March 2014 – For the greater good

Civil society is often referred to as the ‘third sector’, distinctive from government and business, and encompasses charities and non-government organisations. This edition of Varsity explores some of the issues relating to charity, NGOs and civil society in Hong Kong:

The Flip side of Charity Law looks at whether we can balance the need to have greater transparency and accountability of charities – particularly their finances – with the need to ensure they are free from political  control 

Civil society in mainland China faces many challenges and restriction but this has not stopped people from setting NGOs working on many different issues. We look back at the role Hong Kong’s NGOs have played in supporting and developing mainland NGOs and civil society

Corporate Responsibility – or CSR – has become a hot phrase in recent years, but what does it really mean? Proponents say it is about businesses paying heed to the welfare of their workers, consumers, the environment and the communities in which they operate. But as Varsity hears, critics say it is nothing less than corporate whitewashing