[Multiculturalism in Action] Come to join the Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop!

The Multiculturalism in Action Project is going to organise a Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Culture Workshop in the coming summer. This Workshop includes seminars, field visits, buddy programs, community-enhancement project, and an opportunity to present your project in schools and in a book! Come and join us in promoting cultural knowledge and positive ethnic relations!!

Please visit our website to view our previous Workshops.

All interested are welcome. Please register on or before July 10, 2016 at lee-connie@cuhk.edu.hk

[Multiculturalism in Action 2015-2016] FUN with Interculturalism – World No Tobacco Day 2016

The Multiculturalism in Action (MIA) Project participated in the World No Tobacco Day 2016, organized by the United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service. The program was held on 29 May 2016 in King George V Memorial Park, Jordan, to raise awareness about smoking hazards, and motivate the public, especially ethnic minorities and new immigrants to take the initial step to quit smoking, and consequently foster a healthy environment. Prof. Maria Tam was invited to give a short speech during the opening ceremony. She encouraged everyone, regardless of ethnic background, to support family, friends, and colleagues to quit smoking, as smoking affected not only the health of the smokers, but also those around them.

Guests of the event promoting the message of a tobacco-free Hong Kong

MIA displayed an Exhibition on the South Asian Communities in Hong Kong, which attracted a lot of South Asian visitors. With a focus on Nepali culture and kabaddi, the visitors commented that they have learned a lot. Some Nepali parents took chance to teach their children about the history and culture of the Nepalis in Hong Kong.

Guests viewing the Exhibition

The afternoon was filled with the music dance performances by different groups.

South Asian dance performances

If you would like to learn more about the health issues of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, click the links below to view the public seminars organized by MIA:

Health Issues among South Asians in Hong Kong (online video) 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nw1OJNeru0&feature=youtu.be 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbmcGrJEg4g 

Health and the Pakistani Community 
http://anthrocuhk.blogspot.hk/2015/11/pakistani-culture-workshop-health-and_16.html 

An Exhibition Handbook on South Asian Communities in Hong Kong is now available free of charge to the public, please email us to get your copy!

Contact: Ms. Connie Lee (lee-connie@cuhk.edu.hk)

[Multiculturalism in Action 2015-2016] FUN with Interculturalism - Equal Opportunities Day

FUN with Interculturalism, a community outreach project launched by the Multiculturalism in Action (MIA) Project this year, participated in the Equal Opportunities Day on 21 May, 2016. An Exhibition on the South Asian Communities in Hong Kong including Indian, Nepali, and Pakistani cultures was displayed. Our volunteers served as docents to explain the details to visitors, including residents from Fairview Park, Yuen Long, and the vicinity. 

Our docents at work

MIA Director Prof. Maria Tam exchanged views on the work to promote positive ethnic relations with different parties, including Prof. Chan Cheung-ming, Chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission, Ms. Ng Chiu Mei, Principal of the Bethel High School, and Mr. To, District Councilor of Fairview Park.

Prof. Tam (right) discussing the education issues of the ethnic minorities with Prof. Chan (middle) and Ms. Ng (left)

The Opening Ceremony showcased the multicultural talents in Hong Kong. Performances included Nepali dance, Chinese Tai Chi, Sikh martial arts, and Indonesian ukulele performance. Moreover, there was a panel that consisted of two Pakistani police officers and a Nepali accountant, who shared their success stories. Their examples showed that everyone could have a chance to succeed through perseverance.

Sikh martial arts

Tai Chi performance

Sharing session

 Audience came to visit our booth after the opening ceremony, and they enjoyed the interactive quizzes a lot!

Visitors taking part in the interactive quizzes

An Exhibition Handbook on South Asian Communities in Hong Kong is now available free of charge to the public, please email us to get your copy! 


Contact: Ms. Connie Lee (lee-connie@cuhk.edu.hk)

Multiculturalism in Action Project in Chinese University Bulletin

With support from the Knowledge Transfer Project Fund (KPF), Prof. Maria Tam has organized the Multiculturalism in Action Project since 2013 to enhance awareness of the ethnic and cultural diversity in Hong Kong.

The project has been highlighted in Chinese University Bulletin (No.2 2015). The article can be viewed here.

Multiculturalism in Action Project in Chinese University Bulletin

[Publication] 廢品生活－－垃圾場的經濟、社群與空間

本系博士畢業生張劼穎與文化及宗教研究系助理教授胡嘉明合著的書籍《廢品生活－－垃圾場的經濟、社群與空間》經已出版！

圖片來源：中文大學出版社網頁

書籍簡介（轉載自中文大學出版社網頁）

"本書一系列田野考察呈現和講述在經濟迅速發展之下、北京城鄉廢品從業者的生活世界，並將垃圾視作參與社會政治關係的物質，審視它如何有機地參與在中國的轉型社會過程：階層斷裂、政策壁壘、城鄉經濟文化差異、農民工流動性和城鄉隔閡，糾纏在一起。

此書另闢蹊徑，帶你進入「垃圾」的世界；作為人文關懷和學術思考的結合，是對現代的、消費的大城市生活的絕佳反思，深刻而富有趣味。
 ——陳冠中，作家

「收廢品的人」是都市生活中的「隱形人」。人們天天看見他們，但又似乎從來看不見他們。《廢品生活》引領我們去端詳凝視這些人──不僅僅是去發掘他們的卑微與掙扎，更是去發現他們如何在卑微與掙扎構建自尊和「意義」，以此捍衛人之為人的完整。富有同情但不煽情，好看但不失學理，是一部理解當代中國的人類學力作。
——劉瑜，清華大學人文社會科學學院政治學系副教授

買買買，也是丢丢丢。嘉明與劼穎的《廢品生活》是一部描繪廢品與人的民族誌，也是一幅「人類世」（anthropocene）的山水畫，揭示垃圾並非中國經濟奇跡的廢渣或副產品，反而是現代生產方式的核心，所謂垃圾圍城，垃圾就是當代生活的隱喻。作者以人類學家的眼光，以物觀我，以微知著，從廢品出發，觀照中國的盛世背後，社會的建構重組，空間的流轉變幻，百姓的得失尋覓。
——盧思騁，世界自然基金會中國總幹事

在香港做垃圾研究，對象除了消費者、賣力的清潔工，還有經常被遺忘的拾荒者。拾荒大軍有多浩蕩？說不準三萬、四萬都有人說過；他們究竟是誰，，只留下僂背彎腰的長者和弱勢者的綜合印象。拾荒者把半隻腳踏進堆填墳場的可回收物拯救出來，是名副其實的環保先鋒，他們往往成就了功勳卻無人記起。感謝作者為這些減廢朋友填補一筆空白。
——朱漢強，綠惜地球環境倡議總監"

想知更多有關此著作的資訊，請瀏覽此網頁：https://www.chineseupress.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=3303

Cultural Heritage Talk Series 2016 In Honor of Professor Tracey Lie-dan Lu: Rethinking the Origin of Food Production and Population Movements in Prehistoric China

Cultural Heritage Talk Series 2016 

In Honor of Professor Tracey Lie-dan Lu 

Rethinking the Origin of Food Production and Population Movements in Prehistoric China 

史前中國食物生產起源和人群移動的再思考 

Dr. Tianlong Jiao (Joseph de Heer Curator of Asian Art, Denver Art Museum, USA) 

焦天龍博士 （美國丹佛美術博物館亞洲部主任） 

*Conducted in English 英語演講* 

*Refreshments will be provided after the talk 演講後敬備茶點*

The study of the beginning of food production in prehistoric China has been dominated by the approach of searching for a single mark of the “origin” of agriculture, leading to infinite debates on many issues. A more reasonable and productive way to understand the economic pattern of this critical period is the level of food production. The concept of “Low-Level Food Production” offers a useful alternative perspective to investigate the economic changes as well as the population dynamics in early Neolithic China. 

在探索史前中國從採集到食物生產轉變的過程這一問題上，傳統的研究大都注重尋找或定義農業起源的單一界限，導致了在很多問題上的永無止境的爭論。而如果我們換一個角度，從食物生產水準的角度來研究這一轉變時期的經濟形態，將是一個更有效的研究方式。「低水準食物生產」這一概念提供了一個新的視角，可以更好地促進研究中國早期新石器時代的經濟形態和人群移動的發源。

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Dr. Tianlong Jiao is the Curator of Asian Art at the Denver Art Museum, USA. He is also an Affiliate Graduate Faculty at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, an Adjunct Chair Professor at Xiamen University and the Chinese University of Science and Technology. He received his Ph. D from Harvard University in 2003. He was the Head of Chinese Art Department at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco from 2014-2015, Chief Curator of Hong Kong Maritime Museum from 2013-2014, the Chairman of the Department of Anthropology at Bishop Museum from 2006-2013. He also served as the Director of Shandong Archaeology Team in the Institute of Archaeology at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His research specialty is Chinese and Pacific archaeology and museum studies. He has conducted archaeological projects in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Hawaii and central America. He also curated many museum exhibitions. His publications have explored a variety of issues including early food production, the Austronesian expansions, formation of states, ancient environment, archaeology of gender and style, maritime adaptation and maritime trade. He has authored/co-authored six books and more than eighty research papers both in Chinese and in English. His English book The Neolithic of Southeast China (Cambria Press 2007) was the winner of the 2007 Philip and Eugenia Cho Award for Outstanding Scholarship in Asian Studies.

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Date: 19 June 2016 (Sunday)

日期: 2016年6月19日(星期日)

Time: 4:30pm – 6:00pm

時間: 下午4時30分至6時

Venue: LT1, 7/F, Mong Man Wai Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

地點: 香港中文大學蒙民偉樓七樓LT1演講廳

Enquiry: (Tel.) (852) 39439264, (E-mail) wschok@cuhk.edu.hk

查詢: (電話) (852) 39439264, (電郵) wschok@cuhk.edu.hk

Free admission. All interested are welcome. Please register on or before 8 June 2016 by filling the form: http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ant/cchstalk2016.htm. 

費用全免，歡迎各位參與。有興趣者請於六月八日或之前填妥此表格：http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ant/cchstalk2016.htm.