Jockey Club closes fourth Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, launches Commission on Asian Philanthropy

The Hong Kong Jockey Club wrapped up its fourth and largest Philanthropy for Better Cities (PBC) Forum at West Kowloon Cultural District today (10 September). Nearly 100 eminent speakers and more than 2,000 delegates from 40 countries and regions joined the two-day event, including representatives of over 200 local, regional and global foundations. The PBC was convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Charities Trust in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), a charitable organisation established by the Club and its Trust at the opening of the third PBC in September last year.

HKSAR Government Financial Secretary Paul Chan (front row, centre), Club Chairman Michael Lee (front row, 5th left), Club Deputy Chairman Martin Liao (front row, 4th left), Club Stewards, Club CEO Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row,5th right) celebrated the 140th Anniversary of the establishment of The Hong Kong Jockey Club at the Gala Dinner.

At the forum today, the launch of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy was announced in the first plenary session. The commission brings together influential philanthropic organisations as founding commissioners, including the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, IDEAS Dompet Dhuafa Republika, King Khalid Foundation, The Nippon Foundation, Piramal Foundation, Rainmatter Foundation, Tanoto Foundation, Tata Consultancy Services and Tencent Charity Foundation. As a three-year initiative co-convened by IoP and the Asia Philanthropy Congress (“APHIC”), the commission will define the scope and opportunity of Asian philanthropy and establish an “in Asia, for Asia” ecosystem to advance the professionalisation of the philanthropic sector in the region and unleash Asian philanthropy’s full potential for social good.

The second day of the forum opened with a plenary session entitled “Launch of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy: The Asian Way of Giving: Unleashing the power of Asian philanthropy for a sustainable future.” The launch of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy was announced during this session. This group photo features Lester Huang, Club Steward and Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy (centre); Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Club CEO and Director of the Institute of Philanthropy (5th right); Ichiro Kabasawa, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation, also representing APHIC (5th left); Beili Shen, Vice Chairperson of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (4th left); Haryo Mojopahit, Managing Director, IDEAS Dompet Dhuafa Republika (3rd left); Her Highness Princess Nouf bint Muhammad AlSaud, CEO of King Khalid Foundation (4th right); Aditya Natraj, CEO of Piramal Foundation (3rd right); James Li, CEO of Tencent Charity Foundation (2nd right); Benny Lee, CEO of Tanoto Foundation (2nd left); Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN (1st right); and Warren Ang, Founder and CEO of Voyage (1st left).

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Club’s CEO and IoP Director, delivered the forum’s closing address, echoing insights from forum speakers and underlining the importance of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy. “To fully leverage the collaborative power of philanthropy in Asia, this morning we launched the Commission on Asian Philanthropy. Convened by IoP and the Asia Philanthropy Congress and bringing 10 leading Asian foundations together, it aims to build an “in Asia, for Asia” ecosystem and to expand the capacity of Asian practitioners.Crucially, it is committed to staying plural. There will be no one-size-fits-all. Rather, the intention is to learn from, and share, the rich diversity of Asian philanthropy.”

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Institute of Philanthropy, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, delivers closing remarks at the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum 2024.

The overarching theme of PBC 2024 was “Delivering impactful philanthropy in the real world”.As an aid to discussions, the IoP shared two specially commissioned reports: “Examining Trust and Measurement in Asian Philanthropy,” a joint publication by IoP and McKinsey & Company; and “High-Impact Philanthropy: Giving Better across Asia and the World,”produced by the Bridgespan Group. IoP also shared a special supplement on impact measurement produced in collaboration with the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

The third plenary was entitled “Launch of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy: The Asian Way of Giving: Unleashing the power of Asian philanthropy for a sustainable future.” The panellists include (from left) Her Highness Princess Nouf bint Muhammad AlSaud, CEO of King Khalid Foundation; Ichiro Kabasawa, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation; Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IoP Director; Haryo Mojopahit, Managing Director of IDEAS Dompet Dhuafa Republika; Aditya Natraj, CEO of Piramal Foundation; Beili Shen, Vice Chairperson of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. The panel discussion was moderated by Warren Ang, Founder and CEO of Voyage.

The forum’s first plenary session today was entitled “Launch of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy: The Asian Way of Giving: Unleashing the power of Asian philanthropy for a sustainable future.” It featured a panel discussion between Her Highness Princess Nouf bint Muhammad AlSaud, CEO of King Khalid Foundation; Ichiro Kabasawa, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation; Dr Gabriel Leung, the Club’s Executive Director of Charities and Community and IoP Director; Haryo Mojopahit, Managing Director of IDEAS Dompet Dhuafa  Republika; Aditya Natraj, CEO of Piramal Foundation; and Beili Shen, Vice Chairperson of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. They explored emerging trends, opportunities, and pathways to further the professionalisation of Asian philanthropy and pave the way for enduring action and transformative change.

The third plenary was entitled “Launch of the Commission on Asian Philanthropy: The Asian Way of Giving: Unleashing the power of Asian philanthropy for a sustainable future.” The panellists include (from left) Her Highness Princess Nouf bint Muhammad AlSaud, CEO of King Khalid Foundation; Ichiro Kabasawa, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation; Dr Gabriel Leung, Executive Director, Charities and Community of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IoP Director; Haryo Mojopahit, Managing Director of IDEAS Dompet Dhuafa Republika; Aditya Natraj, CEO of Piramal Foundation; Beili Shen, Vice Chairperson of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. The panel discussion was moderated by Warren Ang, Founder and CEO of Voyage.

The forum’s closing plenary featured a panel discussion on how investing in arts and sports yields a high social return on investment. It featured Dustin Lance Black, 2009 Oscar winner (Best Original Screenplay), American Screenwriter, Director and Producer; Tom Daley, gold medal-winning Olympic diver; Vincent Ho, 2023 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Champion, Jockey, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Ruby Yang, 2007 Oscar winner (Documentary Short Subject), Director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong. The session was moderated by Trisha Leahy, Member of Project MuSE Advisory Committee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and former Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Sports Institute.

The forum’s closing plenary session was entitled “Motivating Project MuSE: how should we understand investing in the arts and sports?” It featured a discussion between (from left) Dustin Lance Black, 2009 Oscar winner (Best Original Screenplay), American Screenwriter, Director, and Producer; Ruby Yang, 2007 Oscar winner (Documentary Short Subject), Director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre, The University of Hong Kong; Tom Daley, gold-medal winning Olympic diver; Vincent Ho, 2023 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Champion, Jockey, The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and. It was moderated by Trisha Leahy, Member of Project MuSE Advisory Committee of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and former Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Sports Institute.

Tom Daley, gold-medal-winning Olympic diver (left) and Vincent Ho, 2023 LONGINES International Jockeys’ Champion, Jockey, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (right).

Tomorrow (11 September), the IoP will convene its flagship Foundations Circle to foster
dialogue, knowledge-sharing, learning and collaboration. With more than 55 global philanthropic organisations due to convene at the event this year, it is in line with the Government’s mission to promote the city as an international philanthropy hub. Rounding out Hong Kong Philanthropy Week, the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy will host a three day summit from Thursday to Saturday.

The Club’s support for the PBC Forum, like all of its charity and community initiatives, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the community.

A spectacular 67-metre fire dragon crafted with burning incense sticks captivated over a thousand of festival-goers as it was paraded through the streets of Tai Hang tonight (16 September). Set to run for three nights to September 18, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance parade has been supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust since 2010, in collaboration with the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association.

Club Chairman Michael Lee (front row, left) and the Director-General of the Hong Kong Island Sub-office of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Xue Hui jun (front row, right) decorate the Tai Hang Fire Dragon.

Officiating at the dance’s opening ceremony were Michael Wong, HKSAR Government Deputy Financial Secretary; Michael Lee, Club Chairman; Xue Hui-jun, Director-General of the Hong Kong Island Sub-office of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; and Yuen How-kuen, Chairman of the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association along with other guests.

HKSAR Government Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong (seventh right); Club Chairman Michael Lee (seventh left); the Director-General of the Hong Kong Island Sub-office of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, Xue Hui-jun (sixth left); Chairman of the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association Yuen How-kuen (centre) and other guests at the opening ceremony of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance.

Michael Lee said the Club was happy to have supported the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance for many years. This includes helping the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association to organise fire dragon dance training for children and young people to foster interest in this cultural heritage activity. In addition, through the Institute of Philanthropy, the Club is cooperating with the Palace Museum in Beijing to promote Chinese culture by restoring and conserving the historic Chengqiangong, organising exhibitions, and nurturing talents.

HKSAR Government Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong (right) and Club Chairman Michael Lee (left) lift the head of the 67-metre fire dragon at the opening ceremony of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance.

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance was first held in 1880 as an act to ward off a plague that had broken out in the district that year. It has since become customary to stage a fire dragon dance every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival to drive away infectious diseases and to bring good fortune.

The dragon is made of “pearl grass” and is about 67 metres in length. It takes more than 400 people to perform the dance. The ceremony starts with decorating the dragon and stuffing it with burning incense sticks before parading it through the streets of Tai Hang during the evening.

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and sparkling night parade are believed to bring good fortune.

The dance was among the local traditions included on the third national list of intangible cultural heritage activities. In 2019 it was chosen as one of the Remarkable Examples of Good Practice for Safeguarding the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Items.

To foster deeper understanding of traditional customs and their origins among the public, the Club continues to support the Tai Hang Residents’ Welfare Association and the Hong Kong Resource Centre for Heritage in organising an educational workshop for schools and the wider community.

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance and sparkling night parade are believed to bring good fortune.

The Club’s Charities Trust has also provided funding to help preserve two other local festivals on the national heritage list: the Tai O Dragon Boat Water Parade and the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival.

The Club’s support for these programmes, like all its charity and community donations, is made possible by its unique integrated business model through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities.