一年前，HIF 的一班顧問及幹事，各從自己的角度去看512四川八級大地震，跟大家分享了自己的一些看法。在過去一年，中國政府致力推動災區的重建發展，有不少慈善機構參與當地的重建工作。有部分HIF的幹事亦跟隨其它組織，到了四川作災後的探訪工作。一年後的今天，這場大地震仍然得到社會各界人士的關注，香港傳媒亦製作了不同的特輯作回顧。對此，我們感到十分欣慰，因為熱心的香港人並沒有遺忘這場災難。

HIF一直致力推廣「以人為本」、「世界公民」的概念，希望年青人勇於承擔社會責任。HIF 的一班顧問及幹事希望透過HIF的平台，鼓勵更多的年青人關心、思考多點在世界不同角落所發生的事。我們想籍此對這場四川八級大地震作一個簡單的回顧。

如你對文章有任何意見，歡迎透過電郵向我們反映。

8 June 2009	〈三〉可以避免悲劇嗎？
1 June 2009	〈二〉感恩的心
25 May 2008	〈一〉震後一年的迷思

Over a billion people worldwide still survive on less than a dollar a day! Is anybody doing anything to eradicate poverty and make the world a better place? The answer is YES!

In the year of 2000 at the Millennium Summit, 189 world leaders signed the Millennium Declaration which promises to free men, women and children from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty and make the right to development a reality for everyone! They vowed to commit 8 time-bound and measurable targets– to combat extreme poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, gender inequality, and environmental degradation - all by deadline of 2015.

In 2009, though we are at the half way to the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), most of the youth in HK have never heard about what MDGs are. We would like to provide an overview of the 8 MDGs to youth in Hong Kong through this Millennium Development Goals Series.

These articles will be issued in coming few weeks, on every Wednesday. Hope you will enjoy them! Comments and feedbacks are warmly welcomed at this email address.

4 February 2009	<1> Goal 1, 2 & 3 : Poverty, Education and Gender
11 February 2009	<2> Goal 4,5 & 6 : Child Motarlity, Maternal Health and Diseases
18 February 2009	<3> Goal 7 & 8 : Sustainability and Global Partnership

At the same time we indulged ourselves in the festive moods of Christmas in Hong Kong, Israel dropped tenths of missiles onto Gaza on 27.12.2008, declaring a new launch of attacks on HAMAS and the Palestinians. In the 3 weeks that followed, more than 1300 lives were taken from Palestine and Gaza was completely devastated, leaving ruins that looked similar to the post-quake zone in 512 Sichuan.

In view of this humanitarian crisis, the response from Hong Kong has been particularly cold and quiet (as usual). The rare discussions that went on focused on dispassionate facts such as death tolls and the new models of military jets employed by the Israeli army. When asked about their thoughts on the Israel-Palestine conflict, youth in Hong Kong tended to say “war is bad” and that they remain “neutral” on the issue. Indeed, in politically-apathetic Hong Kong, the word “neutral” seemed to have become an excuse for not knowing, not caring, and not digging deeper into the issue, thus not taking any responsibilities in peace-building.

In this article, we hope to take ourselves beyond the “neutral shield”, trying to make sense of the bombs and fires, and to understand what we, as part of the global community, should do to end the war in Israel-Palestine.

當身處香港的我們正陶醉在聖誕的節日氣氛之中，以色列卻在二零零八年十二月廿七日向加沙投下了數十枚導彈，向哈馬斯及巴勒斯坦人宣告了新一輪的戰爭。接下來的三個星期，超過一千三百名巴勒斯坦人在這衝突中喪生，加沙的土地被完全摧毀，剩下的畫面就像 512 大地震後的四川，變成了一片頹垣敗瓦，滿目瘡痍。

面對著這樣的人道危機，香港人的反應一如往常地顯得尤其冷淡及平靜。社會上偶然響起的討論就只圍繞著不斷上升的死亡數字及以軍使用的最新型號武器等話題。而當香港的年青人被問及他們對以巴衝突的看法時，通常會換來一句「 戰爭不好」及對事件保持中立這類保險的回應。的確，在政治冷感的香港，保持「中立」已經成為了不聞不問、莫不關心及一無所知的藉口；態度「中立」彷彿是一層保護網，免得為世界和平進程再負上任何責任。

我們希望透過這篇文章帶大家卸下「中立後盾」，嘗試明白導彈砲火後的故事，亦嘗試了解我們作為地球社區的一份子﹐可以及該為和平進程做什麼，來為以巴衝突劃上一個真正的休止符。

Co-authors作者：
Cheung Chun Yin Mark張俊賢、Choi Wae Yee Wendy蔡慧怡、Wan Yau Sum Yves溫祐心

Chinese Translators中文譯者：
Cheng Ka Yeung Calvin鄭家揚、Tam Lai Wa譚麗華、Yeung Ka Man楊嘉文

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512 Sichuan Earthquake Series - Reflections and insights from Hong Kong Youth

The magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Sichuan, China has shocked the whole Hong Kong. For days, the 512 earthquake has dominated TV news broadcast, newspaper headlines and interviews with celebrities. In school, it has become the topic of learning in Geography and General Studies classes. For companies, this has been a chance to demonstrate their corporate social responsibility. Every citizen seemed to be talking about the earthquake, and the city was immediately united to care and to contribute. Numerous concern groups were initiated in Facebook as such to think about their ways to contribute to the relief and rebuilding work.

One of the main goals for us to set up Humanity in Focus (HIF) is to increase the awareness among Hong Kong youth regarding humanitarian issues around the globe. One month since the 512 earthquake, the youth consultants and executive committee members of HIF have not forgotten about those still affected by the disaster. Our team includes both university students and working youth, some of us engaging in postgraduate research work regarding earthquakes or public health, others majoring in global studies. Each of us had a unique view regarding this great earthquake, and we wish to take this opportunity to share our reflections and thoughts with you on this issue.

This series has a total of 5 articles. Taking a humanitarian perspective, we would talk about earthquake risk mitigation, post-disaster public hygiene, and linking natural disasters to the recent global food crisis, the cyclone in Burma, and the Hong Kong media's reports regarding different natural disasters. These articles will be issued in the next few weeks, on every Tuesdays and Fridays. Hope you will enjoy them! Comments and feedbacks are warmly welcomed at this email address.

中國四川八級大地震引起香港社會極大的回響，佔據了數天的電視台新聞報導時段、一星期多的報紙頭條，亦成了名人的訪問內容、學校德育課和地理課的課題、公司展示企業社會責任的時機、以及市民之間的話題。很多有心人士亦於社交網Facebook開設了形形色色的關注小組，希望為災區出一分力。

Humanity in Focus（HIF）成立的其中一個目地便是令更多的青年人關心在這個世界被忽略的那一群。四川大地震發生了已有一個月，但HIF的顧問和幹事卻沒有淡忘仍在水深火熱中的災民。我們當中包括在職人士和學生，有的從事地震或公共衛生研究工作，有的專修國際時事，各從自己的角度去看這一場八級大地震，希望跟大家分享自己的一些看法。

512四川大地震為一班年青人帶來的反思系列共有五篇文章。這些文章涉及的範疇十分廣泛，如抗震措施、災難後的公共衛生、糧食危機、緬甸水災、香港傳媒對不同災難的報導等。這些文章會在未來的幾個星期，逢二、五出版。如你對文章有任何意見，歡迎透過電郵向我們反映。

2008柬約之旅後感系列

從柬埔寨回來一個多月，二零零八青年世界公民計劃 (YGCP2008) 的參加者帶回來的不止是難忘的回憶 ，還有對弱勢社群的一份承諾。

二零零八青年世界公民計劃 (YGCP2008) 的十五名參加者經過三個多月的工作坊，於六月七日踏上為期十四天的旅程，到訪柬埔寨當地的非政府組織 (NGO)和大學，貧民區及農村的學校等等，為的是親身去了解發展中國家的各種問題，尤其是當地孩子接受教育的情況及所遇到的問題，並能對世界的議題有嶄新和實際的認知。今年的參加者比上一年的更多樣化，除了有來自不同大學、不同國籍的學生，亦有剛畢業的在職者。

短短兩個星期的體驗旅程，雖然只是一小步，卻是關鍵的一步。旅程完結後，已有部份參加者決定加入HumanityinFocus（HIF）這個大家庭，貢獻自己的一分力。

當中四名參加者希望與大家分享當初參加這計劃的原因、期望以及旅程上的深刻體驗，並對近期柬埔寨的國情，尤其是有關七月的國會選舉，作簡單論述，於是便寫成了「2008柬約之旅後感系列」。

看過這系列的文章後，希望大家能對我們的成員有所了解和對我們所關注的世界議題有所認知。如你對文章有任何意見，歡迎電郵contact@humanityfocus.org 向我們反映。