Community Engagement Projects
Community Engagement Projects
Social distancing and digital dominance are just some of the drastic changes brought about by the pandemic. Erosion of our sense of community is another. In these unusual times, how can we sustain peace through community engagement? As individuals, how can we work collectively to create our desired future? What kind of future society do we want for ourselves and for others? Twelve university students took part in the 2022 Summer Peace Fellowship to examine these questions through the peace lens. After a seven-week foundational course in peace studies, the Peace Fellows worked in three teams to translate peace-related topics into projects that connect with community stakeholders in Sham Shui Po. You will, through their projects, revisit Sham Shui Po from angles that you may not have thought of before.
In 2015, the government unveiled a plan to demolish and close down the Yen Chow Street Hawker Bazaar (also known as “Pang Jai” or fabric market) to make way for subsidised housing. The “Pang Jai” folks will then be relocated to Tung Chau Street Temporary Market. As closure looms, we document the sounds and stories of “Pang Jai” before the community disappears and let the sense of community live on through the recordings.
What is your impression of Suk-suks (‘uncles')? When was the last time you talked to a Suk-suk? We, members of the RR Suk Suks team, find it difficult sometimes to communicate with and understand the Suk-suks at home (aka our Dads). Using everyday items collected from Sham Shui Po Suk-suks, e.g. old clothes, vintage toys, vinyl records and jade pieces, "Gems from Gents" invites you to a dialogue with them to learn about the not-oft-heard stories of the Suk-suks. These objects will be displayed on a roadside stall. Every single object there embodies the story of a Suk-suk and speaks for him.
They-story hopes to foster understanding between young people and older folks through recording and sharing their personal stories of Sham Shui Po. They-story consists of three parts: in August and September, we engaged with some older folks in Tung Chau Street Park and documented their stories; in October, young people and older folks are invited to an interactive activity and dialogue at Form Society. Participants are encouraged to write their own personal stories of Sham Shui Po on the same occasion. Finally, the stories collected are presented at Form Society to provide multiple perspectives of Sham Shui Po by different generations. Visitors are welcome to write their own stories and add to the collection of the exhibition.
