Press Releases
The Third CIIF Annual Forum and Project Expo (with photos)
A total of 16 agencies/individuals received achievement awards today (December
20) at The Third Community Investment and Inclusion Fund (CIIF) Annual Forum and
Project Expo in recognition of their dedication in implementing the projects and
their outstanding strategies and implementation models for effectively building
social capital.
There were six categories of awards - Responsive Networks; Outstanding Bridging
and Linking; Exceptional Volunteers; Life Mentors; Dynamic Navigators; and
Strategic Breakthrough. The awardees were selected from more than 150
nominations (please see Annex for the full list of awardees).
Adopting the theme "Applying New Concepts, Trying New Strategies and Gaining New
Results", the one-day CIIF event included three plenary sessions and three
concurrent workshops. It provides an opportunity for project teams and
collaborators to share their implementation experience, as well as for academics
and CIIF committee members to reflect on the strategies and way forward of the
fund. Today's event also featured an expo with 60 plus project teams to showcase
their experience.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the annual forum, the Secretary for Health,
Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, said the design concept of the event logo
"opening the boxes" was a most appropriate representation of where the CIIF
stood after three years of its operation, and where it would be heading in the
future.
"The first layer of meaning of the box opening is that the CIIF is a fund with a
difference and it has been encouraging itself and all participants and partners
to do �V to think out and break out of the box, to see what seem to be old
problems in different lights, to develop new partnerships, to work out different
solutions with new partners, and to look for new opportunities where none seem
to exist before," he said. "The exhibition and sharing by the project teams show
that this mission is achievable.
"The second layer of meaning of the logo is that we can see more blue sky after
opening the boxes, thereby encouraging all of us to try further innovation and
create more possibilities. I believe this is where the CIIF and our social
organisations should be heading."
The chairman of CIIF, Dr Raymond Wu, explained the mission and strategies of the
fund at the forum. He stressed that the fund committee would carefully assess
the projects to ensure that they aligned with the CIIF objectives to put on the
thinking cap to find new solutions rather than simply to supplement or expand
existing services.
"We hope to mobilise the participation of the community to find solutions to
address their own problems. This approach is not only more effective in
providing prompt solutions and preventing future problems, but also more
conducive to strengthening the formation of social networks, building of
communities and enhancement of social harmony," he said.
Also attending the event, the chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of
Commerce, Mr Ian Fok, appreciated and acknowledged the mission and strategies of
the CIIF in developing social capital.
He appealed to business enterprises to take on social responsibility, to
understand the situation and needs of the community, and to use their expertise
and professional knowledge to work interactively with other sectors to bring
about new opportunities for the community.
More than 500 representatives of frontline workers, non-governmental
organisations, business and professional groups, academics, researchers and
Government departments attended today's event.
Since the inception of the CIIF over three years ago, the CIIF committee has
approved 90 projects in seven batches, providing funding support of more than
$70 million. Seventy of the approved projects are being implemented, involving
more than 150 paid staff, mobilising more than 17,000 volunteers and more than
1,000 collaborators. Together they have worked hard to achieve the overall
objective of mobilising community resources and building up social capital.
The fund is now inviting the eight batch of applications. Application deadline
is December 30 this year. For information, please browse the CIIF's website at
http://www.hwfb.gov.hk/ciif/index/htm.
Ends/Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Issued at HKT 13:05
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