Warm Greetings from SCI-Hong Kong China!

The global pandemic has given us an opportunity to have a fresh look into the future and create new technology and new ways of thinking about global development. At the same time it has also given us an opportunity to understand how tightly we are interconnected globally. It is time for all of us to reflect on how we have developed the world and how we can progress into the future. The current pandemic has also challenged humanity to rethink how we live our lives, how we treat each other and the environment.
In 2021-2022, SCI Hong Kong China works on the Global Development Education Project with three secondary schools to create a platform for students to work together across countries despite the limitations on international travel, to acquire knowledge, develop attitudes and skills as well as allow them to take actions towards creating an inclusive and just world.

1. Knowledge: Understanding how the pandemic has affected people in different parts of the world and the implications it has brought on people will give students a global perspective on how people in other countries deal with the new normal. This also shows how much the world is interconnected. At the same time it will also make students realise the importance of local initiatives, which helps people to go through this difficult time.
2. Attitude: Maintaining a positive attitude even at difficult times will give young people hope. Developing an inclusive global mind-set will help them to understand their responsibilities and the place they have in the world. Empathy towards others and the attitude to help and serve without expecting any material gain in return are important qualities one should develop.
3. Skills: To be able to face uncertainty and find solutions to problems we face personally as well as globally are vital skills young people should develop. Developing a reflective mind-set and skills to integrate reflection into the decision-making process must be recognised.

We help students understand how the pandemic has affected people in different parts of the world and the implications it has brought on people at a global perspective. This also get students to reflect on how much the world is interconnected. At the same time students realise the importance of local initiatives, which helps people to go through this difficult time.

Online Human Library with International Delegates and Youth

The project creates an online platform for young people to have conversations with people from other parts of the world and to also to share local stories in the form of video and story telling.

Human books from Australia, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Malaysia, Hong Kong and China shared their experiences with everyone who participated in the online human library. Over 80 Hong Kong students participated in three online human library activities organised in June 2022.

Whilst COVID-19 has put limitations on human interactions, it has also shown us how much we are interdependent on each other globally. We carry out the global education project with local secondary schools and will continue to connect youth through various online platform in the midst of the pandemic.

We hope that maintaining a positive attitude even at difficult times will give young people hope. Developing an inclusive global mind-set will help them to understand their responsibilities and the place they have in the world. Empathy towards others and the attitude to help and serve without expecting any material gain in return are important qualities one should develop.

Article by Pat Huang, Global Education Officer – SCI Hong Kong, China