Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong

The key to making great mini-movies is integrating creativity and personal style into short videos or animations. After a series of serious evaluations conducted by a star-studded jury, the winners of the Sixth Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition, a large-scale inter-school event held every year in Hong Kong, were finally unveiled earlier this month. The winners of the gold, silver and bronze awards attended the awards presentation ceremony, where renowned actress Miss Harriet Yeung Sze Man shared her thoughts on the mini-movies, encouraged students to unleash their creativity and inject positivity into society. Going back to the start of the story, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong, Magna Education Centre and the Hong Kong Micro Movie Institute jointly organized the sixth Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition to encourage young people to pursue their dreams and show their care for the community. The theme of this year’s competition was “My City, My Creation” and, in a new twist, participants were allowed to present their mini-movies in animated and short video formats. This year’s competition attracted nearly 50 entries, with the stories covering a wide variety of contexts – from Hong Kong public housing estates to the Aberdeen fishing harbour to Chinese Opera. Some used Hong Kong's historical attractions as locations for their stories, all of which explored the precious value of family and friends and encouraged people across Hong Kong to chase their dreams and stay positive.

Mr Philip Poon, Chairman of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s Social Services Committee, remarked at the awards ceremony, “Thanks to everyone who has supported the competition. I am very pleased to see that the standard of the entries continues to improve, and I’m eager to see even more outstanding work in the coming years, fuelled by the vitality and the creativity of the participants.” The awards ceremony’s guest of honour, Harriet Yeung, reminded students that they should never stop trying, and that it is okay to discover their strengths and weaknesses by making mistakes – this is all part of their life’s journey. “Remember to intently observe your surroundings to seek inspiration when you are making films. I hope that you all will become part of the future of the movie industry and continue to explore and create inspiring works that bring positivity to society”, Harriet said. Harriet even joked about volunteering for some of the students’ films to give them further motivation to use their creativity when making movies. This year’s competition featured amazing prizes with a total value of more than HK$70,000, including department store cash vouchers and movie tickets. As in previous years, all winning mini-movies will be shown at the UA iSQUARE cinema, allowing the winners to share their joy with their friends and families. Thanks to sponsorship from Morningstar Travel, the winners of the gold, silver and bronze awards will also visit Beijing in July for a four-day, three-night exchange event. On the trip, they will visit the Central Academy of Drama and the Communication University of China, as well as several famous filming locations. The exciting ending for the gold, silver and bronze award winners is that they will also have the opportunity to take part in the big three American film festivals: the Chicago International Film Festival, the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards, and the US International Film and Video Festival. The winners will get the chance to showcase their talent to international juries, broaden their horizons and improve their abilities by learning from their international peers. If you missed this year’s competition or missed out on winning an award – don’t be upset, just focus on what you need to improve and try again next year! Head to the Hong Kong Secondary School Mini-Movie Competition’s Facebook page and check out the list of winning entries now!

We are currently recruiting Ambassadors for IFocus 2019 – the 14th annual meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) which aims to remove barriers in the digital world and support vulnerable groups as they learn to navigate online. If you are a Form One to Form Five student and have a keen interest in designing and leading activities, are able to explain IT clearly and help all sectors of the community optimize their use of information technology – then this is a great opportunity for you!

Those who are selected as ambassadors will be invited to take part in the 14th Internet Governance Forum in Berlin and share their thoughts on digital inclusion with people from around the world. The application deadline is 29 June, so don’t hesitate.

For enquiries: Please call Mr Chung on 2778 2727 or Mr Ho on 24133111.
For further details on iFocus 2019, please click here.

Sometimes we forget how blessed we are in Hong Kong – our city is protected from natural disasters like earthquakes, and for generations have not experienced the horrors of war. To make our young people more aware of the suffering faced by others in conflict or disaster zones, the Global Citizen campaign is organizing an experience and service tour to Vietnam in late June, 2019. There, the participants will have multiple opportunities to learn about the widespread effects of war and poverty. Upon their return, they will organize exhibitions to showcase their learning and highlight what they accomplished on their service tour.

For enquiries: Please call Mr Wong on 2692 2035
Event details
Click here to register online

YMCA is one of the oldest youth-oriented non-governmental organizations in the world. For a staggering 175 years, we have been making important impacts internationally. Today, we operate in 120 countries and serve over 58 million people. We also have consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

But above all, the YMCA strives to empower young people and prepare them to be future leaders who will create social good for all.

On 8 and 9 April this year, one of Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong’s youth members, Ms Tina Chan, was selected to represent the World YMCA and attend the 2019 ECOSOC Youth Forum at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. The forum’s theme was “Empowered, Included and Equal”, and the 20-member YMCA delegation, led by Mr Carlos Sanvee, the Secretary General of the World Alliance of YMCAs, engaged with UN officials, government representatives and other delegates to exchange ideas and recommendations on issues related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their impacts on young people around the world.

At the forum, a combination of plenary sessions, interactive roundtables and breakout sessions provided a platform for the more than 1,000 young leaders in attendance, allowing them to gain deeper understanding and engage in discussions on a number of important topics, including Quality Education, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reduced Inequalities, Climate Action and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Together, these topics addressed five of the 17 SDGs which address global challenges the faced by young people all over the world.

With a mission to strengthen youth leadership and expand global horizons for Hong Kong youth, Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong will continue working closely with the World YMCA to provide more opportunities for our members and volunteers to engage and participate in international events and exchanges; as ultimately, we believe that our young leaders must play an important and increasing role in working with the YMCA movement to help achieve the UN’s SDGs by 2030.

At the Caring Company Partnership Expo 2019, held on the 20 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, we introduced our two leading-edge CSR initiatives to the companies in attendance: YM Balloon, our Y-Care CSR scheme, and our new Sport-Friendly Action initiative, which promotes health and well-being in the workplace.

We hope to introduce our services to more companies at similar expos and shows in the future, as we work to join hands with companies and organizations to improve care for the disadvantaged in society and safeguard the health of employees and managers in every sector.

Cycling for Love 2019, our annual charity cycle ride, was successfully held last month. This year's event took place around the incredible Qiandao Lake, and was organized with the assistance of the Hangzhou Youth Association, the Hangzhou Nationality Bureau of Religious Affairs and the United Front Work Department of the CPC Chun'an District Committee. To celebrate the 175th anniversary of the YMCA’s global movement, this year’s journey totalled 175km. In addition to cycling, the 80 participants also took part in school services, home visits and a camellia tree planting exercise. After the trip, the participants donated their bikes to a local school. As usual, all proceeds from the event will go to the “Coach Kindle Hopes” Mobile Classroom project, with some funds being used to purchase and install hot water heaters in local schools.