NDI Youth Programs in Hong Kong

To understand what is happening to youth in Hong Kong today, it is important to know Hong Kong has been the target of a comprehensive program, funded by the US Government, with funds allocated by the US Congress to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which are being used by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and others to implement that program.

The NED has spent a fortune in American tax payer’s money on programs in Hong Kong. Details of NED grants to Hong Kong can be found here: NED Grants to Hong Kong

Background

The NED works in all corners of the globe, supporting democracy activists on six continents and in 90 countries. It acts as a conduit to disperse US Government funds for ‘promoting democracy’, allocated by Congress to its four core grantees:

1. The Free Trade Union Institute, representing the labor sector,

2. The Center for International Private Enterprise, representing the business sector,

3. The National Democratic Institute (NDI), representing the Democratic Party,

4. The National Republican Institute (IRI), representing the Republican Party.

Because Hong Kong is a city in China, Hong Kong has been and continues to be a major focus of NED attention, through the activities of the NDI. See details in the following link. NED Activities in Hong Kong

The sent their first NDI survey mission to Hong Kong in March 1997, prior to Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997, to assess the political environment and identify possibilities for NDI programming in the territory. Between 1997 and 2012 thirteen more NDI survey missions visited Hong Kong to further identify opportunities for NDI programming. The findings of these missions were documented in the Promise of Democratization Report series - See details in the following link: NDI Survey Missions to Hong Kong

NDI target youth in their programs

The NDI consider youth as a key component of NDI programs to the extent youth participation is an essential consideration in the design and implementation of NDI programming. It is also important to note, what is happening in Hong Kong is not unique. As early as 2004, the NDI were involved in activities in more than 50 countries to increase the role of young people as civic activists, voters, candidates, political party representatives and elected leaders.

The types of NDI programs and activities with a youth participation focus or component currently include election monitoring, issue advocacy, leadership development, youth parliaments, party youth wings, parliamentary internships, debate clubs, civic forums, voter education and GOTV (Get Out The Vote).

Read more about NDI Youth Programming in the following posts:

NDI Civic Update: Young People, not the problem, part of the solution, 2004 See link: NDI Report on Youth Programming. 2004

NDI Report on Youth, 2007. See link: NDI Report on Youth. 2007

NDI Civic Update on Youth Programming, 2012. See link: NDI Report on Youth Programming. 2012

It should be noted, in the NDI’s eyes, youth includes children, students and young adults and all are fair game when it comes to implementing NDI Youth Participation Programs. Such programs are also important to the NDI, because they allow them to identify future activists and emerging youth leaders.

There was a time when Hong Kong university students weren’t interested in politics or activism

One of the key findings of the 2004 survey mission¹ that the NDI sent to Hong Kong was:

“Many critics still lament the low level of interest and activism by university students

in Hong Kong”

See link to report: NDI 2004 Hong Kong Survey Mission Report

2006 planning meeting involving HKBU-HKTP and HKU-POP

To resolve this and other issues, in February 2006 the NDI held a series of planning meetings in Hong Kong in which Professor Michael DeGolyer of the Hong Kong Transition Project (HKTP) of the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and Robert CHUNG Ting-yiu of the University of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Programme (HKU-POP) were participants².  

Professor Michael DeGolyer of HKBU HKTP

Dr Robert CHUNG Ting-yiu of HKU-POP

2007 NDI Programs in Hong Kong

One of the outcomes of these meetings was that in 2007, the NDI consolidated their activities and focused on four complementary programs in Hong Kong:

1. 'The Promise of Democratization in Hong Kong' report series,

2. Public Opinion Polls,

3. Youth Public Participation,

4. Women's Political Participation.

See link to report: NDI Programs in Hong Kong

The focus of the next blog posts will show how the NDI implemented their Youth Public Participation Program in Hong Kong in preparation for the US Government funded Occupy Central protests.

References

¹The Promise of Democratization in Hong Kong: The September 12, 2004 Legislative Council Elections. A Pre-election Report. NDI Hong Kong Report #9. August 31, 2004 

²NDI Report. Contesting Campaigns in Hong Kong: A Critical Look at Infrastructure and Practices. July 2006. An NDI Report.

Photo credits

Professor Michael DeGolyer. Hong Kong Transition Project.

Dr. Robert CHUNG Ting-yiu (鍾庭耀). HKU Scholars Hub.