The Hong Kong International Philanthropy and Social Enterprise Week 2016 Kicked Off Today

HONG KONG, Sept. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hong Kong International Philanthropy and Social Enterprise Week 2016  ("IPSE Week") opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The IPSE Week comprises of 3 International Forums, including the inaugural Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum (22 to 23 September); Social Enterprise Summit (24 to 25 September) and the Social Enterprise World Forum (25 to 27 September), each with a unique theme on how to make the world a better place. The IPSE Week will certainly build awareness on critical developmental issues and spark new ideas and collaboration.

Speaking at the Joint Opening Ceremony, Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, GBM, GBS, JP, said, "The IPSE Week 2016 aims to promote the collaboration between different sectors to advance social objectives and to showcase the ongoing efforts and achievements of Hong Kong in the development of philanthropy and social enterprises. We are glad to have government officials, non-governmental organisation leaders, academics, social entrepreneurs, business leaders, philanthropists and professionals from relevant sectors around the globe joining us to exchange experience, with a view to generating ideas for social innovation and advancement."  

Mrs Lam added that philanthropy aims to address the root cause of the problem, with a focus on the quality of life, driven by the love and concern for humanity. She opined that particularly at a time when our society tends to become more polarized and suffer from deepening divides of wealth and opportunity, greater emphasis on philanthropy could bring about social inclusion and solidarity.

"The Hong Kong Jockey Club is itself strongly committed to the social and economic development of Hong Kong. Having grown together with our city over the last 130 years we have had the opportunity to provide substantial support across many areas of need. We are able to do this because of our unique commitment to return our business surpluses to the community," said Dr Simon S O IP, CBE, JP, Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club, reflecting on the Club's role in Hong Kong. "The Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, which launches the Hong Kong International Philanthropy and Social Enterprise Week, aims to encourage new thinking about the particular needs of urban communities. As the first of its kind in the region, the forum will be the start of an ongoing dialogue on the role of philanthropy in addressing the social needs of the 21^st century city."

"The organizing committee of Social Enterprise Summit has been using the Summit as a platform not just to promote social enterprise per se, but also push for more entrepreneurial philanthropy and welfare in one direction, as well as more socially-engaged commercial business in the other direction. The values to be shared have been summarized quite concisely, I believe, in the 6 beautiful Chinese words of The IPSE Week, which are specific teachings from Mencius more than 2,000 years ago, meaning for one to do good things to others and to the world, importance of making a real impact and calling for a business model that would benefit everybody in society. These three notions do represent my personal beliefs and I'm happy to see they all lie behind each of the three events of this Week," said Dr Jane LEE, JP, Chair of the Organizing Committee of Social Enterprise Summit.

"As an International Metropolis, this Hong Kong edition of Social Enterprise World Forum strives to diversify speakers and topics in terms of race, gender, age and cultural background, aiming to highlight the positioning of this Social Enterprise Forum on the international level," said Dr Alice YUK Tak-fun, BBS, JP, Chairman of Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises.

Facilitated by the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence HUI, SBS, JP, a sharing session on the subject of "Youth and Social Innovation" followed, with participation of Prof Joseph J Y SUNG, Vice-Chancellor/ President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Prof Timothy W. TONG, President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Prof Tony F. CHAN, President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. All 3 presidents agreed that participation of youth is crucial to the success (development) of social innovations as they are not afraid of treading on presumptions and will attempt things without baggage. Importance of initiatives taken by universities were also covered where new programs on social innovation and establishment of entrepreneurship centers are utmost visionary.

Today, Asian countries continue to face various social challenges such as turbulent economic development, social inequalities, poverty and environmental degradation. Social enterprise and social economy have become promising directions to bring about social changes and social development. Social entrepreneurship, solidarity economy, social cooperatives and work-integrated social enterprises are examples of the many different models and approaches which thrived over the past decade with noticeable social impacts.

Co-organized by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Social Enterprises, the 7-day Hong Kong International Philanthropy and Social Enterprise Week 2016 ("IPSE Week") includes three international philanthropy and social enterprise forums, which will be participated by authorities in the fields of philanthropy and social enterprise, corporations and social enterprise operators, academics, government and social welfare from around the world, especially those in the Asia Pacific and Greater China region.

About Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum                     
Official Website: http://citiesphilanthropy.com/

Convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum is the first philanthropy forum of its kind in the region focusing on metropolitan social issues. It will provide a platform for over 1,000 participants in the field of philanthropy, thought leaders and NGOs from around the world, especially in the Asia Pacific and Greater China region, to exchange views, facilitate cross-sector collaborations and cultivate long-term partnership and engagement, all in the hope of creating better cities. The forum will cover five main themes: Ageing and Health, Youth and Education, Environment and Sustainability, Innovation and Technology, and Public-Private Partnerships.

About Social Enterprise Summit                                                               
Official Website: http://ses.org.hk/

The Social Enterprise Summit of Hong Kong was founded by the Hong Kong Policy Research Foundation (HKPRF) in 2008 to advocate social innovation and entrepreneurship that was then attracting much attention in many places as a solution to the social and development problems of our time. HKPRF was established in 1998 for the purpose of supporting public policy research, provided initial funding and administrative support to the Summit through the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute. As organizer of the Summit, HKPRF invited various other organizations from time to time to be co-organizers and succeeded in raising sufficient resources in support of the Summit's expanding activities over the years.

The Summit is now an important annual event in Hong Kong. It has emerged as a major cross-sector platform for joint efforts in promoting innovative entrepreneurship for social change. It is also a most useful bridge between the community and the government in this endeavour and a well-recognized international forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences. In 2014, with the Summit becoming a more independent operation of its own, HKPRF transferred the Summit's project management to the Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum (HKSEF), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the development of social entrepreneurship. In 2014 and 2015, HKPRF and HKSEF were joint Organizers of the Summit. 

About Social Enterprise World Forum     
Official Website: http://sewf2016.org/index

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) is an international event for social enterprises all over the world to come together and discuss policy and practice, to learn from one another and to network. The theme of SEWF 2016 is "New Frontiers. New Markets" and will be held on 25-27 September 2016 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Whether you are using social enterprise to end poverty in urban ghettos, build secure food systems in remote rural areas, promote Indigenous culture, meet health needs, create employment opportunities for those with barriers, and address economic inequities and social exclusion, SEWF is an opportunity for you. We use our worldwide forum to provide the tools that contribute to enhancing your knowledge and skills, building a supportive public policy environment. Social enterprise is our tool to build healthy communities and vibrant local economies.

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