Diverse + city = a youth club for the culturally curious.
DiverCity HK is recuiting regular and committee members!
Our opening event was held at the City University of Hong Kong.
The event was an overwhelming success, with over 70 participants joining over the span of our 6-hour event.
In the morning session, our partner Inter Cultural Education held a workshop on the cultural dimensions.
In the afternoon session, we invited Linka, who works for the United Nations, to share her experiences visiting different less economically developed countries and the need to help those people.
On top of this, we hosted many ice-breaking events to ease our participants into the fun learning environment we try to establish.
~Brian Ng
On 15 December, we held our annual Christmas party at the Education First office in Times Square, the theme being ‘Christmas all around the world’. Our members had a great time playing group games and getting to know more about different cultures around the world, their norms and quirks, and how they celebrate Christmas in their own unique ways. We invited guests from Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, and the United States to facilitate our members in learning about different cultures via a local, first-hand experience. We also held an engaging and informative sharing session by Zara Huseynova, an Azerbaijani entrepreneur who founded her own retail business at age 18, and is now heading WoWoman, an award-winning women empowerment platform.
The highlight of the party was a traditional German candle-making workshop, led by our guest Sophia, which gave our members and guests a fun opportunity to DIY their own personal souvenir.
I, as an organizer and MC, had never coordinated a party before, so it was quite a challenging experience for me, with a lot of unexpected problems cropping up along the way, especially with there being over 60 participants. Still, I learnt to pay more attention to details, to take risks, and to communicate and negotiate better with guests and teammates. Looking back now, I feel that organizing the party was a fun and formative adventure.
~By Adrian Wong Committee 2018-2019
Hong Kong is often described as a melting pot of cultures; ironically, its population is largely homogenous. Racial discrimination permeates our everyday life, but is rarely discussed in school or other settings. Once, I witnessed a South Asian server being belittled by customers in Pizza Express. The hurt in his eyes was evident. There was little I could do besides report it to the manager, who sadly explained that it was a common occurrence. As a self-proclaimed liberal society, we must do more to help ethnic minorities, starting with awareness and education.
Therefore, in November 2018, DiverCITY organised a workshop centring around ethnic minorities and the struggles they face in Hong Kong. We invited four guests hailing from the Philippines, Nigeria, etc. to share their insight. The event was a blend of fun and intellectually-stimulation. A few rounds of “never have I ever” broke the ice, followed by serious discussions among the guests and members.
It was successful overall, with the 30-something attendees commenting that they had enjoyed it immensely. Many felt their horizons had been broadened.
In the future, DiverCITY will continue our mission to facilitate conversation on a variety of social issues. Stay tuned!
~Hayley Leung Committee 2018-2019
In the future, DiverCITY will continue our mission to facilitate conversation on a variety of social issues. Stay tuned!
Are you a passionate high school student who’s sick of elderly visits and awareness-raising Instagram pages?
Do you wonder why the UN never seems to do much more than write strongly worded memos?
Do you ever question if your values are truly yours or just products of your culture? (Oops, that got a little dark.)
Well, if you answered “yes” to any of the above, then DiverCity is the place for you.
DiverCity, a portmanteau of the words “diverse” and “city”, is a Hong Kong-based youth group, funded by Beyond Borders Academy and supported by Inter Cultural Education Ltd., which aims to cultivate students’ curiosity about different cultures and perspectives, as well as empower them with resources to advocate for global issues. In an increasingly interconnected and polarized world, we believe only genuine curiosity about diverse perspectives can bridge divides. Through our cross-cultural workshops and micro-grant program, we empower students to explore diverse perspectives and launch their own advocacy initiatives.
You may be wondering how we have money for all that, and how we know so many people. Fortunately for you, we are neither affiliated with the Italian mafia nor a fake NGO with an Instagram page and nothing else. We are proudly funded by NGO Beyond Borders Academy and social enterprise Inter Cultural Education.
Beyond Borders Academy aims to empower individuals from all backgrounds to actively shape their communities and celebrate diversity. Their volunteer-run cantonese classes and human library sessions have contributed to a more diverse and inclusive Hong Kong.
Inter Cultural Education is an award-winning social enterprise which aims to connect young people to global perspectives and nurture global citizens. They have partnered with the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE), 16 schools, and 9 universities to bring global perspective dialogues and service programs to students.
Are you a student eager to make a difference? Do you want to challenge your beliefs with people from diverse backgrounds? Join DiverCity today! And if you’re still on the fence, feel free to check out our Instagram (well, you should be doing that regardless. @Divercity.hk, follow us now :D), or browse our blog to learn about our previous events.
Follow us on Instagram @divercity.hk and fill out our application form by August 15, 2025, to join the 2025 DiverCity cohort. Should you have any inquiries, feel free to contact us at info@divercityhk.org.