Four very tall figures have been spotted at the EOC office – they are basketball-loving Tally and his friends! They have travelled all the way from Planet Diversity to Hong Kong on a special mission: to promote messages of kindness, empathy and friendship to children in our city.

On 24 October, we were very pleased to unveil “Tally & Friends”, a brand new illustrated children book series published by the EOC and designed by a talented team of student designers from the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) under the school’s "Co-operative Workshop".

The main objective of the book series, which comes in both English and Chinese, is to instil in our future generation, who will become leaders of our world one day, the positive moral values of equality, diversity and inclusion. Professionally designed and produced, the book series also showcases the creativity of our city’s local designers.

The official launch of the book series was attended by EOC Chairperson Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming, PolyU representatives including Dean of the School of Design Professor Cees DE BONT, EOC Members, the lead designers of “Tally & Friends”, and representatives from the education sector and NGOs.

Students from CNEC Lau Wing Sang Secondary School, a participating school of the Jockey Club Equal Opportunities Drama Project, of which the EOC is a supporter, were also invited to perform an excerpt from the storybooks.

Following the launch, we have mailed hardcopies of the book series to kindergartens and primary schools across Hong Kong, NGOs serving children, our stakeholders including Government officials and Legislative Council Members, and other relevant organisations. Additionally, a mini-site has been created with the e-books, downloadable computer desktop wallpapers and updates on future events.

Visit the “Tally & Friends” mini-site

A new article by EOC Chairperson Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming published in Stand News on 16 October was a timely response to Chief Executive Mrs Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngo’s first Policy Address, which promised to provide people with disabilities (PWDs) with greater opportunities to work in the Civil Service and more support for students with disabilities.

Between 2006 and 2016, the ratio of civil servants with disabilities had dropped, despite the increase in the overall number of civil servants. Prof Chan said the EOC looked forward to new measures by the Government to improve this situation and set a good example being the largest employer in Hong Kong. He also pointed out that the generally low participation rate in the labour market among PWDs in Hong Kong was a result of prejudice and biases. He encouraged companies to learn from the good practices of social enterprises and NGOs in hiring PWDs which would allow a win-win situation for companies and PWDs with capacity to work.

Read Prof Chan’s article in Stand News (Chinese only)

Want to meet the first woman from Hong Kong who conquered Mount Everest? Or the first non-ethnic Chinese person who became a registered social worker in our city? Wait no more and sign up for our Youth Challenge programme before the deadline next week (31 October)!

This year’s programme will feature sharing by four mentors with inspiring experiences, namely:

Participants can sign up for the various sharing sessions, as well as a visit to the NGO Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong on a first-come, first-served basis. Further information is available on the EOC website. Students who want to take part should seize the chance and apply now by filling out the online form or through their schools.

View details of Youth Challenge
Complete the online registration form

We often talk about the importance of mental health, but what concrete steps can be taken to achieve mental wellbeing? The Mental Health Mini-Expo is the place to find out more.

As part of 2017 Mental Health Month initiated by the Labour and Welfare Bureau and supported by the EOC, the expo will feature talks, workshops and exhibitions on a variety of topics that promote better mental health, such as healthy eating, music, art and photography, health-related technologies, work-life balance, good parent-child communication and relationship, and more. 2017 Mental Health ambassador Ms Cecilia YEUNG Man-wai, a member of the Hong Kong Women’s High Jump team, is also going to share how she keeps her mood up and a healthy lifestyle.

The expo is free of charge and all members of the public are welcome.

Details

Separately, the Hong Kong Mental Health Conference, organised by Patient Care Foundation, will take place between 3 and 5 November. The conference is a platform for professionals in mental health-related fields, including medical, legal, education and media to gather together and discuss mental health issues and solutions. For details and registration, please refer to the event website.

Learn more about the Mental Health Expo (Chinese only)
Visit the Mental Health Month Facebook page (Chinese only)
Browse the website of Hong Kong Mental Health Conference

Learn more about the Diversity List
Complete the nomination form