Fr Peter Newbery in full flight

HONG KONG: 1/3/2006 The Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau (EDB) today announced new appointments for its two year old Task Force on Continuing Development and Employment-related Training for Youth.

Despite the hint of bureaucracy in these terms, the appointment to the Task Force of Fr Peter Newbery SDB, director of Youth Outreach [Limited English Translation] in Hong Kong, is an important one. The Hong Kong Government has long been able to witness the Salesian contribution in general and this man's experience and commitment in particular to what the HKSAR now calls non-engaged youth.

Two years ago the incipient Task Force, which administers a Youth Sustainable Development and Engagement Fund, recognised a submission by Youth Outreach for its Hip Hop programme, a programme which has given Youth Outreach worldwide recognition for its innovativeness and effectiveness. Now the EDB wants the man behind it all to be part of their team. Sitting on this group will involve, apart from the administration of the Fund, monitoring, coordinating and evaluating programmes for non-engaged youth, all with a view to re-engaging them, obviously. The appointment, if it follows the same scheme as previously, will be a two year one.

Fr Newbery, besides his high-profile work with young people on Hong Kong's streets (but YO's influence extends into Mainland China especially through its education programmes to 'train the trainers'), teaches at Hong Kong's Chinese University. He began life, so to speak, as a teacher of English, did a little re-training in psychology and counselling to help out with school counselling, then worked for 10 years with the Correctional Services Department of the HK Government. Now his qualifications include Criminology and Social Work. He has received recognition for his work from the Queen (he is a British Subject by birth and received a 'Badge of honour' in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours list. In 1998 he received an SAR award from the Chief Executive recognising the work done through Youth Outreach. In 1999 he received the "Servitor Pacis" (Worker for Peace) award from a UN body from New York (The Path to Peace Foundation). Fr Newbery is also the author of several very practical books on youth work and youth leadership as well as many scholarly articles on young people and their problems.

The above report has been sent by Fr Julian Fox SDB via AustraLasia