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The Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) has successfully promoted the development of social capital in the Hong Kong community over the past 10 years and its efforts have started to bear fruit, as can be seen in the many community networks built through the CIIF-funded projects and the stronger sense of mutual support demonstrated by participants, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, said today (November 23) at the CIIF 10th anniversary forum.
Mr Cheung said, "Since its inception in 2002, the CIIF has been providing timely and appropriate support to the local community in times of adversity. The CIIF has successfully mobilised networks comprising various sectors, social strata, generations and ethnicities to leverage on each other's strengths."
Citing the example of Tin Shui Wai, which was once labelled "a city of sadness", Mr Cheung noted that the CIIF had approved funding support for 14 projects to be implemented in the district in a single batch in 2008 in order to help the residents rebuild their confidence and restore hope. "This is the largest number of projects approved for a single district. Up till now, 32 projects have been implemented in Tin Shui Wai, involving funding support of $45 million in total," he said.
Mr Cheung also shared with the audience the encouraging transformation of the community which he observed during his recent visits with CIIF committee members to Tin Shui Wai. The innovative activities and services offered under the CIIF-funded projects not only catered for the needs of the residents, but also provided platforms to foster closer relationships among local residents.
The Chairman of the CIIF Committee, Mr Yeung Ka-sing, pointed out that the CIIF has so far mobilised more than 700 000 people and 6 000 collaborative partners, and has created more than 1 000 mutual support networks through 251 funded projects.
Two evaluation studies, completed in 2006 and 2012, confirmed that various types of collaboration models developed by the CIIF were instrumental in increasing the overall community capacity by enhancing individual capacity, inter-generation friendship, inter-strata mutual help and inter-racial harmony.
A speaker of the plenary session, Dr Ting Wai-fong, also pointed out that her study on CIIF-funded projects in Tin Shui Wai indicated that the projects were conducive to the social capital development in the district and that participants tended to be "more confident", "altruistic" and "civically more active", and "possessed a stronger sense of belonging to the community".
The theme of the forum, "10 Years of Social Capital: Succession, Action and Transcendence", carries the message that the CIIF will consolidate and pass on their experience, mobilise the community in building up more social capital, and stride into the future together. The forum features delivery of keynote speeches by experts in social capital development, a plenary session, four workshops and an expo.
It was announced at the forum that the CIIF has published a commemorative book which contains 10 stories of people from different walks of life, including that of a group of unemployed renovation workers who pooled together their efforts to start a business, and that of a visually impaired young person who became an expert in balloon decoration. These stories, with characters who have undergone positive personal development over the years and contributed to society in return, showcase 10 years of investment in social capital.
To promote the effective and innovative project models as well as to commend those who have contributed enormously to the development of social capital in Hong Kong, the CIIF launched the Social Capital Builders Award Scheme this year. Four enterprises and two persons have been awarded the 10th Anniversary Outstanding Partnership Award while two projects have been awarded the 10th Anniversary Outstanding Project Award. In addition, 121 enterprises have been awarded the Social Capital Builders Logo to recognise their status as the pioneers of social capital building.
Ends/Friday, November 23, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:32
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