中文版

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The EOC moved to a new office on 6 November. The new address is: 16/F, 41 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong. The EOC hotline, fax number and email address remain unchanged.
 
Click here to see how to get to the new EOC office via public transport

 

  1. Hong Kong Gay Games bring hope for greater inclusion of sexual minorities

logo of the 2022 Gay Games

Congratulations to the bidding team of the 2022 Gay Games on successfully bringing the event to Hong Kong!

On 31 October 2017, it was announced that Hong Kong would be the next host of the world’s biggest LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) sporting event which is held every four years.

The EOC, together with other organisations and individuals, has been an avid supporter of the bid. Upon learning of the news of the successful bid, we published a statement in which EOC Chairperson Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming said, “We are very pleased to hear that the Gay Games will be hosted in Hong Kong in 2022. It will be the first time this kind of sports and cultural event is ever held in Hong Kong, or anywhere in Asia. We believe that it will be an excellent opportunity to promote equality and respect of LGBTI people, as well as celebrate diversity and encourage participation of all, which is indeed the EOC’s mission.”

Prof Chan also wrote an article in his am730 column, in which he expressed the wish to see a more caring and inclusive society, and the EOC’s support for legislation to protect LGBTI individuals from discrimination in public domains.

The EOC will continue rendering support to the organiser of the Gay Games, and advocating more comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation to protect groups that are susceptible to discrimination. photo of Prof Chan at Pink Dot 2017

Read the EOC’s statement on the Gay Games
Read Prof Chan’s am730 article (Chinese only)

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  1. Racial integration: kindergartens are the place to start

cover of the "Easy Guide on Promoting Racial Equality in Schools: Kindergarten Admission"

A low level of proficiency in the Chinese language is one of the major causes of limited career choices and development opportunities among certain ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, language is not a skill that can be acquired in a day, especially not Cantonese and written traditional Chinese, which are generally agreed to be among the most difficult languages to learn. To help ethnic minority residents expand their employment choices and integrate better into our community, we need to go way back to the stage of kindergarten, when children begin to learn the Chinese language.

Currently, many kindergartens do not have any ethnic minority students. Some may have no clue as to what to do when ethnic minority parents make an application for their children, while others may have misconceptions about non-Chinese people.

To encourage kindergartens to offer equal admission opportunities to ethnic minority applicants, the EOC has recently published the “Easy Guide on Promoting Racial Equality in Schools: Kindergarten Admission”. The six-page guide explains the Race Discrimination Ordinance in a nutshell and lists out in bullet points things that kindergartens should heed and avoid during the admission period. There are also useful links to NGOs offering relevant support services such as translation service for ethnic minorities. 

The guide is easy to understand and certainly useful. Kindergartens can make use of it as a checklist to ensure they are making the necessary accommodations for ethnic minority applicants.

Download the easy guide (Chinese only for the time being)
Other EOC resources on promoting racial inclusion in schools

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  1. EOC participated in HKU’s Equal Opportunity Festival

Group photo from the HKU EO Festival
Tertiary institutions are important partners of the EOC in effecting cultural change in society. On 27 October, we supported the annual Equal Opportunity Festival of The University of Hong Kong, where Professor Alfred CHAN Cheung-ming was invited to be an officiating guest.

Like last year, we set up a booth with information boards and a game to promote better understanding of different issues related to discrimination and equal opportunities to students and staff.    

Visit the website of HKU’s Equal Opportunity Unit

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  1. HSBC Hong Kong Community Festival 2017

HSBC Hong Kong Community Festival e-banner
This year, the HSBC Hong Kong Community Festival will be held on 26 November. The festival will continue the theme “Bringing People Together” to induce creativity and motivate participation for an inclusive and harmonious community, and at the same time, to celebrate the excellent work and achievements of the charity partners who are involved in the HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme.

Interactive games and entertaining performances will be hosted on Chater Road, Central and throughout the 18 districts by grantees of the HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme. All festival activities are open for public participation.

Details:
 
Date: 26 November 2017 (Sunday)
Venue:  Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct in Central and across the 18 districts
Admission: Free admission, all members of the public are welcome
Organiser: The Hong Kong Council of Social Service

Learn more about the HSBC Hong Kong Community Festival

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Visit our website or download the EOC mobile app 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.