Top Ten Humanity News Elected by Secondary Students Concern for
International “Inhumane” Incidents
(Hong Kong‧8 May 2016) International humanitarian issues dominated the 2015/16 “Top Ten Humanity News” voted by about 5,000 secondary students, with the top three items they concerned most related to the Islamic State (IS) brutalities.
A total of 4,961 secondary students across the territory casted votes in the “Top Ten Humanity News Election” organized by the Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC). The results (see table below) were announced on the World Red Cross Day of 8 May. Students elected the top ten they were most concerned with, out of 30 humanity news happened from March 2015 to February 2016. The 30 news, selected earlier by 14 “Humanity News Ambassadors”, covering touching stories and heart-breaking brutalities across Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China and worldwide. The great varieties aimed at displaying the spirit of humanity from both positive and negative perspectives.
8 out of 10 Elected Incidents are International News
Eight out of the “Top Ten Humanity News” elected are international news, ranging from inhumane acts of IS, the Syrian civil war, to the terrorist bombing of popular tourist area in Bangkok. The Humanity News Ambassadors analyzed that massive media coverage of these incidents had aroused the concern of students. Moreover, most of the incidents were life-threatening, with some causing heavy casualties, thus casting greater impact on the students. Their vivid memories, concerns and reflections over the incidents inevitably affected their voting.
Mr Szeto Kin-tat, Manager of the HKRC Humanitarian Education Centre, said the voting results reflected a rising concern over international humanitarian issues among secondary students in Hong Kong. He pointed out that the society should ride on such opportunity to enhance humanitarian education for the youth.
HKRC Humanitarian Education Centre Brings Home Global Humanitarian Experience
With limited resources dedicated for humanitarian education, Mr Szeto said Hong Kong does not have enough channels for the youth to learn more about “humanity” and to explore the significance of “humanity”. In response to the situation, the HKRC has established the Humanitarian Education Centre in April this year, which offers an exploration programme “War Zone 90” — a 90-minute explorative tour based on war theme. The first of its kind in Asia, the tour aims to turn abstract concepts of humanity into concrete experience through participation in simulated war setting.
“In Hong Kong, war may appear as something distant. We hope to let the participants witness the consequences of war, and experience the world’s humanitarian crisis by themselves, so that they would put efforts in responding to the challenges induced by war,” he said.
News Election Promotes Humanity Spirit
Ms Joyce Chan, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the news election, said the activity aims at encouraging students to explore humanitarian issues with their instructors through analyzing the humanitarian values in different news. The voting process also targeted to arouse the concern of the youth towards not only local affairs, but also international issues. Through reflecting on different humanitarian issues from multi-perspectives, it is hoped that the youth would have greater concern about happenings in the community and people in their daily lives, thus inducing them to translate humanitarian spirit into deeds.
“Among the elected news, most are negative stories. Yet, humanitarian values do permeate in various incidents, regardless of being humane or inhumane. It is more crucial for us to explore the values, and to reflect on how we can act to respond despite being bystanders.”
Results of 2015/16 Top Ten Humanity News Election
|
Place
|
Votes
|
News Item
|
|
1
|
3342
|
IS cheated mother into eating cooked meat of her captive son (3/3/2015)
|
|
2
|
3079
|
Shooting at head, IS slaughtered 200 Syrian child-soldiers (11/11/2015)
|
|
3
|
3000
|
IS brainwashed 600 Yazidi children kidnapped for training to become suicide bombers (16/1/2016)
|
|
4
|
2715
|
Youngster drowned to death (in Hunan, mainland China) as classmates filming whole incident in giggles (28/5/2015)
|
|
5
|
2416
|
Professor jailed for 12 years in Korea for forcing student to eat faeces (27/11/2015)
|
|
6
|
2397
|
US may commit war crime for mistakenly bombing MSF hospital (in Afghan), killing 19 medics and civilians with patients burning to death on bed (5/10/2015)
|
|
7
|
2168
|
US policemen indiscriminately shot dead a black vagrant (3/3/2015)
|
|
8
|
2099
|
Child with eyes gouged out in Jilin (mainland China) can miraculously see again (28/2/2016)
|
|
9
|
1961
|
Death toll in 4-year Syrian civil war mounted to 210,000 (3/3/2015)
|
|
10
|
1905
|
Bombing attack in Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine (18/8/2015)
|
Results Analysis
The Humanity News Ambassadors conclude their analysis of the election results in three major aspects:
1. International major incidents: Most of the elected news items are international major incidents with casualties, having received massive media coverage. Secondary students are more concerned and familiar with the incidents, and can reflect more easily on the humanitarian issues involved.
2. Issues related to IS: The top three of the elected results are related to the IS’s inhumane acts, indicating the humanitarian issue that secondary students mostly concern about. The brutalities of IS has severely challenged the universal ethical values of mankind, and contravened international statutes. Even secondary students in Hong Kong can understand the threat to the world and the human sufferings brought by the IS.
3. “Man-made” negative incidents: Most of the elected news items are “man-made” incidents that led to sufferings of the innocents. Moreover, in half of the elected news, the victims of brutalities included children or students. The incidents induce secondary students to reflect on humanitarian values as well as their responses towards inhumane incidents.
Voice of Humanity News Ambassadors
“On the surface, ‘humanity’ seems to be a simple, insignificant vocabulary. In fact, the existence of humanity is of paramount importance. After several months’ learning and exploration, I have gained deeper knowledge about humanity and the worthiness of its existence.” – Mr Leung Pak-hin (Form 4 student, Tseung Kwan O Government Secondary School)
“Humanitarian issues happen every day. However, when we witness such an incident in person, will we turn a blind eye or stand up to help? I have gone through a lot of reflections over the learning process of more than two months.” – Ms Wu Yee (Form 4 student, Diocesan Girls' School)
Ms Joyce Chan, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the HKRC “Top Ten Humanity News Election” (first from left) presents certificates to the Humanity News Ambassadors in recognition of their efforts in promoting humanitarian education.
The “Top Ten Humanity News Election” results are announced together by (from left) Mr Szeto Kin-tat, Manager of the HKRC Humanitarian Education Centre; Humanity News Ambassadors Mr Leung Pak-hin and Ms Wu Yee, and Ms Joyce Chan (Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Election).