Fundraising Gala Dinner: Thanks to all Prize Sponsors and Table Patrons

The Federation’s first fundraising Gala Dinner will be held on 26 May at the Four Seasons Hotel with the theme Back to the 60’s. The support we have had from the community is most encouraging and we are sure it will be a memorable evening. First, sincere thanks to all our Table Patrons, without whom the Gala Dinner would not have been possible. A big thank you also to all table prize sponsors and fancy dress award sponsors, namely Ex:beaute, Sa Sa International Holdings Ltd, Squina Cosmetics, Carsac Ltd, Bamboo Garden, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPSS (HK) Ltd, Okashiland, Mrs Nina Lam, China-Hong Kong Photo Group, Crocodile Garments Ltd, La Mer and Wonderful Grand Ltd. Heartfelt thanks to those who sponsored wine for the dinner including Mr Alex Tang and Mr CK Tsang. We are also grateful to Canon, who is kindly donating photo paper and ink and lending printers and digital cameras for the evening. Such generous support is vital if we are to continue developing top quality, flexible youth services for Hong Kong. Click here for a list of table patrons.

Perfectly Integrated Partnerships Lunch Seminar

Many thanks to DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary (DLA Piper) for arranging this lunch seminar on 16 May for members of the business sector. The Federation’s Executive Director, Dr Rosanna Wong used the opportunity to introduce the Youth Business Hong Kong (YBHK) project and describe the needs of start-up companies. This helped to promote the project and encourage more support from the business world. Initiated by the Federation in Hong Kong, YBHK has its roots in Youth Business International which helps young people in 26 different countries to set up a successful business. Participants are empowered by expert mentorship and seed funding, gaining a boost to self-confidence and increased business acumen. Many thanks again to DLA Piper, one of our YBHK partners, for the guidance and advice they offer to YBHK startups. Click here to learn more about the project: http://www.yen.org.hk/ybhk/

Hong Kong Young Ambassador Scheme 2006

Building on past success, each year the Tourism Commission and the Federation organize the Hong Kong Young Ambassador Scheme jointly with the goal of spreading the message of Hong Kong’s hospitality. The programme nurtures young people as good representatives of Hong Kong, training and encouraging them to promote the city’s rich traditions, heritage and tourist attractions around the world. Nearly 200 young people studying locally or overseas will be appointed as Hong Kong Young Ambassadors this summer. They will be stationed at tourist spots and will organize promotional activities during the coming year. Click here to learn more about the programme: http://www.yas.org.hk/

Cathay Pacific International Wilderness Experience 2006

This annual exchange programme will be sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd for the 12th time this year. Co-organized by the Federation, the programme takes 50 young people from South Africa and the Asia Pacific rim countries on a very special environmental education course in South Africa. This year’s event will run from 22-30 August. Hong Kong students aged 16-18 with experience of community service and voluntary work are cordially invited to apply for the programme and to enjoy the wonderful experience of widening their horizons on this exciting wilderness tour.
Deadline: 1 June 2006.
Interviews: 30 June-8 July.
Click here to learn more:
http://www.u21.org.hk/main/
promotion/cathay/index.html

Young people in Hong Kong have enormous potential and Hong Kong 200, an exciting new ten-year leadership project, aims to harness it. Launched last Saturday by The Hon Donald Tsang, GBM, Chief Executive of the HKSAR Government, the project benefits from the wisdom and experience of an eminent group of Advisors.*

Hong Kong 200

The Hong Kong 200 (HK 200) ten-year leadership project was launched last Saturday and six of the 200 participants talked to us about their expectations. They will have 200 hours of intensive training in Hong Kong and Beijing this summer which will spotlight regional trends and leadership skills and be followed by networking and conferences.

Janis, House Captain in Form 6 at DGS, began:
“For a leader it is so important it is to be observant and communicate well with others. HK 200 is a platform where I’ll meet many young people like myself, where I’ll learn about putting positive, active leadership to work.”

Cindy, till recently a Form 7 pupil at Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School is very self-aware and determined:

Holman, who is in Form 6 at Wah Yan College showed equal commitment and self-insight:
“This is about equipping myself better as a leader, but for me it also means looking at what being a leader really involves, testing my leadership skills and finding out whether in fact I feel suitable to lead.”

Ivy, who is in Form 6 at St Mary’s Canossian, talked about the training in Beijing:
“I’m really looking forward to getting more exposure to mainland life and culture during this summer’s trip. We’re going to meet people from all walks of life – from government, the arts, sports, business and industry. At Tsinghua University we’ll learn about constitutional development in China and issues such as the Open Door Policy. This will help me gain perspective on the direction China might take in the future. That is important for any future leader of Hong Kong.”

“This summer is just the beginning,” said Cecilia from St Clare’s, but she is also expecting the Beijing module to provide insight, “and the training will give me practical instead of theoretical leadership training to help me figure out my own direction.”

“HK 200 is like a big think tank,” commented Cindy. “It’s an ideal forum for figuring out the right direction for harmonizing the views of Hong Kong people, how we fit with the Mainland and within the world.”

“We need to know more about how China works as a whole,” said Holman. “On the Federation’s trip to Shanxi at Easter I saw the huge differences between the cities and the countryside. Making sense of China’s pace of change must take that into account.”

Edmund, a sixth former at La Salle continued along the same line of thought:
“I have no real idea about ordinary life in China but I know that it’s not all about living in Beijing. Members of HK 200 are the cream of the crop and it’s up to us to find out what China looks like through Mainlanders’ eyes."

Their perspective on China may lack some clarity as yet but they have already taken a good look at their personal future:
“Environmental protection and education are my main interests,” said Janis. “I want to concentrate on NGO work in these areas because I think they are essential for the well-being of the community.”

“I want to be a psychologist,” said Holman, “And I want to be a lawyer,” said Ivy.

“At the moment I want to be involved in the voluntary sector but I also think I can be a leader,” said Cecilia. “Maybe I can combine the two. In the meantime I’ll focus on network building and strengthen my contacts both here in Hong Kong and on the Mainland.”

“Whatever I end up as,” said Edmund, “I know that successful people should give back to society. That’s what I want to do.”

“My childhood dreams are to be a travel journalist, a politician or a lawyer,” concluded Mainland-born Cindy, thoughtfully. “All true leaders must be acutely aware of human nature and whatever my future career I know I need to be tolerant and perceptive because we are all the same under our skin.”

Juvenile crime in Hong Kong has dropped according to the latest figures.* The total number of arrests for crimes committed by local 10-20 year olds in 2004 was 10,709 whereas in 2005 it was 9,311. However, overall crime rates rose between January and March 2006 and were higher than they were for the same period in 2005. However, compared to many other large cities Hong Kong is still very safe, for all age groups.

In the UK, although the actual level of youth crime has remained steady over the last decade, the number of cases tried in court has risen significantly, with about 50% of the 200,000 children in the criminal justice system appearing in court, compared to only 30% in the mid-1990s.** This news comes in the wake of reports claiming that most young Britons aged 9-16 fear being attacked by their peers. Children in the UK are considered to be at double the risk of assault by other youngsters than by adults.

*www.info.gov.hk/police/
**South China Morning Post 29 April 2006

A census conducted in 1,270 independent schools in the UK this year shows that of all foreign pupils at British public schools over 25% are from Hong Kong.* There was an 11% increase in annual overall enrollment by overseas secondary students in Britain last year. The figure for the year was 8,384.

*South China Morning Post 15 May 2006

Courses are run for secondary students at the Leadership 21 training centre. They are designed for young people in leadership positions at school who need a good foundation in communication skills, team-building, motivation, dealing with conflict and decision-making. Head prefects, house captains, student union and club leaders enroll for these courses because they offer practical skills as well as theoretical background. They involve project learning and workshops, adventure camps and role play but they also have a consultative feedback element. Classroom instructors advise and follow-up on day-to-day problems faced by the students in their leadership roles at school. The courses are 2-3 months long and over 560 students enrolled for the courses last year. For more information visit www.leadership21.org, call 2169 0255 or email leadership21@hkfyg.org.hk