中文版

  1. EOC Chairperson responds to findings of latest Hong Kong Mental Health Index

Release of the surveyProf Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming, Chairperson of the EOC, wrote in his column in am730 today (31 October 2018) about the findings of the recently released Hong Kong Mental Health Index 2018.

Based on the World Health Organization’s Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), the annual survey sampled 1,007 Cantonese-speaking indiviudals aged 15 or above in Hong Kong this year. On average, Hongkongers only scored 50.2 out of 100 on the index, slightly below 52 which is generally taken as an acceptable score. What is more, respondents who are currently employed scored significantly lower than their non-working counterparts, with nearly one-third agreeing that their work life has a fairly or extremely negative effect on their well-being. Manual workers fared particularly poorly, registering an average score of 43.33.

“The results of the study are alarming, but unfortunately hardly surprising,” wrote Prof Chan. “Hong Kong prides itself on being a competitive and thriving economy, and yet we seem to remain deprived of happiness, peace of mind, or simply a good night’s sleep. Without doubt, a lot of the pressure comes from work – over 60% of the respondents reported working more than eight hours a day, the standard working time recommended by the International Labour Organization.”

Prof Chan continued, “While striking the perfect work-life balance is easier said than done, one possible way out lies in incentivising businesses to build a family-friendly workplace. Indeed, we at the EOC have always advocated the adoption of family-friendly policies, such as allowing flexi-hours or work-from-home and extending maternity and paternity benefits to part-time workers. We will defintiely continue with our corporate training and advocacy work while further dismantling taboos around mental health through public education. After all, we all deserve to be happy and well.”

Read Prof Chan’s article

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  1. Jevons Au and Dreamergo to conduct multimedia workshops for EOC’s youth programme “Generation i”

Promotional banner of the "Generation i" programme, consisting of colour blocks pieced together

The application deadline for the multimedia workshops under the EOC’s latest youth engagement programme “Generation i” has been extended to 7 November 2018 (Wednesday).

On 17 November 2018 (Saturday), 2pm – 5pm, local illustrator and cartoonist Dreamergo will take participants through the basics of comic drawing and offer tips on how to add some personal touch to their work. Boasting over 25 years of experience in the industry, Dreamergo has contributed illustrations for numerous renowned writers, including NI Kuang and Haruki MURAKAMI.

Another workshop, focusing on short video production, will be held on 24 November 2018 (Saturday), 11am – 1pm and 2pm – 6pm. Filmmaker Jevons AU, who won Best Director at the 36th Hong Kong Film Awards for Trivisa and recently helmed Distinction, an affectionate portrait of a teacher preparing students with special needs for a musical performance, will serve as the instructor and demonstrate techniques used in different stages of filmmaking.

Both workshops will take place at The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups Jockey Club Media 21 in Aberdeen. They seek to enhance the creative capacity of participants and prepare them for joining the “Generation i” competition, which requires entrants to submit a comic strip or a short video themed around inclusion, diversity and equality. Contestants have the chance to win cash prices up to HK$8,000. All secondary school students in Hong Kong may apply.

For enquiries, please contact the EOC at 2511 8211 or generationi@eoc.org.hk.

Apply now

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  1. EOC supports HSBC Hong Kong Community Festival

Promotional banner of the HSBC Hong Kong Community Festival featuring drawings of the local neighborhood Since its inception in 2012, the HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme has supported over 1,000 projects benefiting 3.5 million individuals in the city. Its goal is to inspire community-based initiatives to better address the needs of different social groups, and to foster a more inclusive and harmonious society.

On 18 November (Sunday), 12noon – 5pm, grantees of the programme will host interactive games and entertaining performances at Chater Road, Central and across all 18 districts as part of the 2018 HSBC Hong Kong Community Festival, organised by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and supported by the EOC. Continuing the theme “Bringing People Together”, all activities are open to the public. Come join them for a festive afternoon and learn about the difference they have made!

About the HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme
About the upcoming festival

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  1. WEDO GLOBAL promotes racial harmony through multicultural leadership programme

Group photo taken at the graduation ceremonyChinese and non-Chinese communities living in Hong Kong do not have a lot of opportunities to communicate with each other, which has led to barriers and misunderstanding. Therefore, WEDO GLOBAL has organised the Jockey Club “Go! Leaders Of the World” (GLOW) Programme, funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. This 10-month programme aims to foster understanding and collaboration among youth from different cultural backgrounds and nurture cross-cultural young leaders to promote a multi-cultural Hong Kong.

On 20 October 2018, with the support of the EOC, WEDO GLOBAL and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University co-organised the Jockey Club GLOW Programme Graduation Ceremony cum Multi-cultural Activity Day at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Mr NG Chung-lun and Ms WONG Ching-hung, founders of WEDO GLOBAL, together with The Hon Matthew CHEUNG Kin-chung, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government, Dr. Rosanna WONG, Steward of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Prof Geoffrey SHEN, Interim Vice President (Student Affairs) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University were invited to be the officiating guests, accompanied by keynote speakers Dr Simon SHEN, founder of GLOs and Ms Shalini MAHTANI, founder of The Zubin Foundation. From Turkish ebru painting to DIY henna body art and an immersive VR experience in the everyday lives of ethnic minorities, the event embodied a celebration of the cultural diversity that makes our city the lively and endearing place it is.

Click the links below to find out more about the work WEDO does to promote racial and cultural inclusion and harmony in Hong Kong.

About WEDO GLOBAL
About GLOW
View photos of the ceremony on Facebook

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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.