Practice
The GPIA is pleased to announce the 2009 IFP in Hong Kong, a truly unique hybrid metropolis drawing on its colonial legacy of the rule of law, stable investment climate, and well-educated population to function as the center of concentric circles comprising the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the dynamic Pearl River Delta region of Hong Kong-Shenzen-Macau-Zhuhai-Guangzho, China (including Taiwan), and Southeast Asia.
Hong Kong is simultaneously a democratic experiment; a major global node for trade, business, and finance; a center for cultural production; the foremost location for NGOs operating in Asia dealing with human rights, urban issues, environmental concerns, and civil society issues; and a media hub with offices of over 130 international media organizations and a vibrant press in English and Chinese. It is an exceedingly cosmopolitan city due to both international business activity and migrant labor. Though the largest group by far is ethnically Chinese, there are large numbers of expatriates from the U.S., Western Europe, Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka and a sizeable population of Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis who are citizens of the Special Administrative Region. Hong Kong is very safe and boasts arguably the best public transportation network in the world.
The GPIA Hong Kong program will be based at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University through a partnership with the Hong Kong–America Center and will focus on matching students with internship in the areas of human rights and migration.
The unique postcolonial position of Hong Kong, with a commitment to the rule of law and a measure of civil liberties, has resulted in a clustering of NGOs dedicated to human rights in China, Asia, and the world.
The Faculty Coordinator will work with a placement coordinator based in Hong Kong to match student interests with specific internship opportunities as best possible. Potential internship organizations include the Asian Human Rights Commission, HK Human Rights Commission, United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL), Asian Migrant Center, Helpers for Domestic Helpers, Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants, Hong Kong Voice of Democracy, Hong Kong Democratic Foundation, among others.
The program will comprise an internship, a course that meets once a week, and some optional group outings. Students will also travel to Guangzhou for a three-day student conference.
Placement Organizations:
Asian Migrant Center
Helpers for Domestic Helpers
Asian Human Rights Commission
National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
Christian Action
Amnesty International
HK Refugee Advice Center
HK-BEAM
Zi Teng (empowering sex-workers)