A sharing session of the youth mentorship programme, “Career Challenge 2012/13,” was held by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) on 26 March 2013 (Tuesday). Pop singer Mr. Anthony WONG Yiu-ming shared with about one hundred students his stories of battling stereotypes and overcoming barriers.

Mr. LAM Woon-kwong, the Chairperson of the EOC, said, “Young people should not be influenced by stereotypical concepts or prejudices in choosing their career path or friends, for such misconceptions could only limit their options and hinder their advancement. We should value the importance of one's ability, regardless of irrelevant factors such as gender, disability, family status, race, age or sexual orientation. Our mentor today, Mr. Anthony WONG, not only enjoys great success in his music career, but has also been an advocate for the underprivileged. I hope his valuable experiences will inspire our youth participants and broaden their vision and mind to accept, respect and appreciate people with different attributes, as well as to spread the message of equality and inclusion.”

Mr. Anthony WONG hopes this activity will show why it is important for everyone to take a stand against discrimination, and make young people believe in their own potential and abilities.

2013 marks the 11th year of “Career Challenge”, a youth mentorship programme which has been organized by the EOC since 2002. Other mentors of the year include Miss Sarah LEE, the Bronze medalist (cycling) in Olympic Games 2012; Mr. LEUNG Siu-kei, a registered nurse (psychiatric); Miss Tina KO, an illustrator; Father Franco MELLA; and barristers Mr. Kumar RAMANATHAN SC and Ms Vandana RAJWANI. The programme’s objective is to encourage youths to reject stereotypes and develop their own interests and abilities. They are also urged to eliminate discrimination and care for the disadvantaged, so as to build an inclusive community.

To respond to the new senior secondary academic structure, “Career Challenge 2012/13” has been registered as an “Other Learning Experience (OLE) Programme” in the Activity Data Bank of the Education Bureau. Schools are encouraged to arrange time for students to join this programme. Selected participants from different participating schools are trained to host sharing sessions and conduct interviews with mentors, as well as to promote the message of equal opportunities in schools and in their own communities. Videos of the sharing sessions are regularly uploaded on the EOC YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/user/HKEOC) for public viewing.

For media enquiry, please contact Ms. Jackie CHAN at 2106-2260.

Equal Opportunities Commission
26 March 2013

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Career Challenge Mentor, Mr. Anthony Wong, believes all of us should follow our own interests and judgments to build our future, instead of being impeded by stereotypes. He also encourages young people to show mutual respect and not to discriminate against others because of their differences.