Conference on Social Cohesion, November 28 -29, 2003
The two-day conference contains a series of paper presentations,
roundtable discussions and workshops along various themes. Please find
attached a detailed programme of the conference. For your reference,
the following are some highlights from the programme.
"An exploratory research on the state of social cohesion in Hong Kong",
by Dr. Joseph Chan and Dr. Elaine Chan from HKU (2:00 pm, 28 November)
Based on a survey on 1000 sample households, this paper tries to measure
the state of social cohesion in Hong Kong. This involves a study of
dimensions like trust, sense of belonging, as well as helping and
cooperating behavior. The possible links between social cohesion and
other socioeconomic and cultural factors will also be tested.
"From community building and consultation to community partnerships",
by Dr. Joe Leung from HKU (2:40 pm, 28 November)
This paper studies recent initiatives by the Social Welfare Department of the HKSAR
government in promoting community consultation and cross-sector partnerships,
and creating collaborative structures at the local level. The policy
implications of these initiatives for community and social cohesion
building will also be examined.
Globalization and social cohesion (2-4 pm, 28 November)
This session includes three paper presentations from the globalization
perspective. More specifically, the papers will focus on Hong Kong's place
in the world, the issue of global responsibility, as well as the impact of
migration and flexible labor on social cohesion in Hong Kong.
Best practice on social services (2-4 pm, 28 November)
In addition to discussions on concepts and research findings on social cohesion,
a number of experienced practitioners working with diverse groups of people at
the community level have been invited to share their outstanding projects on
social cohesion building in a workshop. While they will explain how they seek
to build social cohesion at the community level, they will identify precious
lessons they have learnt, giving food for theoretical and policy thoughts on
social cohesion.
"Government leadership and social cohesion in Hong Kong", by Prof. Anthony
Cheung from the City University of Hong Kong (11:40am, 29 November)
This paper examines Hong Kong's current crisis of social cohesion as a result
of both an economic crisis and a political crisis. It suggests how government
leadership can assume a crucial role in turning this crisis into opportunity.
Corporate social responsibility (11:00am - 12:20pm, 29 November)
This session consists of workshops and three case studies on how the business sector
can contribute to the building of a cohesive community.
In addition to paper presentation and workshops, the conference will culminate in a
policy forum (2:30 - 4:30pm, 29 November), where prominent speakers from the academia,
the media, the third sector as well as the SAR government will discuss issues pertaining
to social cohesion in Hong Kong. For your information, the following forum speakers have
been confirmed:
Prof. Anthony BL Cheung 張炳良教授
Chairperson, SynergyNet
Mr. Chong Chan-yau 莊陳友先生
Executive Director, Oxfam Hong Kong
Prof. Kuan Hsin-chi 關信基教授
Chinese University of Hong Kong
Mr. Kevin CT Lau 劉進圖先
Editorial Writer, Ming Pao
Prof Lau Siu-Kai 劉兆佳教
Head,Central Policy Unit, HKSAR
|
