***********************************************************
The newly approved projects under the Sustainable Development Fund would help sustain the momentum of efforts to promote sustainable development (SD) within the community, the Chair of the Education and Publicity Sub-committee of the Council for Sustainable Development, Ms Christine Fang, said today (April 2).
A total of eight projects were granted funds this time round, which is double the number of projects approved in the last round. All of the projects are community and school-based initiatives, showing a clear integration of the key SD elements, including community involvement, social cohesion, environmental awareness and economic development, in a balanced and practical way. These educational and promotional projects will last from 12 to 36 months.
The eight approved projects are ﷿
*䩕Green Life Movement @ South Kwai Chung蒅 by The Boys﷿ and Girls﷿ Club Association : $909,740 over a period of 24 months. The project aims to promote a healthy community, raise public awareness of environmental protection and foster capacity building by involving the stakeholders in Kwai Chung district through a series of activities including organic farming, establishment of a 䩕community octopus蒅 network and co-operatives.
*䩕Education for Sustainable Development in Junior Secondary Education蒅 by the Centre for University and School Partnership, Faculty of Education, CUHK : $571,210 over a period of 20 months. The project aims to design and develop web-based teaching and learning resources to support the school-based curriculum development framework for SD education at junior secondary level.
*䩕Wanchai College for Community Innovation蒅 by St. James﷿ Settlement : $885,260 over a period of 24 months The project aims to engage community stakeholders, through the 䩕College for Community Innovation蒅, in various activities on two community issues: Cross Street/Tai Yuen Street Open Market and Overall Activation of Conservation in Wan Chai with a view to showcasing Wan Chai as a sustainable community.
*䩕When Villages Meet Cities: A Sustainable Journey蒅 by the Chinese YMCA of Hong Kong : $802,565 over a period of 24 months. The project aims at identifying a unique product from each village in the Yuen Long and Tuen Mun districts with a view to promoting the traditional and cultural characteristics of the product to city dwellers as well as boosting the local economy.
*䩕Green and Sustainable Community Project in the Rural Tsuen Wan蒅 by Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Lady MacLehose Centre : $1,510,850 over a period of 36 months. The project aims to promote a sustainable lifestyle, cultural heritage and social assets in rural villages of Tsuen Wan with a view to cultivating sustainable living habits, developing rural villages as eco-tour spots as well as establishing a base for SD education and organic farming.
*䩕Enhanced Urban Green Project蒅 by the Aberdeen Kai-fong Welfare Association Social Service Centre : $1,500,000 over a period of 36 months. Based on the applicant﷿s success in building three community gardens in Southern District, the project aims to further encourage community practice of SD principles with a view to nurturing community leaders, and setting up a framework for the sustainable operation of organic gardening.
*䩕Local Agenda 21 and SD Educational Programme and Activities in Tai Kok Tsui蒅 by Life Workshop : $600,000 over a period of 24 months. The project aims to foster the harmonious integration of residents in the new and old areas of Tai Kok Tsui, capacity building for women and youth groups and individual shop operators in old areas including the Yau Tsim Mong district, and setting up the Local Agenda 21 for building a sustainable community.
*䩕Dim It: A Project on the Best Use of Light Resources蒅 by Friends of the Earth : $499,920 over a period of 12 months. The project aims to raise awareness of the general public, stakeholders in the business sector, members of the Legislative Council and District Councils, as well as government departments, on excessive outdoor lighting and its social and environmental impact from different perspectives.
䩕Among the eight approved projects, six are community projects involving participation from different sectors of the community in both rural and urban areas, with a view to promoting SD principles and practices; one is for carrying out innovative activities to raise public awareness of excessive outdoor lighting, and the other is for designing and developing educational resource kits for SD education at junior secondary level蒅, Ms Fang said.
䩕We believe that they will become a project model for wider dissemination of the SD message and for creating a greater impact on the general public蒅, Ms Fang added.
The $100 million SD Fund was set up in 2003 to support community initiatives for promoting the concept of sustainable development. Practical projects and educational programmes that help raise public awareness of the principles of sustainable development and encourage sustainable practices are encouraged to apply to the fund. The latest call for applications was the fifth time, with a total of 32 proposals received.
䩕This brings the total number of approved projects that have received grants from the fund to 26 and the amount involved to $21.8 million. This is an encouraging step forward in promoting SD in Hong Kong蒅, Ms Fang said.
The progress of all approved projects will be monitored by the sub-committee to ensure that they meet the objectives of the fund and achieve the deliverables of individual projects.
The fund will be open for the next round of applications in mid-2008. Applications from non-government and community organisations as well as individuals are welcome.
Details of the approved projects in the latest round of applications, as well as projects funded by the scheme, can be accessed at www.susdev.gov.hk
Ends/Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:20
NNNN
