 |
|||
e-Bridge is our tri-yearly newsletter. It aims to keep our members informed of the Council' s major international and regional activities and features hot international and regional issues which are of special concern to the welfare sector. |
|||
|
|
|||
5th Issue - Nov 2004 |
 |
||
| International and Regional News | |||
 |
|||
1. 2nd China Social Work Forum cum the 5th Hong Kong - Mainland Conference on Social Welfare Development |
|||
| Please
click
here for details. |
|||
 |
|||
There is a growing community of institutions and organizations committed to eradicating poverty through the delivery of financial services to poor and low-income people throughout the world. Known alternately as microcredit or the broader term microfinance, this partnership of public and private interests began to gain momentum in the mid-1970s as a serious tool for development. Microcredit and microfinance have changed the lives of people and revitalized communities in the world's poorest and also the richest countries. With access to a range of financial tools, even modest financial services, families can invest according to their own priorities ¡X school fees, health care, business, nutrition or housing. The clients of microfinance are generally poor and low-income people. They may be female heads of households, pensioners, artisans or small farmers. The client group for a given financial organization depends on that organization¡¦s mission and goals. Microcredit helps poor and low-income clients deal with their basic needs. For example, with access to microinsurance, poor people can cope with sudden expenses associated with serious illness or loss of assets. An inclusive financial sector allows poor and low-income people to access credit, insurance, remittances and savings products. In a world where most poor people
are women, studies have shown that access to financial services
has improved the status of women within the family and the community.
Women have become more assertive and confident. Furthermore, as
a result of microcredit, women own assets, including land and housing,
play a stronger role in decision-making, and take on leadership
roles in their communities. The UN General Assembly designated 2005 as the International Year of Microcredit and has invited Governments, the United Nations system, concerned non-governmental organizations and others from civil society, the private sector and the media to join in raising the profile and building the capacity of the microcredit and microfinance sectors. While Hong Kong enjoys the position of the world¡¦s leading trade and financial centre, poverty crisis is not invisible. Many low skilled workers in the low-income sector are vulnerable, working long hours for little money. Some women work 10 hours a day to collect refuse from hundreds of households for a small amount of monthly salary. Some are forced to be self-employed, forfeiting all the benefits of employment like insurance and entitlement to MPF. Even if the funds are available, many will not take out loans to help set up small businesses because they are doubtful of their abilities to pay them back. It is necessary to help the deprived groups get out of the poverty traps, and to achieve this we need short and long term solutions to the poverty problem with emphasis on sustainability. Microcredit scheme is a brand new idea in Hong Kong, while it has been proved a tremendous success in China that a number of NGOs has been running the microcredit programs across China to empower people to improve their own lives in the long run and to facilitate greater capacity. Perhaps, a special finance company should be set up to give loans to those who are not normally eligible for credit. The terms are such that due to fluctuating incomes, the money can be paid back irregularly. Some microcredit schemes also throw in free training in basic healthcare, accounting and business skills. The interest rate charged will reflect the credit risk and would appear high by other standards, but it embodies a commensurate return for the lenders. Estimates of the number of poor people in the world who use microcredit range from 70 million to 750 million. One of the goals of the International Year of Microcredit is to strengthen and spread the availability of good financial services, which offer the possibility and the hope to many poor people of improving their own situations through their own efforts. Shall Hong Kong be ready to address the cooperation among the government, NGOs and business sector to offer appropriate financial services to people trapped into poverty? Microfinance is much more than simply an income generation tool. By directly empowering poor people, particularly women, it has become one of the key driving mechanisms towards harmony, and sustainability of our society. For more information on the Year
of Microcredit, please visit the following websites: |
|||
|
|||
| The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women will undertake a review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995) and the Outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly (2000) during its 49th Session from 28 February to 11 March 2005. The CSW will focus on implementation at the national level, to identify achievements, gaps and challenges, as well as future actions needed to further implementation. You can make a contribution to the review and appraisal through your participation in the online discussions, which will be summarized and submitted to the CSW in February 2005. For more details please visit the
following website: |
|||
| 3. Council¡¦s participation in the 31st International Conference on ICSW: | |||
| ICSW held its 31st International Conference on Social Welfare in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during August 16 ¡V 19, 2004. The theme of the Conference, ¡§ Social Progress and Social Justice¡¨, and its utmost concern on promoting social inclusion at local, regional and global levels. The Council delegation, consisting of 13 key stakeholders, made a remarkable presence by presenting 11 papers in the Conference. It has been clearly demonstrated that Hong Kong¡¦s social welfare practices have been at the forefront of the South-East Asian Region. Many participants attended the workshops where Hong Kong¡¦s experiences were presented. After the session, Hong Kong¡¦s presenters were the ones to approach for more information and materials, hence exchanges. On the other hand, the Conference also stimulated the delegation to address the question on how globalization affects Hong Kong¡¦s social policy, especially in terms of the recent debate on Welfare Blue Print, Tripartite Partnership. A seminar will be conducted based on the stimulations from participating in the Conference. Details will be announced later. |
|||
 |
|||
International Conference of Human Services IT Applications - HUSITA7 |
|||
| HUSITA7 was successfully
held in 24-27 August, 2004 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition
Centre. Click here for details of HUSITA7.
|
|||
|
Council¡¦s participation in international & Regional Events: |
|||
| 13 delegations were sent to participate
in the international and regional events during June to October 2004.
Click here for more details about our delegations.
1. 5th World Congress on Conductive Education and ¡§Alma Mater¡¨ Conductors World Forum cum Post-event Study Visit (June 20 ¡V 30, 04; Hungary and England) 2 Alexander Graham Bell¡¦s Biennial Convention cum Post-event Study Visit (June 24 ¡V July 1, 04; Los Angeles, USA) 3 13th World Congress of Retina International (Jun 30-Jul 3, 04; Netherlands) 4 6th International Conference of the International Society for
3rd Sector Research and pre-event study visit on policy research
and social development (Jul 7-14, 04; Canada) 6 Summer Training of TEACCH Programme cum Post-event Study Visit
on Autistic Services (Jul 12-21, 04; North Carolina, US) 8 28th General Assembly of the International Social Security Association (Sept 12-18, 04; Beijing, China) 9 3rd World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorder cum Post-event Study Visit (Sept 15 - 22; 04; Auckland, New Zealand) 10 Study Visit on Training and Employment Programmes for Young People in the UK ( Sept 27 ¡V Oct 1, 04; London, UK) 11 24th International Fundraising Congress cum Post-event Study Visit on Fundraising and Resource Development (Oct 12-19, 04; Netherlands) 12 Study Visit on Accessibility and Employment for People with Disabilities in Taiwan (Oct 4 - 8, 04; Taipei and Hualin, Taiwan) 13 Study Visit on Community Development Practice in the UK (Oct 4 ¡V 8, 04; Scotland and England, UK) |
|||
|
|
|||
| Your suggestions and comments are most welcome. You can contact the following staff of the Core Business on International and Regional Networking: Mr
CHUA Hoi-wai Mr
Anthony WONG Ms
Erinyes CHOW |
|||
 |
|||
