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“Invest
in Youth by building Partnerships.” Welcome to the second
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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The
Challenge of Youth Unemployment
Youth unemployment is a challenge felt around the world.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, it is estimated
that more than one billion jobs will need to be created between
now and 2010 to accommodate young people who are entering
the labour force and to reduce unemployment among youth.
These are staggering figures and sadly, Hong Kong is not
immune.
Last week the unemployment figures were released. While
there was some happy news in that that the overall rate for
the three months ending in September dropped by 0.3 percentage
points to 8.3 percent, the figures for young people still
remained excessively high. The latest figures put unemployment
for those aged between 15 and 19 at a record high of over
36 per cent for the period of June and August. The number
of those young people who did not pursue their studies and
remained unemployed is 26,000.
The Government, academics and Third Sector groups have all
advocated for more training and short-term job opportunities
to be provided for this vulnerable group. However, these
piecemeal efforts cannot be seen as the only way to deal
with the problem. While greater emphasis needs to be placed
on increasing the employability of these youth, new strategies
are also needed in a multi-sectoral way to find a sustainable
solution to the problem. This might include more education-to-work
programmes, as well as youth entrepreneurship schemes. Hong
Kong has many efforts already in the offing, but we must
continue to pay attention to global responses and learn from
other experiences and successes.
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Discount
Offers for the Federation's u21.youthnet
The Federation
launched a new membership system called u21.youthnet in late
October. With the enthusiastic support of sponsoring stores
and businesses, young people will enjoy over 100 special offers
and discounts once they are registered as members of u21.youthnet.
The Federation would like to extend special thanks to Amelia's
Shop, Hui Liu Shan, Kung Tak Lam Shanghai Vegetarian Cuisine,
Okashi Land, Protrek Travel and Outdoor Gear,
Stereo Digital Services, Tom Lee Music, Tsang Fook Piano Co.,
Union Well Development
Ltd., Yutaka Japanese Dining Bar and many other sponsoring
stores that actively support our u21.youthnet.
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Well
Renowned Personalities to Share their Expertise and Experiences
Leadership
21 of the Federation is honoured to have three well known personalities,
Sir Yang Ti-liang, Mr. Allen Lee Peng-fai and Mr.
Richard Li Tzar-kai, spend their valuable time in
talking to Hong Kong's young leaders.
Long
supportive of youth development, Sir Yang Ti-liang is the Vice
Patron and an old friend of the Federation. Sir TL conducted 2
courses
on "How to learn English" and "Introduction to Western
Social Etiquette". Mr. Richard Li shared his own quest for excellence,
and
Mr. Allen
Lee
will share his personal insights in politics in a 4-session course,
which began 17 October.
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Unlock the Sporting Potential of Young People
Swire Coca-Cola HK joined hands with
the Federation to unlock the sporting potential of young
people by sponsoring
the Bonaqua Youth Challenge this year. Through
a number of sporting events within a wilderness environment,
young
people can challenge themselves both physically
and mentally. Participation in the race will help participants
learn
about team building and working together. The forthcoming
Bonaqua Youth Challenge will be held on December
7 at Sai Kung Country Park. Over 70 teams from 52 schools
have enrolled in this year's Challenge. Click here for
details.
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Federation
assisted in Mental Health PromotionThe
Federation assisted the Health InfoWorld of the Hospital
Authority,
“MINDSET” and Jardine Ambassadors in the “Health in Mind” programme.
This programme encourages secondary school students to adopt
a positive attitude towards life and increase their knowledge
about mental health. This year, the Federation will take a more
active role in terms of programme design and by becoming more
involved with the participating schools. Another supporter of
“Health in Mind” is the Education and Manpower Bureau.
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Teenage
Researchers Share Interesting Findings
19 primary and secondary schools jointly organized a student
project exhibition to showcase interesting findings by their
students. The topic on Stress Management was very popular.
A Primary Six student focused her investigation on “Teachers’
Sources of Stress” and was surprised to find that all 20 teachers
interviewed reported feeling pressure. One Primary Five student
was astonished to learn that his classmates used negative means
to cope with stress. Interested? Click here to learn more.
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Social Anxiety in Teenagers
A recent
study conducted by the Hong Kong Mood Disorder
Center (HKMDC) found that
about 3.2% of the population suffers from social anxiety.
The majority of sufferers are teenagers aged between
16 and 20. The youngest patient is only 3 years old. 27%
of the social anxiety sufferers have tried to avoid school,
while 30% have suicidal thoughts. Concerned about these
findings? Check out the HKMDC website
for more details.
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Youth
Unemployment Rate hits Record High
Despite the slight drop in the overall unemployment rate,
the unemployment rate for 15 to 19 years old surged to
a record high of 37.6% this quarter (June through August).
Among 15 to 19-year-olds, males have a harder time than
females in finding employment. Nearly 4 out of every
10 teenage boys are unemployed. Age and lack of work
experience continue to remain a barrier of young job
seekers. Click here for
further details.
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Youth
Forum on APEC 2003
More than 60 young delegates from 14 countries participated
in the Youth Forum on APEC 2003, which was held on the
6th and 7th of October in Bangkok. The theme of the Forum
was “Bridging the Gaps and Creating Opportunities for
Youth”. The young participants discussed the growing
economic and social disparity within the Asia-Pacific
region. After the Forum, these young leaders were given
a rare opportunity to present their recommendations to
world leaders attending the main APEC meeting, including
American President George W. Bush. Since 1997, the Youth
Forum on APEC has been organized before every APEC meeting.
To learn more about the Forum, click here.
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The
Internet as a Tool to Reduce Youth Suicides
Student
suicides are an alarming issue for universities in the
U.S.A. It is estimated that 9.9 out of every 100,000 15-to
24-year-old will commit suicide. Some universities have
now turned to the Internet to combat this growing trend.
Over 80 universities have allied with a website called
Ulifeline.org. Students can login to receive information
and counselling concerning mental health. They can even
schedule appointments online. It is believed that the Internet
can provide a comfortable medium for youngsters to receive
anonymous feedback without feeling embarrassed.
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Gender
Difference in Cigarette Smoking Rates
The
Global Youth Tobacco Survey conducted by the Centres of
Disease Control and Prevention of the United States shows
that the gender difference in student cigarette smoking
rates is disappearing all over the world. According to
the Census and Statistics Department in Hong Kong, the
percentage of girls aged 15-19 who currently smoke is 2.6%,
while that of the boys is around 6.5%. The regular smoker
ratio between boys and girls in 2000 is approximately 2.5:1.0.
The following tables sum up the situation in other regions:
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Ratio
of Boys and Girls aged 13-15 who currently Smokes Cigarettes
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Region
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Boys/Girls
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Africa
The Americas
Eastern Mediterranean
Europe
Southeast Asia (Includes India, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka)
Western Pacific (Includes China, Fiji, Philippines, Singapore)
Overall
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2.2:1.0
1.2:1.0
4.3:1.0
1.2:1.0
4.2:1.0
1.7:1.0
1.9:1.0 |
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Source: Global Youth Tobacco
Survey, 1999-2002
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Ratio
of Boys and Girls aged 13-15 who currently Smokes Cigarettes
in China
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Province
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Boys/Girls
Ratio |
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Chongqing
Guangdong
Shandong
Tianjin
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6.0:1.0
3.0:1.0
23.0:1.0
7.1:1.0 |
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Source:Global
Youth Tobacco Survey, 1999
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Click here to learn more
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Impact of the Internet on Youth
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The
Influence of Parenting
While
surfing the web has become a favourite pastime
for many youngsters in Hong Kong, pornography
and crime on the Internet causes a great deal
of worry for a lot of parents. How much influence
do parents have on the behaviour of youth with
regards to the Internet? Research done by Nancy
Law, Allan Yuen, Albert Chau and M. Lai of the
University of Hong Kong entitled “The Influence
of Parenting on Youth in Relation to the Impact
of the Internet” may answer your questions. Read
here.
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Youth and Internet Addiction
The problem of Internet addiction is worsening among young people
in Hong Kong. 37% of young people admitted that they are addicted
to the Internet in a survey conducted by the Democratic Party in
August. In the same survey, 50% of the parents thought that their
children were addicted to the Internet.
In
the United States, Dr. Kimberly Young, a researcher on the impact
of technology on human behaviour, has designed a self-test for parents
to evaluate their child’s level of Internet addiction. Check it out
here.
Read also Dr.Young's
article “Surfing not Studying: Dealing with
Internet Addiction on Campus” to better understand the problem
of Internet addiction in the context of a school or university campus.
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To
view the previous issue, simply click here |
