中文版

  1. An Open Letter to the Director of Immigration on Naturalisation Issues
    The EOC Chairperson argues that ethnicity should not be a factor for exclusion

Photo showing a black fish being stopped from joining another six goldfish by a human hand

There have been several media reports recently about ethnic minorities who have lived in Hong Kong for many years seeing their applications to become naturalised Chinese citizens denied. In his regular contribution to the column “On Second Thought” of the South China Morning Post on 22 October 2012, the EOC Chairperson, Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, wrote that the situation “highlights the need for greater transparency from the Immigration Department regarding its reasoning behind such decisions.” Without such transparency, it is difficult to ascertain if the process was soundly based on the Nationality Law and the consistent application of specified criteria, or “whether ethnicity, in itself, was taken as a key consideration and to what effect.” Mr. Lam emphasised the contributions made by ethnic minorities throughout Hong Kong’s history, and reminded readers that “when we exclude our own talents because of features such as race, we all lose.”

Read the article

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  1. Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme launched

Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme. Open for application now.

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the Equal Opportunities Commission jointly launched the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme on 30 October 2012. Under the scheme, websites of the participating organisations meeting the accreditation criteria can display the gold or silver award logo as recognition for their achievement in adopting barrier-free design. Participating organisations can enjoy free assessment and advisory services on web accessibility. The scheme also offers seminars for organisations and website managers on the requirements and benefits of adopting web accessibility design. The first seminar was attended by about 200 representatives from various organisations. The accreditation results will be announced in April 2013.

Equal Opportunities Commission member, Mr Nelson Yip, said at the launch, "Inaccessible websites limit the acquisition of information by persons with disabilities and their pursuit of activities in the Internet world. Organisations should take into account the needs of persons with disabilities and construct an accessible website at the early design stage as the cost would be minimal compared to that of a complete revamp."

Details of the scheme

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  1. Equal Opportunities Diversity Project
    The EOC’s RTHK Radio 2 programme to promote inclusion returns starting 1 November

Poster on “Equal Opportunities Diversity Project”

The “Equal Opportunities Diversity Project”, the EOC’s weekly radio programme to promote public awareness on inclusion and diversity, will begin its 2012 broadcast on 1 November 2012, moving to Thursday this year. A 12-month radio programme on RTHK Radio 2, it aims to promote racial harmony, inclusion of people with disability, gender equality and accommodation for persons with family status. The major initiatives include weekly interviews on equal opportunities issues and radio segments on discrimination cases as well as the life-style, languages and culture of ethnic minorities. The weekly interviews with stakeholders on equal opportunities issues will be broadcast on RTHK Radio 2 programme, “Made in Hong Kong Mr. Alex Lee,” every Thursday, 2:00 to 2:30 pm, from 1 November 2012 to 30 October 2013. Click on the link below to listen to previous programmes.

Listen to previous programmes (Cantonese version only)

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  1. Prevent Sexual Harassment
    The EOC organises a workshop for community workers on sexual harassment

Poster on “Preventing Sexual Harassment”

All of us have the right to be free of sexual harassment and intimidation, yet many may not be aware of how to seek help in such situations. In order to support frontline staff to assist clients who may have experienced sexual harassment, the EOC is organising a tailor-made workshop for community workers in Hong Kong. The free-of-charge workshop will cover the provisions on sexual harassment under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance, the EOC’s complaints handling procedures, as well as a sharing session from the NGO RainLily on dealing with indecent assault cases. Please find details below, or call 2106 2106 for more information.
 

Date: 12 November 2012
Time: 2:00 – 6:00pm
Venue: Conference Room, Equal Opportunities Commission
19/F Cityplaza Three, 14 Taikoo Wan Rd, Taikoo Shing
Medium: English
Target participants: Community workers

A Matter of S/He: the EOC’s online training module on sexual harassment

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  1. RISE!
    A new mentorship and leadership project for ethnic minority youths

Youth group photo from KELY Support Group

KELY Support Group and the Department of Applied Social Sciences of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University are launching “RISE!” (Realizing Inner Strengths, Empowered!), an initiative aimed at helping ethnic minority youths gain knowledge, networks, and skills for advancing their studies and future careers. The project will run from October 2012 to January 2014, and will feature mentoring groups, workshops, and a city-wide campaign on issues faced by ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. For more information, to become a mentor or a volunteer, please contact Justin Murgai at justinmurgai@kely.org or at 2521 6890.

More about KELY Support Group

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  1. Hong Kong Symposium on HIV/AIDS 2012

Poster on “Hong Kong Symposium on HIV/AIDS 2012”

The EOC is one of the supporting organisations of the “Hong Kong Symposium on HIV/AIDS 2012.” The event is hosted by the Hong Kong AIDS Foundation and the AIDS Institute of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of The University of Hong Kong, and supported by the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDs. The Symposium will be held from 13 to 14 November 2012 at Cheung Kung Hai Lecture Theatre at HKU LKS Faculty of Medicine. It will explore HIV/AIDS and related diseases with topics including HIV pathogenesis, HIV antiretroviral treatment, development of HIV vaccine, comprehensive clinical nursing, psychological intervention and equitable healthcare services for people living with HIV. Click on the link below for more details and enrolment.

Details of the Hong Kong Symposium on HIV/AIDS 2012

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Visit our website or download the EOC mobile app (Apple App Store / Google Play) to stay updated on the EOC’s work and positions, and to review our press releases and calendar training. Also, stay tuned on other equal opportunities issues and community initiatives by visiting our community resources and community events pages for information from our community partners, including publications, survey reports, publicity campaigns, and upcoming conferences.