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“Invest
in Youth by building Partnerships.” Welcome to
the fourth issue of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth
Groups’ e-newsletter.
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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Dr. Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP
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Learning from an Astronaut
This was an exciting time for Hong Kong! China's first astronaut
Lieutenant Colonel Yang Liwei came to visit. Making the
trip here so soon after his journey into space, the people
of the city felt a close connection to the historic event,
allowing them to enjoy the joy and the glory of what
has been achieved.
Hong Kong welcomed Lt. Col. Yang with a very busy schedule,
yet throughout the excitement and enthusiasm, the astronaut
was charming and genuinely pleased to be here. He spoke of
how touched he was by the warmth shown to him and how pleased
he was to see so many young people. During all his visitations,
Yang was very open about his life and shared his many experiences,
as well as difficulties, in achieving his goal. He told young
people that they needed to be persistent in achieving their
dreams, no matter how many obstacles and challenges they
found in their way. From his own family history, he spoke
movingly about the importance of good health and urged youth
to be disciplined in maintaining a high standard of clean
living. Yang also reminded his audience that scientific knowledge
was power. He stressed the magnitude of technological advancements
and how necessary it was to keep up, rather than be left
behind.
This was a fabulous opportunity for the lucky youngsters
to meet a real ‘hero’. He provided them with so much food
for thought. The first Chinese astronaut managed, during
his short but very busy visit, to inspire people to constantly
seek knowledge, to always remain curious and competitive
and to be aware of their civic responsibilities. What struck
me was how Lt. Col. Yang conducted himself throughout his
visit. He really is a hero, not only because of his accomplishments,
but also because of his character. He was humble, considerate
and appreciative. He was patient and fully aware that his
feat was not for himself, but for his country. The visit
left the people of Hong Kong with a strong feeling of pride
in being Chinese.
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Sparking
Interaction Among Youth Volunteer Leaders
The Federation
is encouraged to see that more and more corporations are now
advocating the value of volunteering. As a result of the sole
sponsorship of CITIC Ka Wah Bank, the Federation
will organize the first ever conference for Youth Volunteer
Leaders (凝聚青年義工力量第一屆會議), which will be held on
December 6 at the International Trade and Exhibition Centre,
Kowloon Bay. Through seminars and other sessions, youth volunteer
leaders will have the opportunity to share ideas, experiences
and practices. Over 700 youth volunteer leaders will participate
in this landmark event. The Federation is honored that the
Director of Social Welfare, Mr. Paul Tang Kwok-wai, JP, and
Mr. John Cho-chak Chan GBS, JP, the Managing Director of Kowloon
Motor Bus and a Member of The Community Chest, have agreed
to be the Guest Speakers at the Opening Ceremony. The Federation
is now inviting nominations of youth volunteer leaders to attend
the Conference. Click for further details.
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Caring
for the Deprived Elderly
The SARS
outbreak in the Spring brought to the attention of the entire
community the plight of the elderly, especially those who are
neglected and deprived. A group of caring people,
working in partnership with the Federation and the Society
for Community Organization, initiated “Project Relay”
to show their concern for disadvantaged elderly people. “Project
Relay” appealed to all taxpayers to donate their tax rebates
to enhance the living conditions of the deprived elderly. Youth
volunteers visited these vulnerable elderly regularly and discussed
ways by which they could spend the donations wisely. Over 560
elderly benefited from the project. Click here to see how Project
Relay brightened the lives of hundreds of elderly people and
youth volunteers.
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Inspiring
Students with Stories of Teens Overcoming Adversity
“The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Felix
Wong Youth Improvement Award” was set up in 1997
with a generous donation from an individual donor.
Every year, 20 local secondary students are
recognized for the efforts that they have made in
overcoming life crises or misfortune. The Award has
been well received by the education sector. Now,
with support from The Hong Kong Jockey Club
Charities Trust, the life struggles of four
winners of the Award have been compiled in an Education
Kit to inspire and influence others. A
Life Education Seminar, along with promotion
of the Education Kit will be held on November 22.
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Inspiring
Young Scientists
There
is a cross-sector partnership that paves the way for young scientists
to showcase their talents. The Hong
Kong Student Science Project Competition 2004, the 6th in the
series, is jointly organized by the Federation, the Innovation
and Technology Commission and the Education
and Manpower Bureau to promote the
interest of students in science and technology. The theme this
year is “Science, Youth and Future”. The Competition is
now inviting nomination from local secondary schools. Learn more and
help us locate future scientists!
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Recognizing Outstanding Young People
Seven
outstanding youths were recognized for their professional
achievements and commitment to the community at the Ten
Outstanding Young Persons Selection 2003. Winners include
professors, artists, businessmen and a charity founder.
Pop stars Gigi Leung and Aaron Kwok were also on the list.
What makes these individuals stand out as excellent role
models for today's youth? Read their stories here to
learn the answer.
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Teen
Pregnancy a Serious Problem
In the past 12 months, over 700 teenage girls who became
pregnant out of carelessness and without planning, sought
counseling from Mother's Choice. What makes this particularly
worrying is the fact that these figures are double the
number of cases recorded in the previous year and the
youngest case was only 12 years old. Of the pregnant
girls assisted by Mother's Choice, 63% decided to give
their babies to adoptive families, while 35% chose to
raise the babies themselves. Click here to
learn more.
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Taiwan
Tops Teen Pregnancy Rate in Asia
According
to the latest statistics released by the Taiwan Government,
the pregnancy rate for young girls between the ages of
15 and 18, is 12.95 per 1,000, the highest among developed
countries and regions in Asia. Singapore, Japan and South
Korea have also recorded increasing figures, which are
8 per 1,000, 4 per 1,000 and 2.8 per 1,000 respectively.
The Taiwanese Government has attributed this high figure
to a very open attitude towards sexual relations among
young people.
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Challenging
Youth to Design a ‘Martian’
The
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in
the United States has launched a “Design-a-Martian Challenge”.
The challenge is to nurture the interest of young people
in Mars and to envisage and design ‘creatures’ that could
survive in the sand storms, cold temperatures and other
harsh conditions of the “red planet”. NASA scientists will
be invited to provide final feedback about the students’
designs. For more information about the challenge, click
here.
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Youth
in Extreme Poverty
In
2000, 238 million young people in the world were surviving
on less than US$1 dollar a day. India, China, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Vietnam, Brazil, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Mexico are the
11 countries with the largest concentration of youth below
the poverty line. Together they account for 77% of the
238 million in extreme poverty.
See the table
below to get the actual numbers of young people aged 15-24 years
in the 11 countries with the highest concentration
of youth below the poverty line (income/consumption of less than
US$1 per day), estimated from national data :
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Country |
Proportion
of the total population living on less than US$1 per day(percentage) |
Total
estimated youth population aged 15-24 years(millions) |
Number
of youth living below the US$1-per-day poverty line(millions) |
India
China
Nigeria
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Viet Nam
Brazil
Ethiopia
Indonesia
Mexico
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44.2
18.8
70.2
31.0
29.1
66.6
37.0
11.6
31.3
7.7
15.9
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191.2
191.4
24.7
29.5
30.2
9.8
16.3
34.0
12.1
42.1
20.0
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84.5
36.0
17.3
9.1
8.8
6.5
6.0
3.9
3.8
3.2
3.2 |
Total |
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182.5 |
Source:
World Youth Report 2003, Chapter 3 http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/wyr/index.html |
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Global
Youth Service Day
“165 days, 164 days, 163 days, 162 days to go…”
Youth
volunteers from all over the world are counting down
to the Global Youth Service Day
(GYSD) 2004. This is an annual global event
that highlights the amazing contributions made by youth
year-round
to their communities through volunteering.
On Global Youth Service Day, millions of young
people in over 150 countries will highlight
and carry out thousands of community improvement
projects. Check out the GYSD website
for more details.
Hong Kong will join the celebration as well,
with the Federation to be the Lead Agency locally
for GYSD. The Youth Volunteer Network (VNET)
of the Federation would like to mobilize 5,000
Hong Kong young people to participate in various
volunteer activities in April to address the
needs of the community. Click here to see what
VNET has in mind.
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To
view the previous issue, simply click here |
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