Australia India Indonesia Japan Malaysia Myanmar New Zealand Pakistan Papua New Guinea The Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Thailand Vietnam Hong Kong 11th 18th December 2004 HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp Hong Kong CHINA Pre-Congress Booklet 0
Contents 1. Contents 1 2. Introduction.. 2 3. Message from the Chairman of the Organizing Committee. 3 4. Programme 4 5. Hong Kong Lasallian Schools.. 5 6. General Requirements for Applications and Registration 6 7. Correspondence and Members of Preparatory Committee 7 8. Hong Kong Entry Regulations.. 8 9. Basic Information of Hong Kong 10 10. Key Dates.. 14 Pre-Congress Booklet 1
Introduction The 7th Asia-Pacific Youth Congress 2004 (APLYC 7) is an eight-day camp during which delegates and presenters will share on the theme Together in Faith-Full service. Our focus will be on how to serve disadvantaged children in our society. The five Lasallian secondary schools in Hong Kong will jointly host the Congress. Date: 11th 18th December 2004 Venue: HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp Hong Kong Registration Fee: US$150 Meals and accommodation included Pre-Congress Booklet 2
Message from the Chairman of the Organizing Committee Dear Lasallians of the Asia-Pacific region, Greetings from the Hong Kong Lasallian Family! We must first give thanks to God that SARS is no longer a threat and, hopefully, the APLYC 7 will go ahead this year. Our theme for the Congress is Together in Faith-Full Service, while the working focus is Disadvantaged children. We should bear in mind that our Patron, St. de La Salle, cared passionately for the disadvantaged children in his days. As Lasallians, we should follow his example in serving those less fortunate than ourselves. This booklet provides you with information that is essential for you to come to attend the Congress. We hope that it will help you with your preparation. On behalf of the Hong Kong Lasallian Family, I sincerely welcome you all to the Congress in Hong Kong this December and promise you a very memorable learning experience. Should you have any queries about the Congress, do not hesitate and contact me. St. John Baptist de La Salle, Pray for us! Live Jesus in our hearts, Forever! Yours in de La Salle, Brother Thomas LAVIN Pre-Congress Booklet 3
Programme Day 1 Arrival 11/12 Community Building Activities (Sat) Preparation of country corner Day 2 Morning Opening Ceremony 12/12 Briefing and introduction (Sun) Afternoon Country presentations (local exposure reports) Input session The Asia-Pacific reality of Disadvantaged Children Evening Community building activity Day 3 Morning Input Session The reality of young people in the region and 13/12 their major challenge (Mon) Responses and plenary (guest speaker and delegates from each sub-region) Faith, Service and Community for the youth today Afternoon Workshop on Chinese Heritage Evening Outing: night scene of HK Day 4 Morning Faith reflection: Lasallian mission on option for the poor and 14/12 marginalized (Tue) Lasallian projects in Hong Kong and Asia-Pacific region Afternoon Outdoor games / Adventure games Evening Dinner (Solidarity night: We are Lasallians) Free evening Day 5 Morning Skills training workshops 15/12 Afternoon Skills training workshops 2 (Wed) (Preparing program for various kinds of disadvantaged children) Evening Cultural night with dinner in La Salle College Day 6 Morning Experience / visitation (Lunch outside) 16/12 Afternoon Sight seeing and shopping (Thur) Evening Share visitation experiences Briefing of planning session Day 7 Morning Planning session (prepare our own modules) 17/12 Afternoon Presentation (Fri) Evaluation and feedback Evening Closing ceremony Day 8 18/12 (Sat) Departure Pre-Congress Booklet 4
Hong Kong Lasallian Schools Director of Hong Kong Lasallian Schools Brother Patrick TIERNEY Hong Kong Lasallian Family Coordinator Brother Thomas LAVIN Secondary Schools St. Joseph s College (Established in 1875) La Salle College (Established in 1932) De La Salle Secondary School (Established in 1964) Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) College (Established in 1969) Chong Gene Hang College (Established in 1971) Primary Schools La Salle Primary School (Established in 1956) St. Joseph s Primary School (Established in 1968) Chan Sui Ki (La Salle) Primary School (Established in 1973) Kindergarten St. Joseph s College Kindergarten (Established in 1974) Pre-Congress Booklet 5
General Requirements for Application a. Students wishing to apply as delegates must be of an age ranging from 16 to 25. b. Delegations should be mainly comprised of students or teachers from a Lasallian institution. Registration Stage 1 Delegation Registration Interested parties please register through the Person-in-charge of their sector or country. Group registration should be made by filling in the Delegation Registration Form on a separate sheet. Please send it to the Organizing Committee by mail by end of July 2004. Stage 2 Personal Profile Delegates Profile form will be sent afterwards. Person-in-charge please collect the forms from the delegates and return them to the Secretariat by the end of September 2004. Pre-Congress Booklet 6
Correspondence Chairman of the Organizing Committee: Brother Thomas LAVIN Mailing Address: La Salle College 18 La Salle Road, Kowloon Hong Kong Telephone: (852) 2338 7171 Fax: (852) 2336 2586 URL: E-mail: http://www.aplyc7.com/ aplyc7@lasalle.edu.hk Members of Preparatory Committee Chairman Programme Committee Logistics and Accommodation Committee Secretariat Finance Committee Formation of Hong Kong Delegation Brother Thomas LAVIN Mr. Francis TSE Mr. John LO Mr. Alex CHAN Mr. David CHENG Mr. Brien WONG Pre-Congress Booklet 7
Hong Kong Entry Regulations Immigration and Customs Visitors to Hong Kong must hold a valid passport. Passports should be valid for at least one month after your planned departure date from Hong Kong. For some nationalities, this condition extends to six months. Nationals of most countries are not required to obtain visas for periods varying from seven days to 180 days, depending on nationality. Check with any Chinese embassy or consulate for the latest status. Visit Visa / Entry Permit Requirements for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) You may not need a visa or entry permit for visit, depending on your nationality / type of travel document you hold. Website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department Should you have any enquiries on the immigration to Hong Kong, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Immigration Department at http://www.immd.gov.hk/index.html. Pre-Congress Booklet 8
HKSAR visa requirements for the following foreign countries / territories: Always require VISA, Nationality of foreign country (Territory) / Type of Travel Document Visa free period for visit not exceeding except in direct transit by air and when the person does not leave the airport transit area AUSTRALIA 90 Days - INDIA 14 Days - INDONESIA 30 Days - JAPAN 90 Days - MALAYSIA 90 Days - MYANMAR - Visa Required NEW ZEALAND 90 Days - PAKISTAN - Visa Required PAKISTAN Diplomatic/Official Passport 14 Days - PAPUA NEW GUINEA 90 Days - PHILIPPINES 14 Days - SINGAPORE 90 Days - SRI LANKA 30 Days - THAILAND 30 Days - VIETNAM - Visa Required You may apply for the appropriate visa or entry permit from the nearest Chinese diplomatic and consular mission. Pre-Congress Booklet 9
Basic Information about Hong Kong Geographical Situation The total area of Hong Kong is 1,095 square kilometres. It is divided in three main parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. There are more than 200 outlying islands around Hong Kong. Our campsite, Sai Kung, is in the New Territories. Climate Hong Kong belongs to the sub-tropical area with a mild climate. In spring and summer, it is hot and humid while in autumn and winter, it is cool and dry. The average range of December temperature is 4 20ºC. Population and Language There are about seven million people in Hong Kong. About 95% of these people are Chinese. Chinese and English are the official languages in Hong Kong. People here mainly speak Cantonese, a popular dialect used in southern China. English is also a popular language here. After the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, Putonghua (Mandarin) is becoming increasingly popular. Pre-Congress Booklet 10
General Information Exchange rate: Hong Kong Airport tax: US$1 to HK$7.8 HK$100 Transportation Bus The bus travels almost everywhere in Hong Kong. Bus fares depend on the length of routes. Air-conditioned and harbour-crossing buses charge higher fares. Mass Transit Railway (MTR) The MTR serves Hong Kong Island, many places in Kowloon and the airport. The MTR is the major means of transport in the urban areas. Kowloon Canton Railway (KCR) The KCR runs between Kowloon and the New Territories. The KCR is connected with the MTR at the Kowloon Tong station. There are also through trains to many cities in Mainland China. Light Rail (LRT) The LRT runs between Tuen Mun and Yuen Long in the New Territories, with shuttle bus service for isolated areas. Pre-Congress Booklet 11
Minibus Minibuses are small passenger vans which are yellow with a red or green stripe. They can pick up passengers and let them off anywhere except regular bus stops and the usual restricted areas. They charge fares similar to those of buses. Taxi It is the most convenient form of transport in Hong Kong, which takes passengers directly to their destinations. The initial mileage is HK$15.00 with an additional charge of HK$1.40 for every 0.2 km thereafter. A further return toll is charged for crossing the harbour. Ferry A ferry trip which allows you to take a close look at the night view of Hong Kong is highly recommended for tourists. Tram Trams serve Hong Kong Island only. Although the speed is slow, the fare charged is the cheapest. It is a pleasure to have a short ride for sight-seeing. You only have to pay HK$2.00 no matter where you want to go. Pre-Congress Booklet 12
Dining In Hong Kong, you can try food from many countries, for example, China, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India as well as Western countries. If you want to try something local, dim-sum and wonton noodles are good choices. Shopping Hong Kong is a shoppers' paradise. You can go to Women's Street or Temple Street to buy some cheap clothings and accessories, or to the shopping centres in Causeway Bay, Central and Tsim Sha Tsui if you want to buy brand-name products. Pre-Congress Booklet 13
Key Dates Please take note the following dates which important documents have to be submitted:- 31 st July 2004 Delegation Registration 30 th September 2004 Participants Profile Deposit (USD 75 per delegate) Collected information / materials about situation of children (please refer to Page 9 of the Local Immersion and Service Programme Guidelines) Proposed Arrival / Departure Dates 30 th November 2004 Flight details confirmed Written reflection and sharing of local immersion programme (please refer to Page 9 of the Local Immersion and Service Programme Guidelines) Pre-Congress Booklet 14