The primary objective of Global Citizenship Education (“GCE”), according to UNESCO, is “to empower learners to assume active roles to face and resolve global challenges and to become proactive contributors to a more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure world.” As the world is increasingly interconnected and globalized with daunting challenges and exciting opportunities put forward to our young generation, investing in GCE has become more relevant and significant than ever.

Realizing that there is currently a gap in local GCE which focuses on one-off and textbook-based learning, the Foundation will collaborate with Oxfam Hong Kong (“OHK”) to launch a brand new GCE program entitled “Primary School Global Citizenship Project: Achieving 100 for a Fair World” in September 2017 for upper primary school students. With the aim to nurture students’ empathy and enhance their understanding of global and local poverty issues, the Program is a one-year learning journey initiated and inspired by the acclaimed publication of OHK, If the World Were a School of 100 (《如果世界是100人學校》). The publication is a popular picture book exploring some of the most critical challenges faced by people living in poverty all over the world. The new GCE program has several components: interactive theatre performance, post-performance workshop to strengthen global perspectives, exploration field trip to look into local poverty issues, and a self-initiated action to raise global awareness at school. The multi-faceted Program will engage young participants to discuss and reflect on the root causes and consequences of issues such as income inequality, climate change and unjust resource allocation. The Program also offers teacher workshop and teaching materials to strengthen the spread of GCE in the school community. A two-year collaboration between the Foundation and OHK, the Program will engage participation of 50 primary schools, 7,500 upper primary school students and 200 teachers.

Dr. Trini Leung, Director General of OHK said, “Oxfam Hong Kong is a pioneer in fighting poverty and related injustice through empowering individuals and communities. We have been promoting global citizenship education for many years. However, global and local inequality is getting worse. With the generous support from The D. H. Chen Foundation, we are able to scale up our education program for primary school students and I hope this first and ambitious attempt would nurture a new generation ready to contribute to a world without poverty.”

Joining hands with OHK, we envision that this unprecedented Program combining theatre education and experiential learning will shape our young students to become empathetic, reflective and contributing global citizens for a better future.

The Program is now open for enrollment and more details are available at:

Oxfam Hong Kong
http://www.oxfam.org.hk/tc/Achieving100foraFairWorld.aspx

Oxfam Hong Kong Cyberschool
https://cyberschool.oxfam.org.hk/index.php?s=1&news_id=190