Innovation Hub Symposium 2023: The Integration of Community Development and Social Innovation

Date: 15 December, 2023 (Friday)

Time: 9:10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Venue: The Hong Kong Council of Social Service

1/F, Auditorium, Duke of Windsor Social Service Building, 15 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong 

Language: Cantonese, English and Mandarin (Interpretation services are provided.)

Target Audience: Community development workers, social welfare professionals, social work students, and interested individuals

No. of participant: 150

Fee: Free of charge

Background:

The Innovation Hub project, supported by the HSBC Hong Kong Community Partnership Programme and in collaboration with the Social Work Practice and Mental Health Center of Department of Social Work Hong Kong Baptist University, aims to promote a culture of “growth mindset” among social welfare organizations through mutual learning and collaboration. The project aims to utilize innovative, effective, and sustainable community development models to address community issues and apply the “International Community Development Standards” locally.

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) intends to showcase, based on the two years of experience in the program, how community development models can be used to achieve social innovation. They also aim to share the challenges and opportunities faced by participating organizations in the promotion process, fostering exchanges among the industry and stakeholders on innovative and sustainable community development.

Objective：

1. Share international and local approaches and experiences in community development and social innovation
2. Showcase the achievements of the Innovation Hub project in utilizing community development models to achieve social innovation over the past two years
3. Create a platform to facilitate exchanges among the industry and stakeholders on community development

Symposium Rundown

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Professor Keith Popple

Professor Keith Popple is Emeritus Professor and former Head of Social Work at London South Bank University. A former practitioner Professor Popple has for many years taught, researched, and written in the areas of social work, social policy, and community development.

He is author of several key publications in his subject area including Analysing Community Work 2^nd Edition published by Open University Press, 2015. Professor Popple is a former Editor of the internationally acclaimed Community Development Journal.

Professor Popple is presently involved in researching how the power and complex nature of neoliberalism impacts on communities in London. His work has involved in examining the campaign of a small but innovative London based community group that is responding to the challenges of free market/global finance.

Professor Frank Moulaert

Professor Frank Moulaert is an eminent scholar in Social Innovation, Territorial Development and Regional Innovation Systems. He was a Professor at the University of Lille (France) and at Newcastle University (UK). He is Emeritus Professor of Spatial Planning, Faculty of Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium. He has been the Head of the Planning and Development Unit ASRO, and Chairman of the Leuven Research Centre on Space and Society,  He was the Academic Coordinator of the Policy Centre ‘Spatial Planning and Housing’ of the Flemish Region. His research covers urban and regional development, social science theories and methods, but especially social innovation. 

Professor Frank Moulaert has coordinated six European Framework projects (SOCIALPOLIS, KATARSIS, DEMOLOGOS, SINGOCOM, VALICORES, URSPIC) and has worked on numerous regional, national and international research platforms in the course of his academic career. He continues his passion for societal change through research and community work. He is interested in issues around the governance of socio-ecological systems (role of social innovation); and, operationalizing sustainable lifestyles through social innovation. He has written various policy reports. He published books, chapters, journal articles, besides editing special issues of peer-reviewed journals. His works have been translated and published around the world in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Shuanglang Bai Ethnic Farmers’ Painting Society – The Farmers’ Painting Society (Chicken Coop) Café

Shuanglang, located in Dali, Yunnan, is a beautiful village nestled amidst mountains and waters. In 2008, the artist Shen Jianhua moved here with his family from Shanghai and founded the Shuanglang Bai Ethnic Farmers’ Painting Society. Using a method of teaching without teaching, he guided and inspired local farmers to engage in painting, deeply integrating with rural life. The members of the painting society are mainly Bai ethnic grandmothers with an average age of sixty to seventy years old, with the oldest member being 90 years old. Art has become a part of their daily lives, bringing about dual improvements in their material and spiritual well-being.

In 2020, the Farmers’ Painting Society established the “Farmers’ Painting Society (Chicken Coop) Café” at the home of the farmer painter Guang Ju. Mrs. Shen Qiuqiu, along with the village’s farmer wives, creatively developed various food and cultural products using local resources. As a result, visitors have flocked to the café, and as one customer commented, it is “more like a small utopia halfway up the mountainside” than just a café.

Sustainable Food Lab , Hong Kong Federation of Women’s Centres Limited

Sustainable eating and consumer habits have always been some of the biggest concerns in society. Women, as one of the major family carers, take the leading role in environmental change, especially when coming to the part of the family eating practices. In this Project, we would like to provide opportunities for women to develop their potential, and to promote sustainable farming and eating culture from individuals to family, and to the community, paving the way to build a sustainable environmental and economic platform in Tai Po. These will be achieved through a series of in-depth and inter-connected activities with different stakeholders such as schools, farms, and local NGOs, which allow students, women, and the general public to understand and experience the significance and benefits of local farming and sustainable food education.

Nutrition Support Program for Families Living in Sub-divided Units in Kowloon City, People Service Centre Limited

In the process of studying every meal at home, women have always played an important role. The plan involves women regularly conducting home cooking classes and publishing recipes to share their authentic cuisine based on their cooking experience. On the other hand, suitable cooking methods are also utilized to reduce the impact of cooking fumes on the living environment. The plan also aims to move away from a professional-led approach, with nutritionists and social workers playing a collaborative and supportive role in the process, allowing the activities to incorporate elements of community participation, health, and nutrition.

RE-ConNET, Sham Shui Po Community Support Scheme, Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service – Hong Kong

The project promotes neighbourly care and connection. It mobilizes women as paid volunteers to make good use of their spare time. They are matched with socially isolated elderly individuals in the vicinity to provide care and appropriate support. The program lasts for six months, with weekly interactions involving caring for the elderly and sharing community information. Embracing the concept of “neighbors are better than distant relatives,” the volunteers become trusted individuals for the elderly and their families, effectively creating a network within the neighbourhood. This helps reduce social isolation among the elderly and establishes more community connections.

X Generation Co-Creation Learning at Market, HKSKH Lady MacLehose Centre

The Project uses street markets as a central platform for learning and activities, connecting children with real-life experiences through various activities. It helps children develop important future skills such as empathy, critical thinking, and creative thinking to prepare them for future challenges.

By responding to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: “Responsible Consumption and Production,” the project engages both the elderly and children in exploring and creating different community experiential activities. After undergoing design thinking and photography training, the elderly interview teenagers about their consumption and shopping habits. They also design various “naked shopping” activities to guide children in observing shopping patterns in street markets, examining their family’s consumption habits, and reflecting on the selling methods of packaged ingredients. This allows children to imagine how to practice responsible consumption and contribute to the environment.

Play Place Changing -Tin Shui Wai Community Co-Creation Game Making Project, Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association Tin Library

“Going out to play” may seem easy, but in Tin Shui Wai, a highly planned city, the question of “what to play?” becomes a challenge. ” Play Place Changing ” brings neighbours together through creativity, creating different toys and games in the corridors, plazas, and parks of Tin Shui Wai.

We hope to question every corner of the community together with our neighbours and redefine our living spaces and ways of life. It turns out that when we go out, we can play! We encourage you to bring these methods back to your own community, create unique games that belong to you and your community, and play together with your neighbours!

Project「REHEAT」Community Story @Wanchai, Baptist Oi Kwan Social Service

The Project, from November 2022 to August 2023, is based on collaborative community-oriented video production. It recruits young people from the district to gain an in-depth understanding of the community and its neighbours, including the elderly, ethnic minorities, and residents of subdivided units. Through the three main tasks of “A Day Together Interview,” “Reviving Small Businesses Collaboration,” and “Community Reconnection,” the project aims to promote social integration among different generations, cultural backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses. It allows young people to learn from the life experiences of community members while utilizing their talents and ideas to bring positivity and enthusiasm to the community, creating a caring and inclusive environment. For the first time, the project employs a community co-creation model, enhancing the social skills and participation of young people while facilitating interactions between them and community members, fostering a sense of social engagement and positive culture.