Rebuild trust in Hong Kong by nurturing altruism
Paul Yip says a recent study shows that, while Hong Kong people are generous with monetary donations, they are less able or willing to volunteer their time for charitable causes. Hong Kong must do more to encourage such contributions to strengthen social bonds
When it comes to lending a hand, Hong Kong people generally prefer to make a donation rather than volunteer their time, according to a two-year study on altruistic behaviour by the Hong Kong Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention.
The study focused on 10 types of altruistic behaviour, grouped into four categories: informal help; monetary donations; blood and organ donation; and, volunteering.
In 2017, 97.1 per cent of the people surveyed had given informal help to someone, while 83.5 per cent of people had made a monetary donation. Both figures were slightly lower than those from the previous year. But it was the share of people who volunteered their time that showed the biggest drop – from 51.5 per cent in 2016 to 47.3 per cent in 2017.
Meanwhile, the percentage of blood and organ donors increased, from 50 per cent to 52.7 per cent.
These numbers are consistent with the popular perception of Hongkongers’ busy lifestyles; people find it easier to donate money than their time, especially when so many already work very long hours.
