the training and supply of suitable migrant domestic workers, especially when worldwide demand is only going to increase.” The last pain point is the problem of poor health in old age. In practical terms, this means that young people will need to plan for at least 30 years after they retire. “The majority of today’s young females will live till they are 100.” There
The Generation and Gender Survey is large-scale and longitudinal. It has covered Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Sweden. The pilot project for Hong Kong is now underway. More details ggp-i.org/
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will be very few jobs for life and they will have to pay for all their needs after they stop working. During adulthood, these women will have been relatively well-off compared to their grandparents. “Being retired with no income will come as an emotional as well as a financial shock.”
Scary prospects To meet these challenges, the professor suggests, “First, we need adaptation: doing what we can today to improve life for the elderly. Second, we need mitigation to ameliorate difficult aspects of life as an elderly person. Third, we need to build resilience in order to make the future more sustainable.” Adaptation and mitigation, including a decent pension scheme and more effective retirement savings schemes, should be the government’s responsibility. “That would be fairer to the sandwich generation, those expected to look after their own parents as well as have families of their own.” Reform of child care support policy for women who want to have children is the other part of the equation. “Now, we depend on a plentiful supply of migrant domestic helpers but as we have seen during the pandemic, that is not sustainable.” Building resilience is a task for today’s younger generation. “Even though 21-year-olds are not interested in savings and pensions, the earlier they start thinking about them, the easier it will be.” Their biggest challenge will be saving enough. “Save as much as possible. I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy life but there needs to be something in your budget every month for when you retire.” It’s a scary prospect.
Prof Gietel-Basten is the co-ordinator of the longitudinal Generation and Gender Survey-Asia project. He completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge and then taught at the University of Oxford before joining the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2017.
80,000
Demographic dividend and dependency l Intergenerational equity in an ageing society involves a complex balancing act.
l 在人口老化的社會中，代際公平（Intergenerational equity）牽涉複雜的平衡考量。
l Vera Yuen from HKU answers questions about trends in Hong Kong, mainland China and other countries.
l 香港大學阮穎嫻博士解答有關香港、中國內地及其他 國家的人口趨勢問題。
l She also talks about consequences for young people including pensions and delayed retirement.
l 阮博士亦談及這些趨勢對年輕人的影響，包括養老金 和延遲退休的安排。
How does ageing and the dependency ratio in Hong Kong and mainland China compare with other economies?
By 2050, the proportion of people in mainland China over retirement age is forecast to be 39%.1 What problems does the country face?
By 2033, elderly people in Hong Kong will amount to 30% of the population. An ageing population is common in developed economies. As economies become knowledgebased, we usually see a fall in the fertility rate as well as a rise in life expectancy. Societies need resources to take care of the old but as the proportion of elderly people increases, fewer people are working to support the economy. This may create a secular or long-term slowdown of the economy.
While the proportion of elderly people in Hong Kong is set to double in a period of just 20 years, mainland China has a somewhat different problem. It has used up its population dividend2 and given the size of the country, it cannot rely on immigration to fill the gap. The one child policy speeded up its ageing process and the working population has already passed its peak. The low fertility rate3 indicates that this trend will continue.
Figure 1 Population pyramids: Hong Kong and mainland China 2020
Males
Males surplus
Females
Females surplus
Hong Kong
China
100+
90
80
80
80
70
60
60
60
50
40
40
40
30
20
20
20
10
0 60,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
40,000 20,000
0 0
20,000
20,000
40,000
60,000
40,000 60,000
80,000
1,000,000
5,000,000
0
5,000,000
1,000,000
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Interviews March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Demographic dividend The demographic dividend is the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population’s age structure, mainly when the share of the population aged 15 to 64 is larger than the non-working-age population aged 14 and younger, and 65 and older.
What about other parts of the world? Economies in Europe and America are facing the challenge of population ageing too, but not to the same extent. The share of elderly persons in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US is projected to stay below 30% until at least 2063 whereas in Italy, the elderly population is projected to reach 30% by 2032. On the other hand, 30% of Japan’s population will be elderly by 2023, ten years earlier than Hong Kong but by 2039, Taiwan, like Hong Kong, will have doubled its share of elderly population over a period of 20 years. Hong Kong has one advantage. While the governments in other economies are in debt, the Hong Kong government has a fiscal reserve of more than HK$800 billion as of July 2021.5 Hong Kong also does not have a large-scale pension system and so the fiscal burden should be less than elsewhere. Whether it can handle the expenditure needed by the ageing population is a function of the quality-of-service Hong Kong society is prepared to pay for to support people in retirement, but it also depends on its economic growth.
Dependency ratio The dependency ratio measures the number of dependents aged up to 14 and over 65, compared to those aged 15 to 64. It gives insight into the number of people of non-working age, compared with the number of those of working age. Hong Kong’s elderly 4 dependency ratio is rising, while its birth rate is falling.
How have decisions about careers changed in the past decade and do you think they will have an impact on Hong Kong’s future growth and prosperity? Education and training of the labour force in Hong Kong have improved over the years. At the same time, advances in technology have increased demand for skilled workers. The share of openings for white collar jobs has increased relative to that for blue collar jobs. Overall, there is better productivity, but inequality has also increased in parallel as the gap between the skilled and unskilled has widened. Nevertheless, there are already economic incentives to work in the silver economy. Baby-boomers have good savings. As they get older and retire, they will demand services such as long-term care. When this demand is sufficient, there will be more jobs and solutions available to improve retirement lives.
Figure 2
Hong Kong Taiwan
Change in the proportion of elderly population
Number of years for proportion to grow from 15% to 30%
From 15% in 2019 to 30% in 2039
20
From 15% in 2013 to 30% in 2033
20
South Korea
From 15% in 2019 to 30% in 2036
17
Japan
From 15% in 1995 to 30% in 2023
28
Italy
From 15% in 1990 to 30% in 2032
42
Australia
From 15% in 2014 to 21% in 2066
>50
UK
From 15% in 1977 to 26% in 2066
>50
Canada
From 15% in 2012 to 26% in 2063
>50
US
From 15% in 2015 to 24% in 2066
>50 Source hkeconomy.gov.hk/en/pdf/el/el-2019-02.pdf
Sources 1. hkeconomy.gov.hk/en/pdf/el/el-2019-02.pdf 2. unfpa.org/demographic-dividend 3. In 2021, China’s birth rate dropped to 7.5 births per 1,000 people according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the lowest figure since records began in 1949, representing a drop of 11.6% since 2020. whdh. com/news/chinas-birth-rate-drops-for-a-fifth-straight-year-to-record-low/ 4. scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3163733/hong-kongs-birth-rate-track-hit-24-year-low-local-schools
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5. info.gov.hk/gia/general/202108/31/P2021083100260.htm
Should retirement age be more flexible in Hong Kong, given that life expectancy for men and women respectively is projected to be 87.1 and 93.1 by 2066? Life expectancy for men and women here has already increased to 83 and 88 respectively so they have on average 20 years in retirement. The retirement age should be raised to a minimum of 65 universally and women should work till they are 70 since they live five years longer than men. A 60-year-old retirement age was set when life expectancy was shorter. Now the retirement problem is that many can’t save enough in their working years to support longer retirement lives. Working longer helps alleviate this problem. People who want to retire earlier can. It will always be an option.
What kind of retirement protection plans do you think will suit Hong Kong best? A pension that kicks in immediately on retirement without contributions would burden the younger generation. They would have to pay for the huge retirement expenses of baby-boomers while having to save for their own needs. This would create intergenerational inequity. Hong Kong has a low tax, low welfare regime and given the Chinese habit of saving, some elderly people have accumulated substantial assets for retirement. None of today’s elderly planned for or paid into any public pension scheme, and there is a lack of established institutions to redistribute wealth from the rich elderly to the poor elderly. Those who can take care of themselves should do so and not be covered by a welfare system. That would be inequitable. A pension system that provides for the poor elderly seems to be a fair choice. There is already a meanstested Higher Old Age Allowance which provides a larger monthly cash payment than the basic Old Age Allowance. Whether it should be further expanded is a question of societal consensus because society bears the cost.
What other economy-related policy changes might affect future trends in Hong Kong demographics? Deciding to have children means a lifestyle change as well as taking up a responsibility. It is a question of what kind of life one wants to live and involves an overall perception of
wellbeing. Governments in other countries have tried pronatal policies and found they don’t work well. Furthermore, there is an ongoing debate about the morality of pronatal policies that encourage couples to give birth. Studies suggest that it costs several million Hong Kong dollars to raise a kid. This does not even count the opportunity cost incurred by a parent quitting his or her job to raise the kid. I do not think the government is willing to provide a significant portion of costs in order to encourage fertility. Any financial incentive for having children will be insufficient and not to the point. The cost - including the opportunity cost - of raising children is far higher than any incentive the government could provide.
If the birth rate stays low and life expectancy increases, how do you think intergenerational equity can best be maintained? A person aged 60 is no longer considered inactive and unhealthy. Older people should be encouraged to stay in the workforce longer, either formally through an increase in retirement age or informally. Labour insurance and labour law should be reviewed to reduce age discrimination by employers. With technology and improved workflow and design, some forms of manual work and less demanding forms of work can be done by the elderly. A longer working period is likely to increase saving and thereby reduce the reliance on redistribution from the younger generation. The culture of volunteering should also be encouraged so that members of the silver community look after one another. In the long run, investing in education and technology will also be important. After all, such investment will improve the productivity of the economy, enabling a smaller labour force to support a larger elderly population. Furthermore, gender equality in the workplace can increase female labour participation which helps increase the size of workforce. Vera Yuen’s central interests are political economy and public policy, particularly social policies. Now a lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Hong Kong, she is a past participant in HKFYG’s HK200 leadership project and has been involved in public policy-making for housing, retirement protection and the labour market.
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Youth speak March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Future planning future fears l Having children possibly comes at too great a cost for some of these 20 to 30-year-olds, especially if they also look after ageing parents.
l 對於 20 至 30 歲的人來說，生兒育女成 本甚高，特別是部分人還要照顧年邁雙 親。
l Several are leaving Hong Kong or thinking about it and might have children when they live overseas.
l 也有些人計劃離開香港，表示移居海外 後才考慮生育。
l They take their responsibilities seriously, care deeply about the wellbeing of family members and have considered their own old age quite clearly.
l 他們會認真承擔責任，關心家人的福祉， 並且會清晰地規劃晚年生活。
BELLA is in her late 30s. She is single
and has a demanding job. Her parents are financially dependent on her and she has decided not to have children.
For many people, having children is like a luxury. I also wouldn’t want any child of mine to face the kind of super high pressure that education in Hong Kong involves. The opportunity cost involved is also a factor for me. How much would I have to give up in terms of lifestyle and other life choices? Having children means needing more space but the cost of living is so high in Hong Kong as well. Even well-qualified professionals can barely afford to move out of their parents’ homes not to mention having a family of their own. Rent easily eats up to 50% or more of your salary, and only those lucky enough to get help from their families are able to buy a flat. So I have decided I really don’t want children. An increasing number of women would agree. I have never been very fond of children and I think the responsibility of bringing one up would be too great, especially where education is concerned. I can’t give up my job and the future of Hong Kong is not very bright either, to be frank. 12
Many people in Hong Kong like me are well-educated and some are also the family breadwinner. I give a lot of money to my parents. I really care about them and we meet and chat often but I moved out of their public housing flat about 10 years ago because it was far too small although my younger brother still lives there.
In traditional Chinese culture, younger people are expected to take care of both their parents and elderly relatives. Most of us are willing even though it might sometimes feel like a burden. I only started saving for myself when I was about 30 as a result of supporting my parents. I realized how important it is to plan for my retirement when it became clear that I wouldn’t have children to take care of me financially or physically. In traditional Chinese culture, where family bonds are super close, young people are expected to take care of both their parents and elderly relatives. Most of us are willing even though it might sometimes feel like a burden. Some of my friends are their parents’ only child. They might need to take care of four grandparents as well, and parents-in-law if they get married. It could be worse. In some traditional families, the women are expected to take care of all the family. In modern ones, males and females share responsibility. I think it is a lot better in Hong Kong compared to mainland China or Taiwan. Nowadays, technology can also help elderly people age well at home but there needs to be retirement support from the government so that the elderly don’t feel they are a burden. Helpful innovations for elderly folk living at home include motion detectors that have sensors to check that usual daily life patterns stay normal, that nobody has fallen or needs help. If there was AI or a call centre for urgent consultations at the touch of a button people that would be good too. Simpler solutions too, like a subscription service for regular food and household goods deliveries are a good idea, then there would be no heavy shopping to carry and the younger generation would not worry so much and there would be less need to send elderly parents to care homes.
As I get older myself, I’d love to stay in good health. I imagine myself running 10k races when I’m 60. Why not? It’s a good reason to plan ahead. Take loads of exercise, eat healthily, have good friends. But so many close friends are planning to leave Hong Kong and I might leave too. It is really hard to say. I need to plan carefully. Of course, my parents don’t want me to go, even though I would promise to take care of them as usual. We couldn’t meet very often but when the pandemic is over, we could visit each other from time to time and they would come and stay with me for a few months every year. It is just a matter of adjustment and arrangement. I think eventually they would understand and support me but it is a very difficult decision. As my family’s breadwinner I expect to keep working until I retire although I want to keep my brain working. Good physical and mental health, plus a strong social support network: these are what really matter for senior citizens. 13
Youth speak March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
LUCA, in his 30s, shares his flat with his
wife, daughter, mother-in-law and a helper. Although they would like to have another child, he thinks Hong Kong is not the best place.
I am planning to emigrate with my wife and our daughter soon. Then we will have our second child. Our parents reluctantly agree that it will be for the best. My mother-in-law will be lonely when we go but she understands the reasons and will move in with her sister. We will need a stable income to buy a flat or a house. Children can limit your plans for moving house or emigrating and we want to choose a good location for them. It might feel different when I have a more stable home environment and sufficient cash flow but I don’t expect to have any cash savings for retirement till I am 40. Money and health will always be my top concerns.
Steve is in his 20s and lives alone.
Elderly people are a home’s treasures.They know how to live and children learn from them. On the other hand, children have healing power. Everyone feels happier just seeing how happy they are. But there is a lot of competition and pressure here in Hong Kong, the cost of living is high and the quality of education is trending downwards. Overseas, the possibility of a fruitful family life will give me balance. Facing common goals and issues with my spouse will feel like being a comrade-in-arms. Ideally, our older relatives will also be nearby. We don’t want them to be lonely. Elderly people are a home’s treasures, as the saying goes. They know how to live ‒ often better than we do ‒ and our children can learn from them as well as from us parents.
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He thinks children could bring joy into his life, but he says there are too many negative factors involved.
Today’s social and political environment means that the socalled 50 years of Hong Kong retaining its own character has ended prematurely. Most young people are planning to emigrate. If I had enough money, I would emigrate immediately too but until I can afford it, I have to stay. I come from a single parent family and was not very happy when I was growing up. I haven't felt family warmth since my father died. I moved out of my mum’s place in my early 20s. But I worry about population ageing and no one wanting to take care of elderly people. Most of them have very different political views from me. I care about my grandma though. She is 85. At the moment, she lives with my uncle but if that became difficult and if it were my decision, I wouldn’t ever send her to a care home. They are horrible. I couldn’t give up work to take care of her myself but I would employ a helper to look after her. What worries me most about growing old is being unable to look after myself or do what I want to do.
SUKI is single, lives with her parents and has strong views about the city’s problems. One day, she wants to have children, but she is realistic about where and when. After the protests and all the problems that followed, many young people despaired about Hong Kong's future. The National Security Law and the stalled development of democratic human rights and freedoms have led several foreign countries to offer “lifeboat” plans to Hong Kong people, greatly increasing their desire to leave. I plan to move to Canada in the coming year, get married and have children there. I think that living in a foreign country will mean the next generation can grow up in a free and happy environment where competition is less fierce. My parents have a very different perspective but they fully support my decision. After they retire, even though we are not very close, I can bring them to Canada as well to enjoy their later years in a better environment. Then, I think a complete and happy family would give me a new focus in life.
Giving up jobs to take care of children full-time is not feasible. It is rather difficult to have children in Hong Kong before you are 30. If I had a partner who was financially secure it might be different, but for now, I think I need work for a few more years. Even if I had a solid savings plan, I wouldn’t be able to afford moving out of my parents’ home, let alone bear the costs of raising children in Hong Kong. Most young couples in Hong Kong work for a living. Organizing a family, with the huge costs of housing adds extra pressure so giving up jobs to take care of children full-time is not feasible. They
need to hire domestic helpers instead but that adds to costs, unless grandparents look after them. Furthermore, as women have become increasingly well-educated, they pay more attention to their career development. They no longer focus on family life and so are less willing to have children in a city where social support policy fails to ensure that parents can balance family and work. My greatest worry is about close relatives growing old and becoming poor or unwell. Even though I have been saving, that’s not what I am saving for, nor is it for my own retirement. I expect to be the family breadwinner and can’t imagine stopping work. It is difficult to imagine giving up earning completely, even to look after one of my parents. If I can emigrate successfully to Canada, I hope I will live the rest of my life there. But I want to have enough pension and a healthy body to live happily in my later years, build my own social circle and not need to rely on my children to take care of me. I worry most that Hong Kong people will leave here, one after another, that Hong Kong will merge seamlessly with mainland China and that the culture of Hong Kong will change completely.
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Youth speak March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
LAM is studying for an MPhil while working full time. He lives with his mother and brother, can’t imagine being able to afford his own place for many years to come. He loves his grandmother dearly but doesn't want children. I think the whole world is facing this ageing problem, not just Hong Kong. Some countries like Japan have an even lower birthrate. Of course, I think we need to do something about population trends, maybe offer more incentives for people to have children. That might help those who want to have a baby but just cannot afford it. Others, like me, don’t want children anyway. Maybe it’s the responsibility, and maybe the endless noise they make in the first few years? And then there’s the money and of course housing. I am so broke. I just started my further education and I can’t save anything. Then there’s bad education too. I would not want my children to go through what I have been through. Hong Kong is no longer suitable for people with any free will. My biggest worry is about my relatives getting old, ill and unable to look after themselves. My 90-year-old grandmother who lives not far away is so funny and kind. I love her and would give up anything to spend more
My 90-year-old grandmother is so funny and kind. I love her and would give up anything to spend time with her. There will only be one chance.
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time with her. There will only be one chance and I won’t miss it. She is just so much fun and has loads of wisdom about life to share. I love chatting with her and before the pandemic, we would always go to yum-cha together. Now, my mother is working part-time and so she visits her every day and does the housework while I study. Home is the best place for elderly people to stay, definitely not care homes. I think care homes in Hong Kong are horrible. I also hope that there will be ways for elderly people to stay in touch when we can’t be with them ourselves, maybe new technology will help. One day, when I finish my MPhil, I hope to get a stable university job. That would please my parents. We need to find enough people to work in Hong Kong, otherwise the economy would just crash. Maybe people will come from Taiwan or Singapore. I don’t want all the immigration to be from mainland China. It needs to be well-balanced.
KWAN, a teacher in her early 30s, wants two
MARCUS is single, in his early 30s and lives with his parents. With a higher diploma in design, he has a stable job but is pessimistic about Hong Kong.
I love children, they are just so innocent and cute, aren’t they? When you chat with them and try to understand them, you can be inspired. I remind myself to stay simple and be truthful when I am with children. I imagine my own future too, with my own family and my own lovely children. Surrounded by grandkids too, one day, I hope.
In the next five years, I want to learn more and then get ready to leave Hong Kong. I want to come back here when I am old but what worries me most about growing old is money. I have shared these plans with my parents and they understand.
children before she turns 35. She has a partner but currently lives alone in the New Territories and says for now, children are just a dream.
My mum and my grandparents have all gone but my mum would have liked that too. If only I’d had more chance to be with them. I loved them and I still remember how my mum died in the hospital. I was lucky to be by her side, but some of the elderly people there died alone in their sickbeds. Now, there is just my father and he abandoned us a long time ago when I was still a kid.
I get on really well with my grandparents. If they needed me I would even give up my career in order to look after them at home. Ageing in place at home is best as long as there are good ways to keep in touch with others and no limits on visitors.
I imagine my own future with my own lovely children … but for people like me raising children is so difficult.
For people like me raising children is so difficult. I need a full-time job, but at home I would be expected to do most of the housework and take care of children as well. Thinking of time management and money, since I live in a small public housing apartment, it makes me feel tired already.
Having children can bring happiness and if I had any they might take care of me when I get old. It costs a lot of time and money to bring up children properly and it would change me. Seeing them grow up would affect me and the ways I might develop too. It would be one more distraction. I think the political and economic environment here together with the impact of the pandemic have had a big effect on attitudes to marriage among people like me and I haven’t seriously considered it myself.
So, as soon as I started earning, I started to plan ahead. My health would be my biggest worry as I grow older. I worry quite a lot, actually as so few of my friends have decided to have kids. I think most Hong Kong people just cannot afford to have children. I am a primary school teacher and I can tell because most of my students are from mainland China and they have cross-border parents, one in Hong Kong and the other in China. I imagine that the friends of my children would be from the mainland too. Not that it would be bad in itself, but maybe the cultural differences would affect me a bit. I don’t want our Hong Kong identity to fade away.
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Perspectives March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Relatives, respect and responsibility Reflections on getting old Personally, although I am already in my 30s, I am not sure about having children. As I grow older and reflect more on the elderly, I feel the responsibility that goes with saving more and helping to take care of younger and older relatives. Nonetheless, trends in our ageing society show that the older generation can be highly productive as well as being good advisors for young people. Meanwhile, some Hong Kong couples who are cautious about having children are opting for pets instead or emigrating for better educational opportunities, less academic pressure and a more liberally-minded society. While it is conventional for Hong Kong people to make their own retirement plans, I think the government can do more, taking on 30% of the financial responsibility perhaps. Otherwise, the younger generation’s burden will be too heavy and their resources too stretched. The government should also invest more in elderly medical care with tailor-made hospital services, access to which is otherwise difficult for individuals. There are both public and private sector retirement homes now with a public high-end pilot silver care development in North Point. If my parents needed it, I would pay for a professional carer to take care of them and when possible, I would move to a bigger apartment and invite them to stay over sometimes, or travel with me every few years and enjoy some quality 18
An essay by Jenny Liu
If you listen … you can learn how to be more patient and well-prepared for ageing yourself. family time together. By observing and taking care of our own relatives and parents, it becomes easier to imagine life as an older person. The environment we grew up in was so different. With empathy, it is possible to discover the reasons behind our differences. If you listen and try to understand, you can learn how to be more accommodating, patient and well-prepared for ageing yourself. For ageing at home, I think there is greater potential for elderly friendly elements in household design, such as hand rails, anti-slip surfaces in bathrooms and height-adjustable furniture. More videos or apps should also be developed by entrepreneurs, such as easy chat functions, online game with bigger fonts, mahjong games targeting the silver market and special karaoke. All these could enhance the quality of life for the elderly and give them social outlets to share.
l Jenny Liu and Ronald Chan have participated in various HKFYG projects concerning the ageing population.
l Jenny 和 Ronald 積極參與青協活動， 一直關注人口老化議題。
l Both see that the burden of supporting both the older and the younger generations will fall on the shoulders of today’s working adults
l 他們留意到，現今的上班族都肩負著 照顧年輕一代和老年一代的雙重擔 子。
l They reflect on the ways in which population trends have affected their own decision-making since neither of them are sure about having children
l 目前的人口趨勢影響了他們的決定， 也讓他們未能明確決定將來會否生兒 育女。
An irreversible fact
An essay by Ronald Chan
In general, local youngsters are respectful towards the elderly and are willing to contribute to their wellbeing. However, the burden is ever-increasing as large families with many siblings become a rarity. In the old days, multiple breadwinners supported their parents. Soon, both parents will be looked after by an only child who will possibly support both grandparents as well. The projected proportion of people aged above 65 by 2041 is 30% and this estimate does not factor in the recent decrease in the local birth rate. Unfortunately, the ageing of society is an irreversible fact both in Hong Kong and in most developed societies. This will only aggravate intrinsic intergenerational tensions caused by differing values, driving the birth rate even lower. Personally, I would prefer to pay professional carers or domestic helpers to look after a dependent family member if I could afford it. It would be more efficient. There is no substitute for personal involvement but there are many ways to show you love and care for your relatives. In future, the elderly cohort will be better educated and will retire later than today. Their needs will open up new markets in medical care, daily living support, transport, even catering and entertainment so they can live “younger lives” in their early senior years. However, social disparities As well as the essays here, both Jenny Liu and Ronald Chan contributed to a survey conducted in 2015 by the HKFYG Youth IDEAS Society & Livelihood group. Read at yrc.hkfyg.org. hk/2015/08/27/yi002/
will still emerge and many will need substantial support from their families and the government. Government should strengthen support that is difficult to provide at home but programmes should support ageing at home, home modification services, visits and meal deliveries, support for public transport and community care. Therefore, it is important for today’s working population to prepare well and save up for their own retirement. Strong incentives should be provided to those who support older family members. Personally, although I am married and hope to have children one day, I have no solid plans. I will probably work till my 70s and I know I need to prepare now if I am to have a more decent life later. It will be a long time before something like a government insurance scheme with voluntary contributions materializes. It is easier to convince people to save while the government covers basic needs. Services that allow easy online video calls, particularly in pandemic times when family gatherings are not easy, if not illegal, should be a basic right. After all, most elderly people will not need or enjoy the latest technologies but they do need the right technology to be easy and convenient. You only have to be a frequent visitor to your grandparents to see that. It also gives you the added bonus of making them happy to see you!
A summary can be found in Youth Hong Kong. Read on page 48 at youthhongkong. hkfyg.org.hk/journal. php?jid=29&p=48
Jenny also contributed to a forum discussion about intergenerational justice published in the June 2016 issue of Youth Hong Kong.
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Perspectives March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
A multi-generational family l Ageing grandparents living with working parents plus grandchildren was not an uncommon scenario in the past.
l 以往，祖父母普遍與在職子女一起生活， 而且多由祖父母照顧孫兒。
l Now, mainly for financial and practical reasons, there is a resurgence of this pattern.
l 如今，出於經濟理由及現實考量，這種家 庭模式再度興起。
l Here we find grandmother Rose (90), daughter-in-law, Lily (59) and granddaughter, Jasmine (26) talking about living together.
l 這次請來祖母 Rose （90 歲）、媳婦 Lily（59 歲）及孫女 Jasmine（26 歲）分享共同生 活的經歷。
l Despite their differences, a shared perspective emerges across the three generations.
Lily My mother-in-law asked us to move in when her husband died. It was not because she couldn’t look after herself. I think you didn’t want to be alone, did you? Rose I wouldn’t say that. I wanted to live with my only son in Hong Kong, as the other two boys live in Canada. Jasmine Anyway, we have lived with my grandmother since I was ten. 16 years now. Lily Moving in worried me at first. It was my motherin law’s home. How were we all going to fit in together? In the beginning, I thought my daughter and her grandmother could share a room, but my husband disagreed and insisted on renovating the entire apartment so that each person could have their own space. We are very fortunate, especially in Hong Kong. The apartment was big enough for four separate bedrooms. Jasmine Thank goodness! I don’t know what I’d have done if I’d had to share a room with my grandmother, especially back then. And now, it would be quite impossible! Rose I would not have been comfortable sharing a room with Jasmine either. She is very materialistic and has so many things. There would never have been space for all the things that I hold precious. Jasmine Who, me? Not at all! Rose I think living together has been good for us. It was convenient for my son and daughter-in-law, who 20
l 雖然他們對事情各有看法，但有些共同價 值觀卻為三代共同擁抱。
worked long hours. They knew the children would be safe after school and I got to know them better. I have to say that I don’t really know how to talk to them. They talk about so many things that I don’t understand and sometimes I think they get annoyed with me. Jasmine Not annoyed, a bit impatient perhaps. You always ask the same questions, like: “Have you eaten?” and “Do you have your coat?” And when we were younger, “Have you finished your homework?” “Yes, no,” we said. Two words were enough! Lily It’s a generational thing. I believe that it shows that her grandmother cares about the children when she asks those questions. I remind them that when their grandmother grew up, circumstances were different and perhaps food and clothing were in short supply, schooling too. I think you can see her priorities and her questions show that. The children grew up with more affluence so they think differently. Jasmine Actually, what my mother says is very interesting and I have thought a lot about it, especially as I grow older. My grandmother is wise and has lots of stories to share, but I do lack the patience to always listen. Rose It is interesting to hear the young people talk, even if I don’t understand much. My grandson tries to teach me about computers and things, but it’s difficult. He did show me how to use the television remote, as well as my mobile phone, but maybe at 90, it’s too late for me. The truth is, I never went beyond primary school and I am sometimes intimidated by everything the children know.
I sometimes watch my daughter and mother-inlaw and see my own past and future. Jasmine Age matters. My friends are the same; always respectful and polite to their elders. My brother is more casual. Is it because he studied overseas, or is it just a “guy” thing? Rose Oh, your brother is perfectly well-behaved. Jasmine I knew you’d say that. You always favour him!
Lily I think that education is important, but not just from books. I think we must learn from life, especially the experiences of the older generation, but the younger generation too. I sometimes watch my daughter and mother-in-law and see my own past and future. It is interesting but can sometimes be scary to be in sandwiched between two generations. Rose Well, I never knew that! Jasmine Neither did I! Lily I think that as a family we are very lucky. We are middle class and have space to live together. Because I always went out to work, my motherin-law was always in charge at home. For me, the main thing is tolerance and getting along. Rose That’s true. My daughter-in-law never tried to change the way I did things at home. She and the children adjusted very well to living with me. We didn’t argue. But as I have got older, I see how they take on more responsibility, but they always ask me before changing things. I cherish respect like that very much.
Rose I don’t mean to, but I do feel very blessed to have three sons. I thought it gave me a kind of status amongst my peers and in my family. I only learned about the value of women later, when I saw how hard my daughter-in-law and granddaughter work, how much they care for other people. That really matters, especially during this pandemic. Lily The pandemic really has changed a lot of things, especially working from home. My daughter being at the hospital every day is such a worry for us all, especially at the beginning and now in this fifth wave. As for me, I have never spent so much time with the rest of the family, all together under one roof. Jasmine When I get home, I sense more tension. Even though our home is big enough, it seems too small for three people always on their computers and my grandmother staying in her room. Rose Yes. For the first time, I felt like a nuisance. My son and grandson were quite blunt; telling me not to talk or walk around. My daughter-in-law was also less patient. I wanted to go out and get away. Home didn’t feel like my quiet retreat any more. But all this has made me think about people with much less space than us or where children have to do online lessons at home. That made me swallow my discomfort and frustrations. 21
Perspectives March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Lily We are so lucky. Having more space than many other families in Hong Kong is definitely a blessing. But even then, it can still feel as if it’s not enough. Sometimes, I go back to the office if it is allowed. I hope that thinking of others makes me a bit more tolerant, though,
Lily What matters is keeping active. That is how things are now. Once the children are settled with households of their own, we’ll see. But whatever happens in future, I just hope the family links will not be broken wherever we live.
Jasmine Hospital work is hard and there are nights I prefer not to come home. I don’t want my grandmother catching covid… she’s vulnerable now …
Jasmine I try not to think about the future too much. I’ll always be there for my parents, but whether we will actually live together, I’m not sure yet.
Rose I have to go one day...
Rose I don’t understand you two. Family is family! You should all live together.
Jasmine But not because I’ve been careless! Lily Listen, let’s not talk about death. Age can make us frail and more dependent. It’s just a fact of life. I now take more care of my mother-in-law than in the past. It is not always easy and that is why my husband and I don’t want to be a burden to our children.
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Jasmine Times have changed! Lily Both of you are right in your own ways. Let’s just wait and see what happens. Right now, I think we’ve done a pretty good job navigating three generations living together under one roof, don’t you?
Rose Do you think I am a burden to you?
Jasmine What if I make it four…?
Lily No, no! Not at all.
Rose and Lily: Jasmine!
Perennials to millennials the post-generational workforce
by Elaine Morgan l Careers today are dynamic and workers need to reinvent themselves multiple times.
l 因應職場多變的環境下，求職者需不斷提升 技能。
l A key role is played by the older generations, many of whom will stay at work longer as society ages.
l 老一輩扮演著關鍵角色，隨著社會老齡化， 許多人將在工作崗位上停留更長時間。
l Frontline HR managers maximize the potential of a multigenerational teams and creating a culture of flexibility.
l 前線的人力資源經理，致力打造跨代團隊， 創造一種靈活互補的職場文化。
There are up to five generations in the workplace today: baby boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z as well as members of the so-called Silent Generation, who were born before 1945. They all have much to
contribute. Indeed, with greater longevity, which often now comes with much better health, the number of older people in the workforce is bound to increase in future.
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Perspectives March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Silent Generation – born 1928-1945 Baby Boomers – born 1946-1964 Generation X – born 1965-1980
Generation Y (Millennials) – born 1981-1996 Generation Z – born 1997-2012 Fresh ideas, no experience The editorial staff of a children’s book publishing company, now defunct, were mostly baby boomers in their late 50s or early 60s. They had been with the company for 25 years or longer when it was sold. The new owners added scores of new jobs in the first year. Most new hires were recently graduated Millennials. The young recruits brought many fresh ideas but focused on quick results rather than long-term success. They had lots of energy but little experience and no network in the industry. Many of the veteran employees felt unable to cope with such drastic changes and took early retirement. The skillful coordination of a multigenerational team could have been successful but it didn’t happen. After more than 50 years in business, the company went bankrupt.
Both age and generation are important factors in many organizations’ workforce planning. Over half of the respondents in a recent Deloitte human resources survey* said they considered generational differences to some extent. But only looking at the differences between generations may well lead to a one-sided perspective. Older workers can transcend stereotypes if they continue to push themselves and stay relevant. Rapid technological change means that many workers, not only the older ones, must reinvent their careers throughout their working lives and some 65-year-old interns work with 30-year-old managers. Managing a multigenerational workforce with different experiences, values and goals poses a challenge. Most intergenerational conflicts are fundamentally about power, wherever they take place. Young people who want more power and influence feel the need to be noticed. They have new ideas that may not be heard whereas older people want their experience to be recognized and appreciated. Combining talents without stifling them is the key. A tale about a failed publishing company (see box) serves as an example.
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Sticking points There are many points at which generational differences can emerge. They include use of technology, forms of communication, levels of feedback, time management and work/life balance. However, stereotyping by age usually doesn’t help. The key to understanding behaviour and competencies is in looking at each individual, and the best way to find out how to motivate people at work is to ask what matters most to them. Assigning people to tasks that resonate with their personal style and putting them into teams where others have complementary skills is an important strategy. Discrepancies in working styles are bound to occur. Imagine you have a baby boomer employee who sticks to a strict Monday-Friday 9am-5.30pm schedule with minor deviations, and a Millennial employee who works from home twice a week and, when in the office, takes a long lunch break for exercise but then leaves late. While the differences in schedules and work styles may not be as stark, managing generational discrepancies while still
maintaining fairness can be difficult. On the other hand, working from home during the pandemic has shown how flexible some employers and employees can be. Contrasting communication styles also have a significant impact on everyone in the team and they matter more than ever in the era of remote work. Generation X places a high value on efficiency and their communication style can seem disconcertingly direct to older employees. Millennials and Generation Z tend to use softer words to get their point across, although again, it’s risky to generalize. Each generation also tends to have their preferred methods of communication: face-to-face for baby boomers, email for Gen X, messaging for Millennials, but there’s no strong reason for not contacting each of your team members according to their preferences. People from different generations may not have the same expectations about their jobs, colleagues or supervisors. Ways in which they tackle and complete their work, take up training opportunities, expect to have their performance evaluated or want feedback for their output can vary a great deal. Also, what is considered a desirable compensation package might not be the same for each generation. All these factors are important in HR today.
Post-generational teams None of the above are insurmountable hurdles. If there are mutual learning opportunities, each member of a work team can contribute. This promotes team bonding and helps team members understand each other. Older workers who did not grow up adapting to new technologies often lack of confidence and can learn from younger colleagues. Older workers also stand to benefit from the expanded access that online and remote learning and working provides, closing the gap on some of these hesitancies and fears. Younger workers can gain from mentoring programmes that encourage team bonding and shared knowledge across generations. Staying flexible is the most important ability with a multigenerational workforce, from working hours to communication style. Creating a culture of flexibility also inspires your employees to be flexible too and research is beginning to show that age is not a driving factor of innovation. The Kauffman Foundation, which studies these trends, asserts that the prime age for innovation is now between 55 and 64 and continues to trend upward. Why is this? For one, older people are healthy, making it possible for them to continue contributing until a ripe old age. Many have had varied careers and have renewed their goals many times making them relentless innovators who have learned how to seek out and embrace change – a good lesson for all ages.
Read more
Grubb, Val. Clash of the generations: managing the new workplace reality. Wiley: 2016. Deal, Jennifer C. What millennials want from work: how to maximize engagement in today's workforce. McGraw-Hill: 2015. Shaw, Haydn. Sticking points: how to get 4 generations working together in the 12 places they come apart. Tyndale Momentum: 2013. * www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends/2020/leading-a-multi-generational-workforce.html aihr.com/blog/multigenerational-workforce/ kauffman.org/currents/age-and-entrepreneurship/ urban.org/research/publication/digital-skills-and-older-workers/view/full_report
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On the agenda March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Agetech solutions with user-centred design l Agetech is technology designed with and for older adults.
l 智慧高齡科技（Agetech）是專為老人設計的技 術。
l The market is growing and more and more startups are getting into it.
l 樂齡科技的市場規模愈來愈大，催生不少初創公 司。
l Opportunities for young entrepreneurs abound.
l 對青年企業家而言，機會可謂無處不在。
Agetech solutions are designed with older adults not only in mind, but also in practice. This doesn’t mean big icons and loud audio; it means putting older adults at the centre of the design process and aiming to meet their needs, especially if they are staying in their own homes. In most countries, older adults prefer prefer to continue living in their own homes and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age or income. This becomes increasingly challenging, for various reasons. Agetech services need to be fine-tuned to the needs of “silver” economy consumers. AI, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, cloud technologies, voice automation and the Internet of Things will contribute to safe, smart living for the elderly but for it to be useful, elderly people must be engaged in every step of development. Success will increasingly depend on local partnerships that include engineers, marketing experts, older people and gerontologists, listening to one another.
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A recent report on how to transform Hong Kong into an age-enabling city emphasizes the role to be played by youth. It recommends involving young people more closely in the development of agetech. At the primary and secondary education levels, annual agetech youth competitions are suggested, including followup opportunities to commercialize innovative designs. At the tertiary level, it advises expanding courses covering agetech-related content in all universities and applied education institutes. More details Our Hong Kong Foundation. Healthcare and Ageing Policy Research Report: Building an Age-Friendly City. December 2021. https://www.ourhkfoundation. org.hk/en/research/aging-society
As a recent study found, older adults are adopting technology more than ever before. Internet, smartphones, tablet, wearables, and even smart TVs and speakers, are being used by an increasingly growing number of older adults. As a result of the pandemic, they are also the fastest growing category of online shoppers. So, contrary to common belief, older adults are willing to use new tech-based products and services, as long as they find them useful. That’s where the challenge for innovative tech startups lies.
The longevity economy Tech products for this sector include:
● Health and wellness monitoring and wearables ● Hearables and Bluetooth® audio sharing ● Remote healthcare technologies ● Smart homes and senior living communities ● Interactive TV ● Cognitive training, lifelong learning and virtual reality ● Social and communication robotics ● Voice and AI enabled assistants ● Remote care and tech-enabled home care
Design shortcomings: tech entrepreneurs take note! Poor user experience
Too complex
Need training
Needs to be simpler.
Designers forget different levels of competence.
Remember older adopters who expect hard copy manuals.
Non-intuitive design trips up seniors.
Changes are made before we have grasped the principles.
Make tech slang meanings clearer.
Too many logins and passwords to remember.
Too complex: use words instead of icons.
Devices offer far more than we know how to use.
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On the agenda March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Innovations in agetech HEARING
LIVING WELL
EasyHear Products developed in Hong Kong that adopt advanced noise reduction technology, such as 5G “beamforming” technology, which can greatly improve hearing in a noisy environment.
DFree A discrete, wearable device from the US that monitors the bladder and helps the wearer get to the bathroom in time.
Depending on the type, face masks may reduce the clarity of speech and lower it anywhere from 5 to 15 decibels (dB). In other words, speech is not just quieter, it's more muffled. Some hearing aids, from Starkey and Wonder, for example, can be switched to a face mask-mode option to compensate and are rechargeable Deco Chips These decorative clips from Japan turn hearing aids, sometimes considered a taboo item, into a fashionable accessory.
Nemuri SCAN Just 775mm by 284mm, this sheet that is placed beneath a mattress has special sensors and monitors sleep, heartbeat and respiration rate in real time.
MOVING
Sensorscall CareAlert This remote monitoring app called was created by seniors who are ageing-in-place in the US. It integrates works with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Apple Watch, Fitbit and other health devices to track daily routines, sleep patterns, hygiene and kitchen use.
Rehabao An interactive device with AI engineered in Hong Kong, uses a three-dimensional mirror therapy system to help motivate patients in rehabilitation to take exercise.
Temi Medic This personal robot developed by a local robotics company takes instructions in Cantonese as well as checking body temperatures and spraying disinfectant as well as telehealth visits, night time ward rounds and health monitoring assistance.
The designer, Darlie Lau, who completed his studies in product design at Polytechnic University in 2013, works with the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation to develop a range of products well suited to elderly patients who are isolated and lonely or live a long way from a rehab clinic.
SEEING
RODEM and TRANS-ROID These friendly-looking devices from tmsuk in Taiwan can help seniors move smoothly. RODEM is the most versatile and can be an outdoor vehicle or an indoor wheelchair that gets you from chair to bed and washbasin. 3 Photos here: Rehabao, Rodem and Transroid
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HomAge Already operational in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, this homebased ageing community platform works with neighbourhood teams of carers.
Read more • techcrunch.com/2022/01/06/startups-at-ces-showed-that-age-tech-can-help-everyone/ • techcrunch.com/2021/12/29/we-need-to-pay-more-attention-to-age-tech/ • agetechjapan.economist.com/#article-0 • agetechaccelerator.eu/ • aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/surveys_statistics/technology/2021/2022technology-trends-older-americans.doi.10.26419-2Fres.00493.001.pdf Note Gerontechnology and gerontech are terms used in Hong Kong to denote agetech.
There are high-tech headsets for those with macular degeneration. There is text-to-voice translation to reduce dependence on vision. Even bionic eyes are in the pipeline, but what about screens and haptics for those whose senses are becoming less acute? There is lots of potential for startups, in TV screens, for example, and yet not much innovation. Technology never stands still. Those who can envision the end-user experience and who match their new products to that experience will be the winners. • academic.oup.com/gerontologist/pages/special_Issues electronichealthreporter. com/agetech-market-2021-perspectives-and-expectations/ • data.oecd.org/healthstat/life-expectancy-at-birth.htm • hkeconomy.gov.hk/en/pdf/el/el-2019-02.pdf • ageinplacetech.com • seniorlivingforesight.net/the-agetech-community-is-doomed-if-they-cant-even-get-this-right/
Brainstorming dementia
l In a constantly changing, rapidly ageing society, new challenges arise every day.
l 在這個不斷變化、人口快速老化的社會，每天 都出現新的挑戰。
l Thinking out of the box is essential and HKFYG’s Social Innovation Centre incubates startups that adapt swiftly to change.
l 跳出框框思考尤其重要，香港青年協會社會創 新中心幫助培育能夠迅速適應變化的初創公 司。
l They use their creativity and ingenuity to improve people’s lives and good examples are the multisensory stimulation training games from startup, Lighten Dementia.
l 時下年輕人利用他們的創新精神改善人類生 活，初創公司 Lighten Dementia 的多感官訓 練遊戲就是最佳例子。
l The company will soon bring in young people to play with the elderly, adding yet another dimension.
Lighten Dementia is a social venture that creates fun, interactive, cognitively useful gaming experiences for elderly people with dementia. The games are made for a local audience and the elderly can play with their caregivers at home or in their local community centres. Compared to the usual cognitive training approach, the games developed by Lighten Dementia incorporate elements of reminiscence that create an engaging experience. The games reignite memories of the good old days, helping elderly people remember how they felt in the past and enjoy meaning in their lives again. The games also help the community centres, reducing the workload of the staff and offering them useful tools for interaction with visitors.
l 這間公司很快會邀請年輕人與長者一同參與遊 戲，將整個體險提升至另一種層次。
Three essential factors govern the content of Lighten Dementia’s training games. First, they incorporate cognitive training elements. Second, they have new design considerations built in. Third, they have elements of traditional game formats to help players recognize them and learn the simple rules.
Cognitive training elements Lighten Dementia have researched and discovered tasks that help dementia patients exercise cognitive and thinking skills, improving how they cope with daily activities. The company designs games that target specific aspects of the ways in which the lives of dementia patients are impaired. These aspects include memory, object identification, interaction, communication and calculation, among others.
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HKFYG Services March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
New design considerations The two most important considerations when designing a Lighten Dementia training game are to keep game sessions short and to involve the use of multiple senses. Short game sessions are easy to complete and allow the elderly to feel they have accomplished something even in a short period of time. This method is effective in boosting confidence and provides motivation and an incentive to play again. Multiple sensory impact adds another dimension to the games. The players need to use at least two of their senses. For example, some games require vision for choosing colours, or touch for identifying materials, or smell for recognizing odours. Another aspect of this characteristic of the Lighten Dementia games is that the players can have more than one option for using their senses to identify objects.
Traditional play format Familiarity plays an important role for dementia patients, especially when they are new to training games. Therefore, design elements that resemble games that older people will be familiar with are incorporated because they are likely to have played them in the past. As a result, another emotion comes into play, that of nostalgia, bringing The HKFYG Social Innovation Centre encourages social innovation through technology. Social problems are addressed by innovative and sustainable business models that maximize synergy while engaging young people in the process of social innovation. This enhances their upward mobility and helps Hong Kong stay competitive. Its work includes:
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back good memories and fondness of the past which means the patients are more likely to enjoy the games. A new game is currently being developed. Its theme is nostalgic Chinese in print. Its components replicate reading newspaper articles and its aims are not only to train players’ comprehension skills but also to help them rediscover lost communication skills. Since 2019, over 160 elderly participants have attended Lighten Dementia game workshops. There was positive feedback from them and the social workers. In future, the startup company plans improvements and extensions to the workshop sessions. These will involve training young people to play the games with elderly. Furthermore, the company aims to promote their products to elderly communities in other parts of Asia such as mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore. Lighten Dementia is one of the startups that was supported by the HKFYG Jockey Club Social Innovation Centre (SIC) HKFYG InnoImpact Project in 2021. In 2021, 387 youths submitted 175 proposals to the InnoImpact Project and SIC selected five, including Lighten Dementia. Each project has received up to HK$200,000 in subsidies as well as two years of incubation support, including mentorship, free coworking space, networking and project promotion.
Incubation
Investment
Providing seed funds, coworking spaces, conference facilities, equipment etc
Exploring resources, funding and financing platforms from GBA markets and other countries to support social innovation projects
Interconnection
Developing platforms that bring talented youth and professionals together to expand social networks
Facebook hkfyg.sic Web sic.hkfyg.org.hk/en/home-2/ Tel 3595 0945 Email sic@hkfyg.org.hk
Harmony across generations l Since 2013, the HKFYG KK Cheng Kindergarten has been providing services for young children.
l 自 2013 年起，香港青年協會鄭堅固幼稚 園一直為幼兒提供服務。
l It has launched of a wonderfully inclusive programme which brings the generations together.
l 學校推出富共融意義的計劃，將幾代人凝 聚一起。
l Grandparents come to the school to take part in the children’s activities.
l 祖父母也受邀來到學校，共同參與孩子們 的活動。
l Some of them volunteer to help organize the programme as well.
l 有些老友記甚至主動報名成為義工，協助 學校舉辦活動。
In many of the families of the KK Cheng Kindergarten’s pupils, the children’s parents work full-time or are not local Hongkongers. To help out, their grandparents who live locally take on the task of looking after them. The kindergarten realized this provided a great opportunity and reached out to the grandparents. Grasping the chance to involve them in mutual support meant that many different kinds of activities could be enjoyed at the school by the young and old alike. Elderly grandparents, small children and parents all benefit from the joy of playing and discovery. The older folk appreciate the inclusiveness and interaction and feel reintegrated with their community.
The photographs speak for themselves. Gardening, modelling, carpentry, games, drawing, mosaics and cookery are just a few examples of activities shared. An atmosphere of cross generational harmony has grown and blossomed and benefits to all are visible. The three generations come together and create a space for discovery, harmony and sharing. 31
HKFYG Services March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
As well as taking part in the activities with the children, some of the senior citizens also take on the role of volunteers. They help the school’s staff organize sessions with the children and invite other, shyer elderly people to join in too.
Five Goals ● ● ● ● ●
32
To boost the energy levels and self-image of the children’s elderly relatives To affirm their contributions and encourage them to give back to society To offer a way to regain the joy of life by participating in community activities To teach young children to respect and care for their elders To strengthen the ties between elders and children, and to put positive values into practice
In addition, the school maintains close ties with district senior centres and through this channel it can discover the potential of retired people with professional backgrounds. Some of them have been invited as teachers for various activities that involve handicrafts and physical exercise so the young children benefit from their experience as well. The school firmly believes that intergenerational integration has a profound impact on both children and the elderly. Children have such innocence and can add infinite warmth to the lives of the elderly. On the other hand, in the process of building relationships, the elderly people’s interaction with the youngsters can have a miraculous healing effect for all concerned.
Fertility and
longevity compared
by Elaine Morgan
H
ow are we faring compared to other countries? The news is that falling fertility rates mean many countries could have shrinking populations by the end of the century. Hong Kong ● Hong Kong has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. The number of births dropped to 37,000 in 2021, the lowest since records began in 1966. ● The proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and over in the total population rose from 13% in 2011 to 20% in 2021.
● Experts warn about the wide-reaching implications of such changes. The city’s ageing population and reduction in the number of students at school will ultimately affect the size of our workforce.
by Tim Bish on Unsplash
by TUBS Wikipedia
● The number of marriages fell from about 44,000 in 2019 to a record low of 27,000 last year. Cross-border marriages, with either partner from the mainland, dropped from 13,262 in 2019 to 3,266 in 2020.
Sources 1. Hong Kong Census & Statistics Department in Our Hong Kong Foundation. Healthcare and Ageing and Population Policy Research Report, 2021. 2. censtatd.gov.hk/en/scode600.html 3. censtatd.gov.hk/en/press_release_detail.html?id=5156
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Youth watch March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
7.0–7.9 by Korakys creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>
6.0–6.9 5.0–5.9 4.5–4.9 4.0–4.4 3.5–3.9 3.0–3.4 2.6–2.9 2.3–2.5 2.0–2.2 1.7–1.9 1.4–1.6 1.1–1.3
p Global fertility 2020
0.8–1.0
Total fertility rate The total fertility rate of a country is influenced by several factors including the ability to choose what type of family to have, if and when to have children and the number of children to have. Freedom from pressure or the interference of family members, the state or religion matter greatly. In many ways, falling fertility rates are a success story. High-income countries have substantially lower fertility rates and increased childlessness because those who remain childless or have small families are less likely to be stigmatized. On the other hand, in many cultures, childless women suffer discrimination, stigma, ostracism, and social isolation if they don’t have children. In developed countries, fertility rates are being driven downwards by the increasing number of well-educated women who work. Greater access to contraception, which often leads to more women choosing to have fewer children, also contributes.
Comparing Hong Kong Fertility rate Australia Canada France Germany Hong Kong India Japan Mainland China Niger Philippines Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sweden UK Ukraine
1.7 1.5 1.9 1 .6 0.867 2.2 1.4 1.3 6.8 2.6 2.3 1.1 1 1.8 1.7 1.3
Life expectancy Female 85.8 84.74 85.82 84.14 88.0 71.8 88.09 78.62 64.89 75.92 77.37 86.15 86.42 84.97 83.28 77.27
Male 82.08 81.15 80.32 79.62 82.9 69.16 81.91 74.23 62.41 67.67 74.47 82.06 80.46 81.69 80.22 67.56
Fertility rate sources Hong Kong
info.gov.hk/gia/general/202109/08/P2021090800493.htm
Mainland China
macrotrends.net/countries/CHN/china/fertility-rate en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_China
Other countries
worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/ worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/total-fertility-rate
by lutmans flic.kr/p/hYAoou
Note Fertility figures are for either 2019 or 2020.
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Life expectancy sources Hong Kong
chp.gov.hk/en/statistics/data/10/27/111.html
Mainland China
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_China
Other countries
worldometers.info/demographics/life-expectancy/
Fertility dropping
Women are having fewer children Global fertility rate (livebirths per woman)
The total fertility rate, often referred to simply as the fertility rate, means the average number of children a woman has. If the number falls below approximately 2.1, then the size of a population starts to fall. In 1950, women were having an average of 4.7 children during their lifetimes. Researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation showed the global fertility rate nearly halved to 2.4 in 2017 – and their study, published in The Lancet, projects it will fall below 1.7 by 2100.
Which countries will be most affected? 23 countries, including Italy, Japan, Portugal, South Korea Spain and Thailand, are expected to see populations at least halve. Mainland China, currently the most populous nation in the world, is expected to peak at 1.4 billion before nearly halving to 732 million by 2100. India will take its place as the most populous.
How populations of selected countries might change, 2017-2100 2017 population
Projected 2100 population
China India Nigeria USA
Ageing populations
Japan
This is a truly global issue, with 183 out of 195 countries having a fertility rate below the replacement level. Wouldn’t that be good for the environment, some people ask, since perhaps smaller populations could mean reduced carbon emissions? However, while populations are shrinking, the proportion of elderly people is growing everywhere in the world. Who pays tax in a significantly aged world and who pays for healthcare for the elderly? Who looks after them and when will people be able to retire from work?
0
0.3
0.6
0.9
Population
1.2
1.5
Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population over 60 is projected to nearly double from 12% to 22%. Already, the number of people aged 60 or older outnumber children younger than 5.
by zhang-kaiyv-DgnTgj0szVg-unsplash
In 2050 80% of older people will be living in low- and middle-income countries. Any solutions? Immigration has been used to boost populations and compensate for falling fertility rates. This works only as long as some countries' populations are not shrinking. Enhanced maternity and paternity leave, free childcare, financial incentives and extra employment rights have also been tried. There are no clear answers.
Sources for tables on this page • bbc.com/news/health-53409521 • thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30677-2/fulltext
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Features March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
The pandemic medic
skills & qualities needed by Chris Ng Sheung Chit
B
eing a medical professional is never easy, especially during a pandemic, and there are many skills, competencies and qualities you need to do the job well.
Technical skills Scientific knowledge is the bread and butter of medicine. They include basic sciences and clinical sciences. The basic sciences encompass the normal and abnormal human structure and functions, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, and microbiology, whereas the clinical sciences focus on knowledge application in clinical scenarios along with the principles of investigations and management. Learning all the scientific knowledge is commonly the most daunting part of studying medicine but is essential for a medical professional. Clinical skills are also integral to medical studies and include physical examinations for detecting signs, emergency medicine skills for managing acute conditions, bedside ultrasound, endoscopy and surgical techniques. Communication skills are of paramount importance in all medical settings, from collecting information and counselling to professional communication. The ability to collect and synthesize information accurately and efficiently requires a clear understanding of the clinical presentation of diseases and that takes ample practice to master. Certain specialties like 36
psychiatry depend entirely on communication to arrive at a diagnosis. Effective communication is also important in professional communication where you work with other healthcare professionals in managing cases, and in conveying messages to laymen such as the importance of vaccination, and of course, in telemedicine which you don’t even see the real person!
Soft skills Empathy A doctor with knowledge but not empathy treats [patients], whereas a doctor with empathy but not knowledge kills them. However, a good doctor with knowledge and empathy heals. Alongside communication skills, empathy is required in patient care as it helps establish trust and a good doctor-patient relationship. If patients feel that you genuinely care, they will open up more and so you will learn more about them. A good doctorpatient relationship is also associated with improved patient satisfaction and better patient compliance. Resilience & hard work You don’t need to be smart to be a doctor, but you must work hard to become one. After all the hard work in getting into and surviving medical school, you will face sleep deprivation and endless paperwork in suboptimal hospital environments, dealing with infectious
Important for medical professionals Technical skills
● Scientific knowledge ● Clinical skills ● Communication skills Soft skills
● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Resilience & hard work Empathy Responsibility Humility Adaptivity & continuous learning Creativity Passion
diseases that can endanger your health, including the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelming the healthcare system. A recent study among young doctors revealed 73% experiencing personal burnout with 21% being depressed . As one of the most stressful professions, every day is a challenge to your mental resilience and only constant hard work overcomes each obstacle. Responsibility Benjamin Parker, a character in Marvel Comics’ “Spider-Man” once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” When patients are willing to hand over their lives to your hands, you are bearing the responsibility for all their health. Each decision you make, each medication you give, each surgical step you make and each word you say can have a lifelong impact on patients. Yes, you are very important to your patients and that comes with great responsibility. Humility By default, human beings are flawed. We can only have limited knowledge of the vast field of medicine. If we remain overly obsessed with our egos, we will overlook our pitfalls and cause harm. If we are humble enough to acknowledge our limitations, we will be open to learning and improvement and take responsibility for our actions. This is among the most important qualities, not just for healthcare professionals but also for being decent humans.
Adaptivity & continuous learning Medicine is changing faster than ever with a rapid shift in the landscape from the emergence of COVID-19 to the burst of new biotechnologies. With medical knowledge estimated to double every 73 days, medical professionals have to be lifelong learners and adapt swiftly to the ever-changing environment. Creativity The quest into the unknown requires not only knowledge and grit but also creativity and imagination. As Albert Einstein told us, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Rapid advancements mean that medicine has become an ideal field for innovation and the incorporation of technology such as artificial intelligence, genomics and nanotechnology has created a new era in the search for better diagnostics and personalized cures. Passion You will need passion to overcome all the challenges mentioned above. As Steve Jobs said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” If you are passionate about medicine, then you will be willing to work hard, resist setbacks and acquire the required skills. If you are not, no matter how skilful you are, you will burn out. Many people choose careers solely based on income and prestige but this is probably the most dangerous step you can take. Your passion matters more than you think. With it, a career in medicine can be more fruitful than any other field. Without it, it can be a living hell. When choosing your path, remember, you only live once.
Chris Ng is a fourth year MBBS student at HKU. He holds a degree in Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Materials from Queen Mary University of London and founded Future of Medicine, a society advocating medical innovation to the medical community and the public. References 1. Ha, J & Longnecker, N. Doctor-Patient Communication: a review. Ochsner, J. 2010; 10(1): 38–43. 2. Kwan, K et al. Burnout and well-being in young doctors in Hong Kong: a territory-wide cross-sectional survey. Hong Kong Medical Journal. 2021; 27(5): 330–337. 3. Densen, P. Challenges and Opportunities Facing Medical Education. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2011; 122: 48-58.
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Features March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Sustainable energy best options for Hong Kong by Sunny Chan
F
rom “very likely” in 2007, to “extremely likely” in 2013, to “unequivocal” in 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stressed the increasingly dominant role of human activities in climate change. In response, Hong Kong announced an ambitious goal. How are we going to achieve it?
Several far-reaching international accords, including the Paris Agreement in 2015, set the tone for climate change mitigating policies. As one of the region’s developed and prosperous cities, Hong Kong has pledged a rather aggressive goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. Hong Kong is different from other developed countries and regions because of its economic structure and geographic limitations. On the one hand, thanks to the overwhelming proportion (93.5%) of service-related economic activities in the city, its carbon emissions per capita are substantially lower than in some developed areas. On the other, Hong Kong has hilly terrain and steep slopes. Flat land is precious and is efficiently exploited with dense skyscrapers for residential and commercial use. Wind, solar and waste-to-energy are three of the alternative energy sources used for achieving carbon neutrality but offshore wind farms may be the only possible option for wind power given the land shortage. However, they cost considerably more than natural gas. Solar power is promising. It saw unprecedented annual growth of over 20% in the past decade but solar farms also demand large areas of flat land. A solar farm equivalent in size to 20 Victoria Parks would only provide 1% of the electricity needs of the city, according to Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 [CAP2050]. By contrast, a mere 10-15kg of coal can generate the same amount of power in a year as a standard 1.6m2 solar panel. However, unlike wind power, solar power can be installed on a small scale by households and businesses. The feed-in tariff launched in 2017 is the first attempt to mobilize the private sector by offering an alluring premium for contributing off-grid electricity. Thousands of applications resulted in 38
solar panel installations across the city. Nevertheless, the realizable potential of solar power is lower than 4% of the city’s electricity consumption, as predicted by CAP2050, and some installations were not well-planned. This is illustrated by the photo of a bus shelter [below] covered in bird droppings and partly shaded by an adjacent tree. What’s more, the panels are sandwiched between a tall residential building to the east and a footbridge to the west, blocking sunlight except for a short time around noon.
p Solar power on a bus stop in Sha Tin
Waste-to-energy (WTE) has been top of the agenda in recent years but in terms of carbon emissions, WTE is not too different from burning fossil fuels. In terms of energy, an optimistic estimation in CAP2050 says WTE can provide 4% of Hong Kong’s total electricity. However, our city is facing a monumental waste crisis with landfills running out of space. Since food waste accounts for nearly one-third of the solid waste disposed of at landfills, WTE does provide a solution.
Figure 2 Estimated composition of solid wate disposed of at landfills in 2020.
Figure 2 Comparison of different energy scenarios for Hong Kong in 2050.
1.7% 2.2 %
32.2%
24.5%
21.4% Glass Plastics
Metals Putrescribles
Paper
Note: $ represents the lowest cost compared with the other scenarios; $$$$$ represents the highest cost compared with the other scenarios.
Source Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong Waste Statistics for 2020. Environmental Protection Department.
The HKSARG’s target for renewable energy sources is 15% of the city’s electricity consumption, far from enough to achieve carbon neutrality. If the potential of renewables seems dim, how do we achieve our ambitious goal? Nuclear energy has long been an important energy source for Hong Kong, contributing more than a quarter of the city’s consumption. It always provokes the most debate due to its technical complexity and political concerns. An accurate understanding of nuclear power is necessary before reaching any conclusion. First, nuclear power is unquestionably a carbon-free energy source during operation in power plants as nuclear fission leaves only nuclear waste without any biproducts. Its overall carbon footprint is similar to that of solar and wind power. Second, while it is non-renewable, it possesses an extraordinary amount
of energy released per kilogram which is known as energy density100,000 times higher than fossil fuels. Last but not least, although accidents at nuclear plants can be catastrophic, Hong Kong is a good candidate for nuclear solutions because of land limitations and a location relatively free from natural disasters. Professor Chu Ming-chung, a prestigious physicist, once said that the biggest disadvantage of nuclear power is its infamy. Fairly speaking, it is understandable that people are concerned about putting an densely populated city at risk, even a tiny one, but air pollution is a greater risk. Air pollution caused by fossil fuels kills many more people every year than nuclear accidents. Personally, I believe that we should put the option of nuclear power on the agenda, at least as a transitional energy source. Achieving carbon neutrality is difficult. Seeking alternative energy sources, replacing petrol and diesel engines and using sustainable urban design are all indispensable strategies. Keys to success, apart from government initiatives, include education and community work to build high environmental awareness. Leaving aside such complex issues, we can also all start living greener lives right now!
Sources 1. theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2013/sep/27/global-warming-ipccreport-humans 2. theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/09/climate-crisis-unequivocally-caused-by-human-activitiessays-ipcc-report 3. censtatd.gov.hk/en/web_table.html?id=36 4. worldometers.info/co2-emissions/co2-emissions-per-capita/ 5. climateready.gov.hk/files/pdf/CAP2050_booklet_en.pdf [CAP2050] 6. wastereduction.gov.hk/sites/default/files/msw2020.pdf 7. civic-exchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hong-Kong-power-ES.pdf 8. enb.gov.hk/en/about_us/policy_responsibilities/energy.html 9. cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/tc/press/grand-challenges-for-global-citizens-in-the-21st-centurycuhk-launches-newgeneral-education-course-to-lead-students-to-revisit-the-relationship-between-themselves-andsociety-from-th/
Sunny Chan Pok-fung is a PhD student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a docent in the Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change. His research interests focus on the device physics and fabrication techniques of perovskite thin film solar cells. 39
Supporting Sports Development
H
ong Kong athletes have performed very well in recent years but public participation in sport remains low. This report looks at what can be done to promote both the sports industry and sports participation in the community. The Hong Kong SAR Government has been trying to encourage sports organizations and event organizers to acquire more resources from the business and private sectors in order to support three objectives that it announced in 2002 (see box). Nonetheless, progress has been limited. Furthermore, only a minority of Hong Kong people meet World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for healthy physical activity. In order to make further progress, the sports industry has been targeted and is the main focus of this research report. Besides, if more resources were available for sustaining sports development, more diverse career opportunities for young people might also be available in future.
Sport: HKSARG goals ● to promote sports in the community ● to support elite sports development
● to promote Hong Kong as a centre for major
international sporting events
Read more hab.gov.hk/en/policy_responsibilities/ sport_policy/sport_policy.htm
The industrial sector’s involvement in building and sustaining the development of sport can be seen in numerous examples from around the world. According to added value estimates from Plunkett Research, the market size of the world sports industry had reached US$1.4 trillion by 2019. In the US, the world’s biggest market, it was US$562.6 billion, accounting for 1 2 40.2% of the global value and 2.6% of local GDP. Figures for 2019 from mainland China indicate an added value of RMB 1.1 3 4 trillion , accounting for 1.1% of GDP. According to the Monthly Digest of Statistics, in Hong Kong, the added value was HK$59 5 billion, accounting for 2.1% of GDP, but the figure, which refers to the economic contribution of sports and related activities for 2019, includes gambling and would be significantly lower if that were excluded.
Key responses from respondents Lukewarm ratings for sports development/ sports-related careers (on a 0-10 scale) ● Overall environment encourages taking exercise: 5.56 ● Government performs well in promoting sports: 5.40 ● Sports development in future will be good: 5.32 ● Careers in the sports industry are promising: 5.55 ● Career prospects of professional athletes are good: 5.46 Other replies:
WHO recommendations ● minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity
aerobic physical activity per week ● minimum of 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity ● equivalent amount of time in a combination of these two modes of activity Read more chp.gov.hk/tc/statistics/data/10/280/6626.html
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● 53.8% had never learnt any sports-related skills ● 48.5% never spent anything on taking exercise In the past six months: ● 41% had exercised at least once a week ● 28.8% had not exercised at all ● 9.2% only had exercised daily In general: ● 27.5% had never watched a sports event ● 3.7% of them said the events were mainly local
Comments from Youth I.D.E.A.S. think tank members Denis Huen, group convenor and Cindy Chiu, group member “The shortage of community sports facilities is detrimental to the development of the industry and the Education Bureau should gradually extend participation in the "Opening up School Facilities for Promotion of Sports Development Scheme”. Commercial sports organizations and individuals in the community should be included so that school sports venues and facilities can be used effectively. Furthermore, the media could use sport as a programme theme in order to stimulate interest among the general public. Event organizers could also try to open up more innovative ways for people to watch and participate so that they experience the fun of sport through new technology.”
Main points from in-depth interviews Support was not evident among the public for developing sport as a commercial activity with viable career prospects. Stakeholders think there are too few high-level coaches. There are also not enough people who possess both commercial and sports knowledge. Sport as a profession also lacks recognition according to practitioners.
Frank Fan and Manson Chow, group members “The HKSARG should incorporate the sports industry into the Qualifications Framework and recognize practitioners’ professional qualifications with the Recognition of Prior Learning Mechanism. This would promote talent in the industry. Sports vouchers could also be offered by the HKSARG to subsidize the learning of sports skills. Vouchers could also be used to subsidize both spectating and participating in competitions and other commercial events. In addition, deductions from salaries tax could be made for expenses incurred for personal sports training. These financial incentives would promote sports in the long run, enhance skills and interest and increase demand for sports services and products.”
Experts interviewed generally think that the current model for Hong Kong's sports development, which mainly relies on government resources, is not sufficiently large-scale. Their view is that commercial resources can be used to combine sports activities and related products. This can generate synergy by benefiting both sport itself and economic development. Experts pointed out lack of development in sports facilities and events as well as in human resources.
References 1. plunkettresearch.com/statistics/Industry-Statistics-Sports-Industry-Statistic-and-Market-SizeOverview/ 2. tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp 3. stats.gov.cn/tjsj/zxfb/202012/t20201231_1811943.html 4. gov.cn/xinwen/2020-01/18/content_5470531.htm 5. Census and Statistics Department. “Sports and related activities in Hong Kong.” 2021. 6. censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=FA100281&scode=410
Report No.66 HKFYG Youth I.D.E.A.S. Employment and Economic Development group Published title Sustaining Sports Development by Strengthening its Industry Respondents 520 Hong Kong residents aged 15-64 were polled in October 2021. 20 experts and stakeholders from the sports industry were also interviewed. More details in Chinese: yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/2021/12/22/yi066/ Enquiries Amy Yuen 3755 7037
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HKFYG March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
● ● ● ●
Calling 10,000 young members to take the initiative Calling all colleagues and networks Supporting the community in the fight against covid Passing on the message of love and care
Caring to Call – Calling to Care
I
n the midst of the surging number of infections, HKFYG launched this new campaign to try to ensure that no one is left isolated, especially the more vulnerable in the community. There have been many urgent needs in the city during the
severe fifth wave of the covid-19 pandemic so the Federation launched a city-wide call to action. Services are expanding rapidly in scope and delivery. They include emotional
support, telemedicine, short-term accommodation, antiepidemic supplies and employment consultations.
The Caring to Call – Calling to Care initiative calls on
everybody in the city to respond and care for those in need.
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Offering emotional support where it’s most needed
Young volunteers, HKFYG members and all staff of the Federation are taking action. Their initiative includes calling at least 10 people they know, especially the elderly, grassroots families and HKDSE candidates. They are providing muchneeded emotional support, showing how much they care about everyone’s needs in the fight against the epidemic.
Opening accommodation for target groups
Donation of anti-epidemic supplies
With the aim of supporting students with academic and emotional needs, HKFYG is also providing accommodation at the HKFYG Leadership Institute. Located in the former Fanling Magistracy, it is now open for applications from candidates in this year's Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination. Those who live in subdivided units or have other types of harsh living environment are eligible.
Job-seekers relief and employment consultations
To help families living in overcrowded conditions where nobody has tested positive for covid-19, some HKFYG camps have opened to provide short-term rented accommodation. Other emergency situations that qualify for this support include households with family members working in high-risk sectors. The needs of people who apply are evaluated by social workers.
Telemedicine for providing urgent help
After evaluation and referral by social workers, HKFYG will provide free psychological and medical video consultations, as well as medicine delivery services including both traditional Chinese and western medicine.
In response to the widespread urgent needs of hundreds of grassroots family households and elderly people, HKFYG is actively contacting suppliers and other donors of preventive anti-epidemic resources that are in short supply. The response has been very enthusiastic and donations are pouring in, including rapid antigen test kits, face masks for children and adults, disinfectants and sanitizers, smart phones and food packages.
Employment opportunities and support for unemployed youth as well as online employment consultations are helping slash workers and freelancers to understand how to apply for grants and subsidies from the government’s Anti-epidemic Fund. The Federation’s Youth Employment Network has also announced a new service. Its Community Service Team is recruiting young people who are unemployed, underemployed or taking unpaid leave to distribute supplies to needy families. In addition, young entrepreneurs who are tenants of the HKFYG Jockey Club Social Innovation Centre will benefit from short-term rent reductions. Young people participating in the Youth Business Hong Kong scheme will also find relief from loan repayment to ease financial pressures.
Support for young people who are unemployed
A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORS AND SPONSORS! More details hkfyg.org.hk/caringtocall
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HKFYG March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Loving Calls
pandemic survey from Neighbourhood First
E
arly during the severe fifth wave of the pandemic in Hong Kong, 955 respondents to a Neighbourhood First survey told young volunteers how they felt. During the phone calls, elderly and grassroots people talked about the panic they experienced as a result of pressure from continuously updated epidemic prevention measures. ● 600 young volunteers call 1,000 elderly and grassroots residents
● Nearly 50% of respondents are worried about becoming infected
● They ask about problems and try to understand needs
● Almost 10% do not have a smartphone
Nearly half (47.7%) were most worried about being infected. 35.8% complained of lack of social activities and 23% were anxious about not going shopping. Many elderly people worried about not having enough food supplies at home due to the recent lockdowns of buildings and compulsory quarantine orders. Following the HKSAR government's earlier implementation of a “vaccine passport” system from 24 February 2022, everyone except those with legitimate exemption entering designated premises such as government premises, shopping malls, supermarkets, wet markets and restaurants, must use the "LeaveHomeSafe" app on a smartphone. The survey found that 32.9% of respondents expected that their access to such premises would be affected due to problems with phones.
The young volunteers explained the “vaccine passport” system but were told how difficult it is for the elderly and grassroots families in general to fully understand and prepare when pandemic prevention measures are constantly being tightened and updated.
● More than half need face masks and food support Most needed supplies Face masks Non-perishable food Hand sanitizer Fresh food packs
Technical inability to comply with government mandates 8.9%
did not have a smartphone
4.2%
want to install "LeaveHomeSafe" but do not know how to install it
8.6%
of those who had installed "LeaveHomeSafe did not know how to use it
Vaccine passport creates many problems 39.8% of the recipients did not know how the vaccine passport worked
18.2% knew about the content of the vaccine passport but thought it was complicated and difficult to understand 60%
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(57.1%) (47.1%) (34.3%) (25.7%)
said it had a significant impact on their lives
When the fifth wave of the pandemic broke out in Hong Kong and the young volunteers were unable to visit programme participants, they called them instead to try to understand their most urgent needs. As more and more places require the use of mobile phone applications, this often causes worry and incomprehension among the elderly, to say nothing of inconvenience. Many of them were not comfortable with new technology and some have never had a smartphone. The 600 young volunteers of the Neighborhood First Teams decided to provide assistance as much as possible. As a show of solidarity and in the spirit of helping one other, their “Love and Caring Calls” will continue, in the hope that they bring warmth and a glimmer of hope in the depths of the pandemic. Here are some of the stories they were told by the people they called. They will touch your heart.
Mrs Poon, a single mother living in a cramped subdivided flat, has had all three of her children doing online lessons at home since their school was closed in January. They have to do their classes all at the same time. Their phones and computers are old and wifi connectivity is poor. How can she be expected to cope, she asks, helplessly? How can they learn well? Their progress will be badly affected, for sure. Meanwhile, she is short of both face masks and food. She asks the young volunteers to pass on the message to the authorities when they finish their survey. It is like a lifeline for her, to hear they are trying to help. Granny Cheung, elderly and living alone while her husband is in a care home, suffers from diabetes and arthritis in her knees. She has had low back pain for a long time. When covid-19 hit the city hard, she went out less and less. On the one hand she worried about the building she lived in being locked down under a compulsory quarantine order and on the other hand, she knew she would not have enough food at home. Since the start of the outbreak, she had only received 20 face masks and no other support. Recently, as the outbreak of covid got much worse she started trying to collect protective material but felt nervous about leaving her home. Her husband had been hospitalized many times due to his poor health and since he moved to a nursing home, she has been unable to visit him and is very worried. Will she ever see him again, she asked the young volunteers?
Grandma Kong’s husband had recently passed away when the young volunteers called. She told them about her daughter who had left Hong Kong to go abroad and the neighbours she had known for many years who had moved out. When the pandemic wave hit Hong Kong, she felt more lonely than ever. Most of her usual social activities were prohibited as restrictions became ever more stringent. She had no familiar friends to talk to. No neighbours to chat with. No family to comfort her. She was terribly worried by the news reports of all the confirmed covid-19 cases and the elderly people dying. The calls from the young volunteers meant a great deal to her. Their active contact and warm concern touched her heart. She won’t forget how much better they made her feel.
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Mother-in-law Ng is 80 years old. She says many people near the housing estate where she lives have been diagnosed with covid-19. Every day when she goes to the market to buy food, she worries more and more. She watches the news nervously and however hard she tries, she still cannot really understand the pandemic prevention measures. She also knows that there are long queues for vaccinations and is afraid to go by herself. Mrs Ng is much relieved to hear from the young volunteers that she can make an appointment for a vaccination in advance. They will help her and this gives her courage. Neighbourhood First: HKFYG community care action programme 100 Neighbourhood Teams around the city use diverse ways to work towards their ideal community. Now in its tenth year, the programme has involved more than 3,000 young people aged 14-35. As it continues to expand and grow, specific services and activities bear fruit within various communities and young people are welcome to join and contribute to interaction with neighbours everywhere in Hong Kong. Latest information neighbourhoodfirst.hkfyg.org.hk
Full press release in Chinese with tables:
The survey took place from January 17 to February 7 2022. Statistics were published in the press release. Details in the following tables. 1. Table 8 3. Table 3 5. Table 6
2. Table 9 4. Table 5
SLASH POINT
Diversified, multitasked, independent More and more young people are pursuing flexible working models and developing multiple interests and specialties. In addition, the pandemic has changed people's life patterns as trends in remote work and online transactions show. This encourages more employers to provide more flexible work models such as freelance and “slash” options. People with slash careers, sometimes called slashers or slashies, have multiple income streams from different jobs. They include designer/teachers, lawyer/painters and technician/writers, to name but a few. They work independently and their services or skills vary by client and project. HKFYG’s Youth Employment Network supports all forms of youth career development and has established a one-stop information platform called SLASH POINT for slashers. It introduces laws, finance and brandbuilding and points out common pitfalls for slash workers. It also invites young slashers in different sectors to share their experience with others. At value-added workshops and social activities, talented young people explain how to get ready, gain the courage and join the workforce of slashers.
Highlight Slash-semble SLASH POINT's first live event last December ● Tips from popular information community Social More HK ● Personal brand-building with young slashers ● Discovering platforms for slashers ● Growing connections and getting to know each other
Upcoming Slash Expo: Talent Sharing Service Tour ● Slashers building networks to attract potential clients ● Meeting agency, school and employer representatives ● Sharing know-how and expanding opportunities ● Taking the podium to showcase expertise and projects Slash Level-up 10-hour level-up courses for would-be young slashers ● Skills evaluation, financial management, insurance and tax arrangements ● Use of digital technology, business communications and time management ● Practical work skills for today’s slasher market. Slash Internship Training opportunities for young people ● Internships as assistants of experienced slashers ● Multitasking daily work while rethinking careers
Don’t miss your chance Go to yen.hkfyg.org.hk/slash Enroll now in “SLASH POINT, become a skilled slasher too
March Highlight ● Siu Hak, well-known Cantopop lyricist and comic artist, talked about his path to becoming a screenwriter and creator of Panda-a-Panda at a Slash Level-up zoom webinar
Read more about slashers at workspace.fiverr.com/slash-workers/
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HKFYG March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
2022-23 Annual Plan Next month, HKFYG’s Annual Plan for 2022-23 will be published, reviewing accomplishments in year 2021-22, discussing the pressing needs of youth needs at this challenging time and outlining our future goals and plans to fulfil our commitment to both youth and their society. Partners, youth, parents, school teachers, community leaders and all stakeholders are invited to send us their requests for digital copies of the new annual plan. All comments, ideas and suggestions are welcome. Please scan the QR code on the opposite page to send your request. The Federation is determined to deliver on the targets outlined in the “Fourth 5-year Development Plan” (2019-20 to 2023-24), thereby putting in place three strategic pillars in all levels of our work which are to deepen engagement, enhance professionalism and embrace innovation. At the same time, during a surge of the pandemic and after it has passed, the immense needs of both youth and society are preeminent. Our goals are to bring about healing and hope through the fostering of wellness and the enablement of future skills for the young generation. Three Strategic Pillars ● Deepening engagement ● Enhancing professionalism ● Embracing innovation Goals for the Younger Generation ● Healing & Hope ● All-Round Wellness ● Future Skills
The Federation will apply a user-centric design approach in targeting various groups of service users with specific needs, such as deprived youth in poverty, SEN students, emotionally disturbed youth, arrested youth, slash workers and those with a keen interest in public affairs and social participation. Professional evaluation mechanisms will be established to examine the social impact of our youth services, including assessments of key services, key events, specific service target groups and KPIs. Risk management and talent development will continue to sustain the organizational development, especially in this turbulent time.
Eight Youth Trends Youth in Poverty –In 2020, the poverty rate of children in 1 Hong Kong stood at 27% and among youth it was 15.6%. These figures represent a new high. Poverty contributes to the big digital gap, as seen in the variable effectiveness of online learning. Young people have also had to defer completing studies and abandon social contact and leisure activities with peers. Trans-generational poverty threatens them. Youth Unemployment – The official youth unemployment rate as published in the 30 November 2021 Quarterly Report 2 on General Household Survey was 9% for 20-29 year-olds and the economic downturn as a result of the pandemic is worsening their prospects and confidence in finding jobs. Competitiveness & Innovativeness – Hong Kong’s competitiveness and innovativeness have dropped in world rankings. Further discouragement is now affecting young people too, with high course fees and lack of spare time for active learning to equip themselves with new skill-sets for better prospects. Mixed Feelings about the Future – 92% youth identify with Hong Kong as their home and 84% are hoping to make contributions to our society. However, 43.6% are not confident about their future here and nearly 30% have been thinking about immigration, according 3 to a 2021 HKFYG Youth IDEAS think tank report.
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Four Directional Streams In the context of the eight trends above, the Federation stands by young people and plans to transform its services according to these directions: Digitalization – A 3-year ICT strategic plan has been formulated to guide digital transformations both in service delivery and internal management. These involve Smart S.P.O.T. modernization, smart offices and the implementation of latest technologies such as big data science, deep learning, AI and AR/VR.
Sustainability – Education about sustainable development is planned, to enable young people to become leaders in a more sustainable world in future. Efforts will also be made to promote all-round wellness through the adoption of a healthy, sustainable life-styles, emotional wellness and positive values in life.
Upskilling – Equipping young people with future skills that may enhance their employability is a priority. Supportive services for young slashers/freelancers and vocational training for SEN students is also envisaged as well as training young people as primary health care professionals.
Mainland Strategy – This includes the promotion of national identity and mutual exchange between young people from HK and mainland China. Support for young startups and career planning in the GBA is also envisaged, as well as the establishment of a HKFYG office for closer liaison and professional exchanges in the GBA with mainland Chinese counterparts.
Opportunities in the GBA – Local youth are not taking up career and other opportunities in the GBA according to research conducted by the mainly because of family or personal concerns about adapting to a new environment (49%), lack of information about the GBA (47%) and 4 perceived inferior living conditions in mainland China (30%).
Enquiries Corporate Planning & Staff Training Unit Email cp@hkfyg.org.hk Tel 3755 7088
Emotional and Physical Wellness – Social distancing and fear of pandemic have made young people lonelier and more depressed according to findings of a Chinese University of Hong Kong study released in June 2021. 40% of students experience mood swings, with depression, anger, 5 agitation, anxiety and sleeplessness at least once a week. Risk & Crime – Young people are prone to the risks of cybercrime and are vulnerable to becoming targets of cyber-sex crime as well as identity theft and drug abuse. Follow-up is also needed for youth arrested during the protests, especially students.
To obtain an e-copy of the HKFYG 2022-23 Annual Plan, please scan this QR code.
Environmental Sustainability – Research done by HKFYG’s Youth Research Centre, the findings of which will be released later this year, reveal that young people doubt the effectiveness of recycling in Hong Kong and 46% think convenient daily living makes the evils of pollution inevitable.
References 1. povertyrelief.gov.hk/eng/pdf/Hong_Kong_Poverty_Situation_Report_2020.pdf 2. censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?scode=200&pcode=D5250025 3. yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/en/2021/02/01/to-stay-or-to-leave-a-critical-question-for-good-governance/ 4. Summary report in Youth Hong Kong, March 2021 5. Employment in the Greater Bay Area from the Perspective of Hong Kong Youth. 6. mwyo.org/en/eeUr1q November 2021. 7. fed.cuhk.edu.hk/~hkcisa/HBSC_20210607_pr_e.pdf
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HKFYG March 2022∣Youth Hong Kong
Exploring Stanley scenery, stretching and sand
T
he Jockey Club Stanley Outdoor Training Camp was officially recommissioned at an inauguration in December 2021. Now all four HKFYG camps are back on stream. At Stanley, Sai Kung, Tai Mei Tuk and Lamma Island, leisure and team training await you with new programmes and activities in the natural environment. Discover the high points ● ● ● ●
Move 2 Wellness A a dreamy excursion around Stanley Bay
nature conservation sustainable development enhanced fitness overall wellness
with… Stanley’s story a tour for children and parents
● Learn about Stanley’s history ● Hear stories about the village community ● Take part in simulations and role-play activities
● ● ● ● ●
Stretch your muscles, take your time Discover coastal scenery and have fun Afloat in the comfort of a leisurely paddle boat Capture snapshots of the beautiful landscape Immerse yourself in the embrace of nature
Move 2 Wellness B building sandcastles on the beach ● Get your imagination into motion ● Create fabulous fantasies from simple sand ● Join a team and use your hands
More details 50
Web otc.hkfyg.org.hk
Fb otc.hkfyg
tel 2792 2727
email otc@hkfyg.org.hk
Two Online Farm Shops Enjoy fresh vegetables, order from home Organic Farm
Hydroponic Farm
At Pat Heung near Yuen Long and beside the Ho Pui Reservoir, our organic farm in Tai Lam Country Park covers about 15,000 sq. m. of land rich in natural resources. It is the first organic farm in Hong Kong to have both US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Certification and Hong Kong Organic Certification. Throughout the seasons, it helps protect the natural environment by growing healthy produce.
Our hydroponic farm is in rural Tai Hang Village near Tai Po. Covering about 10,000 sq. m. with a 3,000 sq. m. greenhouse, its crops are grown throughout the year using techniques based on semi-environmental control. It combines the wisdom of traditional agriculture with the precision of modern technology. The result is balanced output and maximal quality and faithful to the Federation’s youth orientation, more than half of its employees are young people, full of energy and enthusiasm.
Kale: the crispy, curly choice
Ginger: the pop condiment pick
Of all the so-called “superfoods, a great on is chunky kale. A fairly recent arrival on the trendy culinary scene, it has taken kitchens around the world by storm, scoring high for fibre and low for calories it also has antioxidants that help the body remove unwanted toxins, calcium, vitamins A, C and K, iron, and a wide range of other nutrients that can help prevent various health problems.
A vital ingredient in many Asian dishes, ginger is more than just a condiment that enhances flavours. It’s medicinal too. In recent years, there have been many studies proving that ginger has antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties, relieves joint pain, helps digestion, prevents gastric ulcers, relieves menstrual pain and has many other virtues. It can also prevent brain degeneration – let’s get some!
What’s in 100 grams of kale? 4 grams of fiber, already 20% of the recommended daily intake for an adult, but only 30 kilocalories. Who does it help? As well as helping those who want to slim down, the high fibre content of kale is also good for your intestinal environment because it prevents constipation.
Homegrown wisdom “Three slices of ginger eaten early is better than ginseng soup if you are poorly.” “Prepare a little ginger nice and quick, don't need to panic if you are sick.”
Place your order now! Seasonal vegetables, freshly picked on the same day as delivery! Minimum charge HK$150 Delivery charge per order $50 (order ≤ HK$250), Free (order > HK$250) Visit our online shop:
organicfarm.hk
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More than 10,000 supported Invite your friends to join!
Organized by:
Publisher : The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
香港青年協會
hkfyg.org.hk．m21.hk
Youth Hong Kong: 21/F, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Building, 21 Pak Fuk Road, North Point, Hong Kong Tel : 3755 7097．3755 7108．Fax : 3755 7155．Email : youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk．Website : youthhongkong.hkfyg.org.hk The title of this journal in Chinese is Xiang Gang Qing Nian 香 港 青 年
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