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Aimed at all those who are interested in young people, their problems and concerns, hopes and aspirations, Invest in Youth, share stories, information and news. We welcome you your suggestions and comments, but ask you also to take the time and see how you might be able to join us building up partnerships. Please show your support by joining our mailing list to receive Invest in Youth every week.

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Join the growing volunteer force!
The Youth Volunteer Network (VNET) of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups began in 1998 and can now boast a membership of more than 60,000 young volunteers. These young people have been involved in a range of services, from organising community and educational programmes to participating in several mass events. This figure is increasing rapidly and can only bode well for the future of Hong Kong.

The Federation urges members of the community to get involved in volunteering efforts. We call upon businesses and corporations to help us in providing opportunities for young people to assist and contribute their time and effort. In the past, for example, the Airport Authority has collaborated with VNET to arrange musical performances and to hand out handmade arts and crafts to incoming visitors. Some of you might have other ideas, especially during this season of joy. Similarly, should you want your staff to become involved in volunteering efforts, the Federation is more than willing to lend a hand.

Volunteering has proved to be a most efficient and effective way of developing self-awareness in young people. It has taught them the value of being concerned about others and becoming committed to the community in which they live.

So, if you ever need young volunteers, call us. If you would like to become involved with volunteering yourselves, call us. If you have a commitment to the community and to improving the participation of young people, call us. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups believes that volunteering should not simply be a side activity for a few. Rather, that it should be an intrinsic part of how we live and work and we persuade everyone to join in!

 
Spreading the Message of Waste Separation
For the entire month of September, volunteers of the Federation's Youth Volunteer Network (VNET) promoted the idea of waste separation and recycling among residents of Kwai Tsing district. The young volunteers were participating in the" Dry and Wet Waste Separation Pilot Programme" organized by Allied (International) Process Engineering Ltd. and sponsored by Kwai Tsing District Council. Apart from explaining the concept, they also practiced what they preached and helped separate
the dry waste. Click here to share their feelings and thoughts.

Observing the Education System in Shanghai Firsthand
With a grant from the Commission on Youth, Leadership 21 of the Federation will organize a field study project to Shanghai for secondary school student leaders in Hong Kong from December 2003 to January 2004. 30 selected student leaders will have the opportunity to visit Shanghai, the country's pilot city in education reform, and learn first-hand about the city's education and youth development policies. They will also find out how secondary schools in Shanghai develop the potential of students
leadership through student organizations. Based on their experiences, the student leaders will then reflect upon the development of secondary school student organizations in Hong Kong and put forward policy recommendations for future improvements. Click here to learn more.

A New Communication Channel to reach Young People
To engage more young people in the Federation's varied and interesting activities, new channels of communication are being explored. Thanks to the kind support of MSN Hong Kong, young people can now access the latest information about the Federation's activities on the MSN Hong Kong website. They can also click on the side banners to visit the Federation's official and youth websites. Try it out yourself now!

   Budding Inventors showcase their Creativity
Secondary students in Hong Kong were challenged to think out-of-the-box and create economical and useful products in the "10 Healthy Invention Competition". One of the winning projects was a "Healthy 3-piece Dinnerware Set", which included a soupspoon with a hole, a shallow bowl that looked extremely large and a fork with only 2 prongs. The student inventors were confident that the dinnerware could help lazy people to lose weight! Other winning initiatives included an environmental-friendly massager and an electronic cooling pad for the eyes.

79 Students Committed Suicide over the Past 5 Years The student suicide problem deserves more of our attention. Reported in Ming Pao on December 4, the Education and Manpower Bureau information showed that 79 secondary and primary students have committed suicide over the past 5 years. In addition, 58 teenagers have attempted to kill themselves. The problem of suicide is most serious in primary six, secondary two, three and five students. Clinical psychologist pointed out that the situation was probably related to the pressure of adapting to changing learning environments.

Police Elites helped train High Flying Young Air Cadets
Since last year, over 100 police volunteers helped train young members of the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps. Some of the volunteers came from elite police units like the Special Duties Unit and Airport Security Unit. Using their professional expertise, they taught the young air cadets the proper way to drill, discipline, hike and wilderness survival techniques. Recently, the police volunteers established the first Air Cadet Corps Squadron at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, with the hope that the university students would take up leadership roles and assist in the development of the Corps in the future. Visit the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps website to learn more.


World Student Summit 2003
The World Student Summit 2003, supported by the United Nations-affiliated University for Peace, will be held at the National University of Singapore from 15 to 19 December. University students from around the world who are intellectually aware and concerned about global issues will come gather and explore topics including Society and Health, Promoting Alternatives to Conflict, Sustainable Development and the Environment, Bridging the Technological Divide and Youth in support of the United Nations. To forge ahead of mere rhetoric, various action plans will be drafted based on the discussions and workshops. Click here to learn more!

 


UK Students named the Civil Service as the Most Desirable Employer
According to the annual graduate career intentions survey of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers guide, the 2003 university graduates in the United Kingdom viewed the Civil Service as the employer offering "the best opportunities for graduates". It was the first time the Civil Service had come out on top. Accenture, a consulting company, was second. Other top ten graduate employers included Pricewaterhouse, the army, KPMG, HSBC, BBC, Proctor & Gamble, NHS and Deloitte. Would the result be the same if a similar survey were carried out in Hong Kong?

Youth Volunteering
Millions of young people around the world are making a difference in their community through volunteering. Below are some fast facts and figures on youth volunteering in 4 places: Hong Kong, Canada, U.S.A. and Australia.

● Hong Kong
- By September 2003, the total number of registered youth volunteers of the Federation's Youth Volunteer Net (VNET) exceeded 60,000. The total service hours contributed by the volunteers in the year 2002-2003 was 494,737.
- In December 2003, the Federation interviewed 521 Hong Kong citizens aged between 15 and 39 by phone. Among the youth respondents,

‧88.4% agreed that participation in unpaid voluntary work is very meaningful. It is not foolish at all.
‧96.4% agreed with the statement “It is more blessed to give than to receive”. (施比受更為有福)
‧96% agreed that if their financial situation allows, or if they have some personal expertise, they are willing to contribute to the needy.
‧89.7% reported that if they have time, they are happy to participate in voluntary services.
‧90% said that they have donated some of their income or pocket money to help the needy over the past year.
‧On average, each of them donates $127 a month.
‧38.5% said that they have spent time to participate in voluntary work over the past year.
‧21.4% said that they have contributed their personal expertise to help others over the past year.
‧Among those who have contributed their time or expertise to help others, the service hours given by them on average is 7.4 per month.

Source: “Youth's Views on Voluntary Commitment” Youth Opinion Poll No. 121, The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group, 2003

● Canada
- Percentage of young people (aged 15-24) who volunteered: 29%
- Average hours volunteered: 130 hours a year
- Main types of volunteer activities Canadian Youth involved in:

Organizing and supervising events: 53%
Canvassing, campaigning and fundraising: 39%
Teaching or coaching: 34%
Providing care, support or counseling: 29%
Serving as an unpaid member of a board or committee: 26%

- Motivations towards volunteering:

Young people are more likely to volunteer
To improve their job opportunities: 55%
To explore their own strengths: 71%
If their friends volunteer: 42%

Source: "Caring Canadians, Involved Canadians: Highlights from the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating" Published jointly by Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, Volunteer Canada, and Canadian Heritage., 2001

● United States of America
- Percentage of high school seniors volunteers in 1998: 74.2%
(UCLA/Higher Education Research Institute Annual Freshmen Survey, 1999)
- Percentage of young people aged 15-21 who has participated in activities to help strengthen their community at some point in their lives: 70%
(Do Something/Princeton Survey Research, 1998)
- Value of teenage service to the US economy: $34.3 billion
(Independent Sector/Gallup, 1999 value of service)
- Major reasons cited by teens for volunteering:
Feel compassion for people in need
Do something for a cause in which they believe
Believe that if they help others, others will help them
(Independent Sector/Gallup, 1996)
● Australia
- According to the ABS statistics (2000) the biggest growth area in volunteering was youth. There was an increase in participating 18-24 year olds from 16.6% to 26.8% between 1995 and 2000.
***Youth Pledge to Volunteer***


Uniting Youth Volunteer Leaders
The first ever conference for Youth Volunteer Leaders (「凝聚青年義工力量」第一次會議) successfully concluded on December 6, 2003. Over 700 youth volunteer
leaders convened at the International Trade and Exhibition Centre, Kowloon Bay and explored ways to push forward the development of youth volunteerism. At the opening ceremony, Mr. Paul Tang Kwok-wai, JP, the Director of Social Welfare, and Mr. John Cho-chak Chan, GBS JP, the Managing Director of Kowloon Motor Bus and a Member of The Community Chest, shared their personal insights on the conference theme. Then, a vivid discussion about
facilitating youth participation in volunteerism at the levels of school, enterprise and community took place with Mr. Cheng Yan-chee, Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr. Yeung Ka-Sing, MBE JP, Human Resources Manager of the Hong Kong and China Gas Company, Ms. Flora Chung Woon-Fan, Chief Executive Officer of Agency of Volunteer Service and the youth participants. All youth volunteer leaders benefited enormously from the speeches and seminars. At the end of the day, they pledged together to participate in volunteer activities in April, the month of Global Youth Service Day. The Federation offers our deepest thanks to the sole sponsorship of CITIC Ka Wah Bank. Click here to share some memorable moments of the conference.


  Make a Volunteer Pledge Online
Now in its second year, the Volunteer Web-A-Thon is an annual campaign of Youth One, a Canadian online youth community, in response to the Global Youth Service
Day. Meant to encourage youth volunteers to renew their commitment to volunteer and attract new volunteers to consider a commitment to their community, Web-A-Thon rallies young people around the world to make a pledge of volunteer hours online and inspire others to join the global youth volunteerism movement. Check it out!
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Copyright© 2003 The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups