Download Statement by Mr J P Lee, JP, OBE, at

Statement by Mr J P Lee, JP, OBE, at
the Seminar on
The Third Sector : Beyond the Government and the Market, Organized by
the Central Policy Unit, HK SAR Government
on Tuesday, July 25, 2000,
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
We have with us today a Paper which sets out very concisely the
characteristics, value and current issues of volunteering and in particular what a
government can do in developing volunteerism in a community.
In many economies, the public sector occupies a significant share of
gross domestic product (GDP). Even in Hong Kong where it is deemed to have
a small government, public sector takes some 20% of GDP. This also
demonstrates the influence the public sector may have on Society. At the same
time, it is understood that Hong Kong has an executive-led government. The
government has the funds, the authority or power to pursue its stated goals.
Given the influence the government may have, it is important to consider what
the government’s role should be in the context of promoting volunteerism. In
my opinion, this role could be :
1. To provide an environment in which volunteerism may freely flourish;
2. To support the voluntary sector to take the lead in developing volunteerism,
particularly through policy formulation and funding;
3. To ensure volunteerism is not directed to meet the government’s own ends;
and
4. To recognize the essential independence and freedom of voluntary action,
lest it may be regarded as government led.
In Hong Kong’s context, volunteer service goes back to many decades,
and even the Agency for Volunteer Service (AVS) has already a history of 30
years. However, while the government saw the value of volunteering, it did not
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seem to be positive in encouraging it. For example, the White Paper on Social
Welfare for many years made scant reference to volunteering. Thus, although
AVS was set up with the endorsement of the Social Welfare Department (SWD),
and even though the government recognizes that the work of AVS falls into
community building (a stated government policy objective), AVS has been
provided with limited funding to fulfil its mission. It is only until 1998 when
the SWD suddenly decided to take the lead in promoting volunteering by starting
the Volunteer Movement with an established structure subsequently.
Interesting enough, AVS, formerly subvented by the SWD, has since April this
year, been transferred to the Home Affairs Bureau which has regarded
community building a bureau policy. It appears therefore the government
would have to define its own position in volunteerism, and recognize what the
voluntary sector has done in the past as well as its current role in volunteerism.
Thus, I believe while the Paper makes valuable suggestions on what a
government can do, it will be equally valuable if it can go into the question of
the division of labour between the government and the voluntary sector. Many
of the suggestions, for example, touched in the Paper on what a government can
do, are in fact already being carried out by NGOs, particularly by AVS, the
development of which has been handicapped because of lacking in resources.
For example, AVS has persistently sought to :
1. encourage facilitate and mobilize citizen participation in volunteer service;
2. develop and organize volunteer service opportunities for citizen
participation; and
3. through training, consultancy, publication, and other avenues, raise the
quality of volunteer service.
Arising from these are programmes on public education, volunteer
recognition award, job matching, volunteer training, assisting organizations in
the private or third sector to develop their own volunteer units, and so forth.
Another aspect of the relationship with the government is whether
volunteering is complementary to public service. Volunteering is a free will,
and altruistic activity. It has its own intrinsic value in human society, and its
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existence does not depend on being complementary to public service, and I
doubt if public service can displace volunteering. On the other hand, NGOs as
agents or contractors of a government may provide certain public services
involving volunteers. At the same time public services could be partnered to
help promote volunteering.
On the issue of globalisation and advancement in information
technology, I tend to agree that these factors will have a positive effect on
volunteering. For a place like Hong Kong which is so externally oriented, its
culture is to accept these new forces and to build new heights through them.
This may not be the best examples, but AVS and a number of NGOs has taken
the initiative to establish the United Nations Volunteers programme in late 1999
in Hong Kong, so that Hong Kong people may have the opportunity to help and
experience volunteering under the UN auspices. Also in anticipation of the
International Year of Volunteers, AVS jointly with other organizations set up in
July the IYV Steering Committee to observe the Year. Both committees
involve a large number of business and NGOs in different fields including AVS
itself. They are the means to promote and broaden volunteering locally and
globally.
July 2000
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