The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) shows no interest in listening to District Councillors or residents of local communities.

Soho in Central Hong Kong is one of many areas that continues to be under threat of demolition by the URA. We hope to petition the Town Planning Board to demonstrate the universal objection by residents and visitors to the area and convince them to reject the URA's proposal for increased development in the area.

The URA's proposal is referred to as A/H3/435; a cryptic titled intended to confuse and distract those with any interest in the project.

This trail starts near the top of the Discovery Bay Valley Road, skirts the outline of the Discovery Bay golf course and merges into the concrete footpath built by the Trappsist Haven Monastery to Mui Wo. Besides, being a popular hiking/mountain bike trail, it is also one of Discovery Bay’s land route to Mui Wo to which bicycles have access.

In August 2012, this trail was suddenly blocked by large concrete boulders at different locations about half a kilometer from the trail head. Hong Kong Resort Company, the developer of Discovery Bay, has admitted that it is undertaking some ‘construction work’ in the stretch of land engulfed by these boulders.

Hong Kong Resort has attempted to build an alternate trail bypassing this construction site. However, being poorly designed and half completed, this alternate trail, punctuated by several hidden cliffs on it course, is not only dangerous to prospective hikers, but also completely inaccessible to bicycles.

每一個簽名，每一個留言，都代表一份心意，所以無論簽名人數多少，定必在六月三十日傳送至候任特首辦。

然而，不禁使我們校友、家長、在校師生所擔憂的，是近年來我們一同目睹的政策失誤、校風歪行，以及多個明顯可見的衍生缺失，當中包括對部分轉校生的不合理特殊優待及分開小班上課（因此校內造成學生分化）、低透明度及模糊不具體的招收轉校生機制及準則（乃至收取之學生操行極之參次）、過份收取體育上有成就的轉校生（以致阻礙一條龍的發展，及剝削原本球隊的同學的參與機會）。

我們在此一同向校方要求，徹底重新審視現存的政策流弊，訂立具有透明度、有限度和約束力的招生機制，並將無理、無必要、顛倒教育理念的特殊處理全數取消。

校園內民主牆的大字報：
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgsc8v8s_0g5vnwphj

相關網上討論：
http://www28.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=9845239

English version

背景:

在香港，2009年9月開始實施的新高中生物學和組合科學課程綱領，包含一句可能會鼓勵不科學理論在科學課傳播的指引。有關段落如下：

「除達爾文理論外，還鼓勵學生探索其他有關演化和生命起源的解釋，以展示科學知識不斷轉變的本質。」

新聞媒體報導，至少有31所香港中學已經承認在科學課上教授創造論和/或智慧設計論作為演化論外的「其他解釋」。教育局起初不重視香港大學科學家的抗議，但後來在一個電視節目中又說創造論不被「視為達爾文理論外的其他解釋」。

在同一個電視節目，一位中學校長抨擊科學家排斥宗教，思想狹隘。另一位中學校長在報紙上說：「我們的宗教信仰不同意演化論」。在5月初，一行62人包括教育工作者和科學家簽署了一項聲明，呼籲受爭議的指引予以保留，因為它「刺激思考，平衡，沒有偏見，並一直運作良好。」

迄今為止，演化論是唯一健全和確立的、解釋地球上生物多樣性的科學理論。它已經通過多次考驗，得到大量證據支持，也受其他科學領域如生物化學，遺傳學，解剖學，物理學和地質學等所佐證。這一生物學的核心理論，在現代醫學和農業的知識和技術進步上作出了許多偉大的貢獻，從而已經拯救了無數的生命和改善他們的生活。

而其他「解釋」，如創造論或智慧設計論，根本不符合科學的定義，並已受國際科學家根據強而有力的理由斥為偽科學。科學家們已經公開和廣泛地指出的，這些思想不應該在科學課教授。

新綱領有問題的指引將為偽科學打開一個漏洞，對香港教育素質造成重大破壞，而關於地球上生命演化的知識將被不能被科學驗證的想法或概念隱瞞，否認或混淆，從而違背了科學教育的目標。

證據顯示，有些有宗教背景的學校和教師肆無忌憚地在科學課教授創造論和智慧設計論，對科學教育已經造成破壞。教育局，如其抱負和使命所述，有責任給予下一代高質素的教育，它必須認真和急切地解決這一問題，並明確公開表示自己的立場，以免這問題進一步破壞香港的國際形象。

如想更深入了解問題或對我們表示支持，請訪問我們的網站.


Background:

In Hong Kong, the new senior secondary school biology and combined science curriculum effective from September 2009 contain a statement in the part of evolution that may encourage unscientific theories to be propagated in science classes. The related passage reads:

"In addition to Darwin's theory, students are encouraged to explore other explanations for evolution and the origins of life, to help illustrate the dynamic nature of scientific knowledge."

News media reported that at least 31 secondary schools in Hong Kong have already admitted to teach Creationism and/or Intelligent Design as an alternative to the theory of evolution during science lessons. The Education Bureau first turned their back to the complaining scientists from the University of Hong Kong, but later stated in a TV program that creationism is not “considered as an alternative to Darwin’s theory”.

In the same TV program a secondary school principal lashed out at the scientists for being narrow-minded by expelling religious ideas. Another secondary school principal said on the newspaper that "Our religious belief does not approve of evolution" . In early May 2009, a group of 62 people, including educators and scientists, signed a statement calling for controversial guidelines to be retained because it is "stimulating, balanced, non-biased and has worked well" .

To date, the theory of evolution is the only robust and established scientific theory regarding the biodiversity on Earth. It has stood numerous tests ever since publishing, and is supported by overwhelming evidence and confirmed by other areas of sciences like biochemistry, genetics, anatomy, physics and geology. This central theory in biology has substantially contributed to many of the greatest scientific and technological advancements in modern medicine and agriculture, thus has saved many lives and improved their living.

The other "explanations", such as Creationism or Intelligent Design, are not even consistent with the definition of science, and have been dismissed by scientists worldwide as pseudo-sciences with strong reasons. Scientists have already stated openly and widely that these unscientific ideas should not be taught in science classes .

The problematic statement in the new biology and combined science syllabuses will open a loophole for pseudo-sciences, resulting in a great damage to quality education in Hong Kong, whereby knowledge on the theory and fact of evolution of life on Earth are being concealed, denied, or confused with ideas or notions not testable by science, and thus contradicts the objectives of science education.

There are evidences showing damages have already been made to science education, as schools and teachers with religious background unscrupulously teach Creationism and Intelligent Design during science classes. Education Bureau, as stated in its vision statement, is responsible for providing quality education to our next generation; it must address this problem seriously and with urgency, and clearly expresses their position publicly, to prevent this problem from further spoiling Hong Kong’s international image.

To know more about the issue or to support us, please visit our website.

雖然新鴻基金融集團一向務求在公眾眼中建立一個良好雇主的形象，但公司最近的做法使員工就公司對待自己的公正性失去信心。

從銷售經紀幫公司的盈利中，新鴻基金融集團已提取60%，而員工只拿到剩下的40%。難道這60%的盈利還不足以支付所謂的行政費嗎？

據2007年年報，新鴻基金融集團的佣金及服務收入達$14.3億。而這項新的佣金計劃僅能幫助公司降低$500萬的行政成本。但如果員工因對該項新計劃的不滿而導致銷售業績下降一個百分點,公司的盈利就會減少$1,400萬。如果下降十個百分點，公司的損失更將高達$1.43億。僅僅因為這項節約$500萬的計劃而對公司造成如此的負面影響，值得嗎？

On 6 May 2008, Sun Hung Kai Financial Group introduced a new commission payout scheme for its sales staff. Under this new scheme, a new $1,000 monthly "administration fee" deduction from sales staff's monthly payout has been introduced.

Sun Hung Kai Financial Group wants to be a good employer to work for in the eyes of public but the recent move has made employees loose faith in company treating employees fairly.

From what sales staff help company earn, company is already taking 60% cut while sales staff take 40%. Isn't the 60% cut enough to cover the so-called "administration fee"?

According to latest Annual Report (2007), Sun Hung Kai Financial Group make $1.43 billion from brokerage, commission and service income.
By taxing every sales staff $1,000, the company can make about $5 million extra per year at the expense of sales staff.
But has company thought of the result if productivity drops by just 1% due to low morale and higher staff turnover, company lose $14.3 million per year. If productivity drop by 10%, company lose $143 million.
Is the $5 million company get from taxing sales staff worth it?

In this situation, employees lose, company also lose.