The Flip Side of Charity Law

Cases of improper fundraising and even fraud have raised public awareness about a lack of accountability and transparency in the way some charities are run. But a controversial proposal to establish a powerful charity commission to regulate charities was opposed by many groups who fear it could be used as a means to control charities. Although the plan has now been shelved, the debate highlights the difficulties of balancing accountability on the one hand and the autonomy of charities on the other.

Learning from the Hong Kong Experience

Although civil society in China continues to face many challenges and restrictions, Chinese NGOs are continuing to develop and grow. Varsity takes a look at the role that Hong Kong NGOs have played and continue to play in that development.

The Business of CSR

The term corporate social responsibility - or CSR - has generated a lot of buzz in recent years. Many people in Hong Kong would associate it with the charitable and philanthropic acts of businesses. Practitioners say it goes further than that, and covers sustainability and engagement with workers, consumers and the community. But perhaps fewer people are aware of the criticisms that CSR is little more than corporate whitewashing and spin. Varsity looks at the arguments.

December 2013 – Hong Kong’s Mental Health Woes

Mental illness strikes one in three people in Hong Kong, yet it is often either hidden or sensationalised. People with mental health problems suffer...

Living in the Twilight Zone

More than 195,000 people have been diagnosed with mental illness and are being treated within the public system. But Hong Kong's psychiatric services lag far behind those in other developed economies. Varsity hears how the shortage of psychiatrists, mental health social workers and a lack of adequate community support affects the lives and recovery prospects of those with mental health problems in Hong Kong.

Ignored in Plain Sight

Mental health problems and suicidal thoughts are common but often overlooked in the elderly By Charlene Kwan and Katrina Lee The sound of laughter and song...

Who Cares for the Carers?

Caring for family members with mental illness can be a lonely, difficult and stressful experience. Social stigma, a lack of social support and financial pressures add to the burden for carers and leaves them vulnerable to mental health problems themselves. Here, carers share their stories of frustration and hope.

Nov 2013 – Young People Speak Up

It seems that more and more young people in Hong Kong are taking an active interest in social and political issues in Hong Kong,...

Study and Society

After years of being seen as politically apathetic, increasing numbers of Hong Kong's young people are participating in social movements and doing so at a younger age than in the past. Some have suggested this could be partly due to the introduction of Liberal Studies as a compulsory school subject in 2009. Varsity asks students and teachers what they make of the suggestion and talks to the critics who claim the subject is too political and too biased.

The New Alumni Movement

Over the summer, groups of younger alumni from some of Hong Kong's top schools launched high-profile, and successful, campaigns to prevent their alma maters from joining the Direct Subsidy Scheme. Add these to the many alumni concern groups that formed to oppose the government's proposal to mandate compulsory national education last year - and it seems we are witnessing the emergence of a new alumni movement. And as Varsity discovers, these groups are very different to traditional alumni associations.