The New Localists

"Localists" is an all-embracing term used to describe non-establishment people from outside the traditional pan-democratic camp, but it hides significant ideological differences among those who have been grouped under the label. Varsity takes a deeper look at what divides them.

The Changing Face of Localism

Today's common perception of localism looks very different to the post-handover movement that emerged to preserve Hong Kong's heritage and culture and sought to strengthen the idea of a local identity. Varsity talks to some of the core members of that movement and asks them how they think localism has changed.

Hong Kong Youth Pin Hopes on Localism

Almost 70 per cent of young Hongkongers support the localists, our survey finds. We look at how Secondary School students view the localists, and why they think localism is the way out for Hong Kong.

April 2016 – Waiting for the Green Leap Forward

In April 2010, Periscope looked at Hong Kong's "Green Awakening". Now, six years on we explore how far Hong Kong has travelled down the road of environmental awareness and protection.

EIA: an Imperfect Assessment

Large scale development projects need Environmental Impact Assessment reports, which are supposed to measure how much the projects would the environment and the wildlife living there. But many people say the process is deeply flawed, including conflicts of interest where a developer can hire one of their own branches to do the assessment.

Environment and Politics Don’t Mix?

Why does Hong Kong not have a political green party that can fight and win elections? Politicians can push green policies and legislate change, but some say there’s not much politicians or even the government can do in a town dominated by property developers and landowners.

Turning Awareness into Action

Hongkongers are reasonably aware of the need for environmental protection, but some people still throw away waste paper and recyclable takeaway containers, or leave the tap running for more than they need to. What does it take to move people from lip-service to actually protecting the environment?

March 2016 – Remaking our Communities

In this issue of Varsity, we look at different aspects of “community” in Hong Kong. A community can refer to a group of people...

Build From the Bottom Up

District councils are meant to serve residents, but in reality they can be out of touch with the public or lack the power to bring meaningful change. Some residents are taking matters into their own hands and forming their own groups to get things done.

Virtual Districts

More and more people are forming online groups for the districts where they live, and some of these groups are building connections in the real world with events like street fairs and screenings of a football World Cup qualifier.