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World Health Organization-
Yesterday, WHO launched the Access Initiative for Quitting Tobacco, which aims to help the world's 1.3 billion tobacco users quit during the pandemic. Smoking kills eight million people a year and smokers are more vulnerable to developing a severe case of COVID-19. WHO received its first-ever donation of nicotine replacement therapies for the project from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health. The Initiative also enlists the help of WHO's- and the world’s - first ever virtual health worker, Florence. You can speak with Florence, to dispel myths around COVID-19 and smoking, and to help develop a personalized plan to quit tobacco. WHO is
in the final stages of adding more partners and encourages pharmaceutical and technology companies to join
this initiative.
Problem Solving Using the Why Tree by xtremelean.us
* This presentation is on problem solving using the why tree and is designed to teach a standardized approach for your people at all levels of the organization. Good problem solving skills within your company will cause your business to thrive while making everyone's life easier in the process.
* While problem solving does not have to be difficult, there are many that like to make it sound that way.
* People are not born as natural problem solvers and you don't need a college degree to learn to be a good problem solver either.
* Good problem solving skills can be taught and that is what I am going to do. My goal is to teach you a simple standardized approach that can be used in your business or personal life. You can also use this training video to teach others at your business. When completed, you will fully understand and be ready to use the concepts taught here.
* When we become good at problem solving, we start eliminating the problems that cause our head to spin once and for all. Our life becomes much easier and we suddenly have more time and less frustration. You are probably watching this video because that is exactly the direction you want to go in your life.
* Let's first discuss what a problem is or is not.
* A problem is the difference between actual conditions and the desired conditions and you don't know how to solve it.
* Let's put this in simpler terms.
* Let's change desired condition with "Want" and change actual condition with "Have"
* So the difference between what we have and what we want is the problem.
* And it's only a problem if you don't already know what the solution is.
* Let me give you a simple illustration of what a problem is. Barney here wants a female companion, but he does not have one, and he doesn't know exactly what to do about it. That is Barneys problem. That seems pretty straightforward doesn't it?
* The biggest type of problem people face is when something suddenly goes wrong.
* Captain Jack here is flying 300 passengers across the continent when all of a sudden, the plane starts to go down.
* In this case, the pilot WANTS to have full control of the plane again.
* But what he has is a plane that is going down and he doesn't know what happened or what to do about it.
* Does the pilot have a problem? 100% affirmative.
* Everyone has problems in their life at one time or another, so we all have the responsibility and opportunity to solve problems many times in our lives. It is absolutely best when we solve a problem so it never ever returns again. When you solve problems this way, your life becomes easier.
* When it comes to problem solving, some people just start shooting from the hip. This can be a very costly, time consuming, and frustrating approach. Preferable to this would be to take some aim at our target. After all, if we take the time to aim carefully at our target we increase the chance of hitting the bulls eye.
* Let's use a hypothetical problem that everyone can relate to. You arrived to work late.
* By the way, always clearly define the problem in as few words as possible, while also making sure everyone can understand what the problem is.
* And the reason we arrived to work late is because our car would not start.
* Many people put a lot of emphasis on root cause analysis, which is finding out what exactly what caused the car not to start.
* This is a fish bone diagram which is another tool that can be used for determining the root cause of a problem.
* And while sometimes finding the root cause is important, finding the best solution that will prevent the problem from reoccurring is THE most important objective.
* In this case, let's say you were at the end of your ropes with this piece of junk anyway and had decided you were going to buy a new car.
* Do you really care what exactly caused your old car not to start? Not really.
* Will the new car be a proper solution to your problem and get you to work reliably for many years to come? Absolutely
* My point is, solutions are more important than causes and in my opinion, outweigh them greatly.
* All right, let's do a reality check. You have a crap car, you were late to work because it would not start, and you have no money to buy a new car.
* You now need to know what caused your car not to start so you will not be able to fix it.
* The Why Tree method is the focus of this presentation, but it relies on knowing the 5-Why root cause analysis method. The 5-Why method for determining root cause is one of the simplest methods to learn and to complete. You start with a clear problem statement, then ask why the problem happened and write the answer down. If that answer did not identify the root cause, continue asking why until it does.
* Let's go through an example.
* For example our problem is we woke up late.
* We would then ask "why did we wake up late?"
* The alarm did not go off.
* "why did the alarm not go off?"
* Because the time reset on the alarm clock?
* Why did the time reset on the alarm clock?
* Because the power went out.
* Why did the power go out?
* Because of the severe thunderstorms.
* Why were there severe thunderstorms?
* We don't know.
* Notice that solutions are out of our control when the power went out? We do not have control over the power or the weather. So the line of questioning should stop when we do not have any control over the cause.
* One of the problems with the 5-Why root cause analysis is it only allows for one line of questioning. Based on the answers you give, you can get off the trail to solutions very quickly.
* Let's back up and change the answer to "why did the time reset on the clock?" to:
* Because the clock lost power
* Then why did the clock lose power?
* Because the alarm clock did not have the backup battery installed.
* Why was the backup battery not installed?
* Because we did not have one at the time.
* Take notice that the answers you give will dramatically change the outcome. You must also ensure the answers are accurate or once again you will be on a wild goose chase.
* We now have a root cause that we have control over and an easy solution to the problem. Having a backup battery installed in the alarm clock allows it to continue working in the event of a power outage. This solution is very simple and effective with a very low cost. It is easy to implement and has no negative consequences.
* While you now have a good solution to this problem, let's not forget that batteries do not last forever. You will need to check the batteries in the alarm clock on a regular basis if your want to eliminate this particular problem forever.
* Even though this approach is called 5-Why, 5 is just a rule of thumb for the number of times to ask why. It could be more or less though depending on the problem. When you no longer know the answer to the question that is a good place to stop. Speculation will rarely serve you well.
* While the 5-Why root cause analysis is a good and simple tool, I find the Why Tree diagram is a much better tool for brainstorming multiple possible causes of the problem. Discovering multiple causes of the problem allows you to develop multiple potential solutions to the problem. You would use the same 5-why approach but the tree diagram allows you to list multiple potential causes to each why. There is no limit to the size or shape of your Why Tree. Let me share an example of using the Why Tree.
* Let's use a real life problem I experienced recently. We put in a new lawn at our house and it wasn't very long before I noticed the grass was dying is some areas. I was upset and wanted to know why and the solution to the problem.
* It did not take long to put two and two together. The dog peeing on the lawn was causing it to die. The reason I want to share this example with you is to show you there are almost always several solutions to any given problem.
* While you may have multiple solutions for any given problem, and even though all of the solutions may solve the problem, there are costs or consequences to consider. Your job in good problem solving is to come up with:
A: The simplest
B: Most effective solution
C: At the lowest cost
D: That is the easiest to implement
E: With no negative consequences.
* The description of my problem is very simple "my grass is dying in small sections". So the 1st question why is the grass dying? Because the dog is peeing on the grass, why is the dog peeing on the grass? Because he is not trained to go elsewhere.
* I must confess, when I first saw that the dog peeing on the grass was causing it to die, I jumped to my first solution and that was a well planned hunting accident where the dog had more to worry about than the bird.
* But that solution would end up in divorce court. Although this solution would be simple, 100% effective, relatively low cost, and easy to implement, the consequences of this solution would make it a very poor choice.
* Then I thought how can I train the dog to stay off the nice new lawn?
* Someone suggested setting up an electric fence and I thought that would be a perfect solution. So off to the pet store I went only to discover these fences aren't cheap. Although this solution would be very effective and there were no negative consequences I could foresee, the cost was high and not simple to install or implement. Still the best solution I have found up to this point.
* I realized I needed to dig deeper to find more causes and therefore more solutions so I asked myself again, "why is the grass dying?"
* Because of the dog pee. I don't have any control over the natural functions of the dog so there is no solution there.
* Why is the dog pee causing the grass to die?
* I had to do some research on the internet, but quickly found my answer. Because dog pee has high levels of Nitrogen.
* Why are there high levels of Nitrogen in the dog pee?
* I also found the answers on the internet that it could be related to their diet
* Or they are not drinking enough water.
* I investigated changing the diet for my dog and found that over the lifetime of the dog, you will probably spend more than the electric fence. I also found out there are health risks for the dog with this diet. I found this solution to be simple, but the effectiveness in my mind was questionable. The cost was again high and the negative consequences of the health of the dog were not exciting. Bordering again on the divorce court thing.
* The dog not drinking enough water was another cause looking for a solution.
* I also thought I could probably teach my dog to read before I could get her to drink more water. So while this solution may be effective at a low cost with no negative consequences, I did not feel this would be simple or easy to implement at all.
* We might not be able to get the dog to drink more water which would dilute the Nitrogen, but maybe we can dilute the Nitrogen another way. What if we adjusted the sprinklers to come on more frequently in the area the dog goes potty? Here is an extremely simple and easy to implement solution that should be totally effective with no cost or negative consequences. Guess what solution I chose to solve my problem?
* There is a simple way to cross check the solution you have chosen. Just read your Why Tree in reverse order and substitute the question why with the word because. Let's try this.
* We are going to adjust the sprinklers to come on more frequently because we need to dilute the high levels of Nitrogen because of the dog pee, because the dog pee is killing the grass. Make sure when you do the cross check that your solution makes sense all the way down the line.
* Root cause analysis is definitely a team effort. After all, two heads are better than one. Choose your team members wisely and keep the team size to a manageable group however.
* Don't worry about the repeatability of this problem solving process. In my mind, problem solving is a very creative process.
* If you give the same problem to three different teams, depending on the creativity of each team, you will most likely end up with three different solutions to the problem. This is absolutely normal. Just be creative and focus on the best solution to the problem you face and implement it.
* If this process does not give you a solution that is clearly correct, you may need to use a different problem solving tool.
* In the future, I will be posting videos on all of the problem solving tools including, Pareto charts, flow charts, fishbone diagrams, brainstorming tools, mind maps, failure mode and effects analysis, and TRIZ. So stay tuned.
This is the end of the presentation, but the beginning of your journey towards realizing the benefits of good problem solving at your own company. We have many years experience in the tools of Six Sigma with problem solving skills at the forefront. Let us know how we can help you.
If you need help in training or implementing problem solving, visit us at www.xtremelean.us
Having a locker at school is really useful. Here's the setup for mine. I have a white board in the back of the locker, and a shelf in the main part. This gives me a way to divide up my books. I have blue and black pens in a mug on the left hand side, and extra tape, staples, and notebooks, and other school supplies. Inside the door is my schedule and a list of days of the week for a rotating schedule related to school items like meetings and special events. I also have a label maker for labeling my stuff.
How I use the Weekly Bento Planner. See the notes, zoom up close, etc.!
The PDF form in both US Letter and A4 size can be downloaded from Just Bento.
UPDATE: I've also created a Weekly Menu Planner with a special box for planning, well, your bento box. Usage example, download and instructions.
Putting a shelf in your locker makes a big difference. It doubles your storage space, separates out books into multiple categories, and allows you to arrange the space more carefully. I love them.
Prerequisites for CMMI High Maturity- 2. For more details visit us @ www.cunixinfotech.com/cmmi-consulting-and-appraisal/
logo design for an organizational company. she coaches, and trains people to be more organized (with time and with their spaces).
the time management thing is a new aspect that she's doing more of.
i'd like feedback on both taglines, as well as layouts.
Dickson City, PA. June 2015.
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If you would like to use THIS picture in any sort of media elsewhere (such as newspaper or article), please send me a Flickrmail or send me an email at natehenderson6@gmail.com.
Douglas Masonic Lodge #153, 300 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado. This 1904 building was originally the home of the First National Bank of Douglas County. It was constructed with rhyolite from the local Santa Fe Quarry, which was the last Castle Rock quarry to close its doors just two years after the bank was built. The bank cloaed in 1933 due to the Great Depression and its assets were liquidated in 1937. The local chapter of Freemasons had been holding their meetings in the building since the bank first opened, and they purchased it in 1937. The Masons still use the building as their meeting hall.
Photo Copyright 2012, dynamo.photography.
All rights reserved, no use without license
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Hong kong)
Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is an autonomous territory south to Mainland China and east to Macao in East Asia. With around 7.2 million Hong Kongers of various nationalities[note 2] in a territory of 1,104 km2, Hong Kong is the world's fourth most densely populated country or territory.
Hong Kong used to be a British colony with the perpetual cession of Hong Kong Island from the Qing Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42). The colony expanded to the Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 and acquired a 99-year lease of the New Territories from 1898. Hong Kong was later occupied by Japan during the Second World War until British control resumed in 1945. The Sino-British Joint Declaration signed between the United Kingdom and China in 1984 paved way for the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, when it became a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy.[15]
Under the principle of "one country, two systems",[16][17] Hong Kong maintains a separate political and economic system from China. Except in military defence and foreign affairs, Hong Kong maintains its independent executive, legislative and judiciary powers.[18] In addition, Hong Kong develops relations directly with foreign states and international organisations in a broad range of "appropriate fields".[19] Hong Kong involves in international organizations, such as the WTO[20] and the APEC [21], actively and independently.
Hong Kong is one of the world's most significant financial centres, with the highest Financial Development Index score and consistently ranks as the world's most competitive and freest economic entity.[22][23] As the world's 8th largest trading entity,[24] its legal tender, the Hong Kong dollar, is the world's 13th most traded currency.[25] As the world's most visited city,[26][27] Hong Kong's tertiary sector dominated economy is characterised by competitive simple taxation and supported by its independent judiciary system.[28] Even with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, it suffers from severe income inequality.[29]
Nicknamed "Pearl of the Orient", Hong Kong is renowned for its deep natural harbour, which boasts the world's fifth busiest port with ready access by cargo ships, and its impressive skyline, with the most skyscrapers in the world.[30][31] It has a very high Human Development Index ranking and the world's longest life expectancy.[32][33] Over 90% of the population makes use of well-developed public transportation.[34][35] Seasonal air pollution with origins from neighbouring industrial areas of Mainland China, which adopts loose emissions standards, has resulted in a high level of atmospheric particulates in winter.[36][37][38]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Prehistory
2.2 Imperial China
2.3 British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
2.4 Japanese occupation: 1941–45
2.5 Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
2.6 Handover and Special Administrative Region status
3 Governance
3.1 Structure of government
3.2 Electoral and political reforms
3.3 Legal system and judiciary
3.4 Foreign relations
3.5 Human rights
3.6 Regions and districts
3.7 Military
4 Geography and climate
5 Economy
5.1 Financial centre
5.2 International trading
5.3 Tourism and expatriation
5.4 Policy
5.5 Infrastructure
6 Demographics
6.1 Languages
6.2 Religion
6.3 Personal income
6.4 Education
6.5 Health
7 Culture
7.1 Sports
7.2 Architecture
7.3 Cityscape
7.4 Symbols
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
10.1 Citations
10.2 Sources
11 Further reading
12 External links
Etymology
Hong Kong was officially recorded in the 1842 Treaty of Nanking to encompass the entirety of the island.[39]
The source of the romanised name "Hong Kong" is not known, but it is generally believed to be an early imprecise phonetic rendering of the pronunciation in spoken Cantonese 香港 (Cantonese Yale: Hēung Góng), which means "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour".[13][14][40] Before 1842, the name referred to a small inlet—now Aberdeen Harbour (Chinese: 香港仔; Cantonese Yale: Hēunggóng jái), literally means "Little Hong Kong"—between Aberdeen Island and the southern coast of Hong Kong Island. Aberdeen was an initial point of contact between British sailors and local fishermen.[41]
Another theory is that the name would have been taken from Hong Kong's early inhabitants, the Tankas (水上人); it is equally probable that romanisation was done with a faithful execution of their speeches, i.e. hōng, not hēung in Cantonese.[42] Detailed and accurate romanisation systems for Cantonese were available and in use at the time.[43]
Fragrance may refer to the sweet taste of the harbour's fresh water estuarine influx of the Pearl River or to the incense from factories lining the coast of northern Kowloon. The incense was stored near Aberdeen Harbour for export before Hong Kong developed Victoria Harbour.[40]
The name had often been written as the single word Hongkong until the government adopted the current form in 1926.[44] Nevertheless, a number of century-old institutions still retain the single-word form, such as the Hongkong Post, Hongkong Electric and the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
As of 1997, its official name is the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". This is the official title as mentioned in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Hong Kong Government's website;[45] however, "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and "Hong Kong" are widely accepted.
Hong Kong has carried many nicknames. The most famous among those is the "Pearl of the Orient", which reflected the impressive nightscape of the city's light decorations on the skyscrapers along both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The territory is also known as "Asia's World City".
History
Main articles: History of Hong Kong and History of China
Prehistory
Main article: Prehistoric Hong Kong
Archaeological studies support human presence in the Chek Lap Kok area (now Hong Kong International Airport) from 35,000 to 39,000 years ago and on Sai Kung Peninsula from 6,000 years ago.[46][47][48]
Wong Tei Tung and Three Fathoms Cove are the earliest sites of human habitation in Hong Kong during the Paleolithic Period. It is believed that the Three Fathom Cove was a river-valley settlement and Wong Tei Tung was a lithic manufacturing site. Excavated Neolithic artefacts suggested cultural differences from the Longshan culture of northern China and settlement by the Che people, prior to the migration of the Baiyue to Hong Kong.[49][50] Eight petroglyphs, which dated to the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC – 1066 BC) in China, were discovered on the surrounding islands.[51]
Imperial China
Main article: History of Hong Kong under Imperial China
In 214 BC, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a centralised China, conquered the Baiyue tribes in Jiaozhi (modern-day Liangguang region and Vietnam) and incorporated the area of Hong Kong into his imperial China for the first time. Hong Kong proper was assigned to the Nanhai commandery (modern-day Nanhai District), near the commandery's capital city Panyu.[52][53][54]
After a brief period of centralisation and collapse of the Qin dynasty, the area of Hong Kong was consolidated under the Kingdom of Nanyue, founded by general Zhao Tuo in 204 BC.[55] When Nanyue lost the Han-Nanyue War in 111 BC, Hong Kong came under the Jiaozhi commandery of the Han dynasty. Archaeological evidence indicates an increase of population and flourish of salt production. The Lei Cheng Uk Han Tomb on the Kowloon Peninsula is believed to have been built as a burial site during the Han dynasty.[56]
From the Han dynasty to the early Tang dynasty, Hong Kong was a part of Bao'an County. In the Tang dynasty, modern-day Guangzhou (Canton) flourished as an international trading centre. In 736, the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang established a military stronghold in Tuen Mun to strengthen defence of the coastal area.[57] The nearby Lantau Island was a salt production centre and salt smuggler riots occasionally broke out against the government. In c. 1075, The first village school, Li Ying College, was established around 1075 AD in modern-day New Territories by the Northern Song dynasty.[58] During their war against the Mongols, the imperial court of Southern Song was briefly stationed at modern-day Kowloon City (the Sung Wong Toi site) before their ultimate defeat by the Mongols at the Battle of Yamen in 1279.[59] The Mongols then established their dynastic court and governed Hong Kong for 97 years.
From the mid-Tang dynasty to the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Hong Kong was a part of Dongguan County. During the Ming dynasty, the area was transferred to Xin'an County. The indigenous inhabitants at that time consisted of several ethnicities such as Punti, Hakka, Tanka and Hoklo.
European discovery
The earliest European visitor on record was Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese explorer, who arrived in 1513.[60][61] Having established a trading post in a site they called "Tamão" in Hong Kong waters, Portuguese merchants commenced with regular trading in southern China. Subsequent military clashes between China and Portugal, however, led to the expulsion of all Portuguese merchants from southern China.
Since the 14th century, the Ming court had enforced the maritime prohibition laws that strictly forbade all private maritime activities in order to prevent contact with foreigners by sea.[62] When the Manchu Qing dynasty took over China, Hong Kong was directly affected by the Great Clearance decree of the Kangxi Emperor, who ordered the evacuation of coastal areas of Guangdong from 1661 to 1669. Over 16,000 inhabitants of Xin'an County including those in Hong Kong were forced to migrate inland; only 1,648 of those who had evacuated subsequently returned.[63][64]
British Crown Colony: 1842–1941
A painter at work. John Thomson. Hong Kong, 1871. The Wellcome Collection, London
Main articles: British Hong Kong and History of Hong Kong (1800s–1930s)
In 1839, threats by the imperial court of Qing to sanction opium imports caused diplomatic friction with the British Empire. Tensions escalated into the First Opium War. The Qing admitted defeat when British forces captured Hong Kong Island on 20 January 1841. The island was initially ceded under the Convention of Chuenpi as part of a ceasefire agreement between Captain Charles Elliot and Governor Qishan. A dispute between high-ranking officials of both countries, however, led to the failure of the treaty's ratification. On 29 August 1842, Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Treaty of Nanking.[65] The British officially established a Crown colony and founded the City of Victoria in the following year.[66]
The population of Hong Kong Island was 7,450 when the Union Flag raised over Possession Point on 26 January 1841. It mostly consisted of Tanka fishermen and Hakka charcoal burners, whose settlements scattered along several coastal hamlets. In the 1850s, a large number of Chinese immigrants crossed the then-free border to escape from the Taiping Rebellion. Other natural disasters, such as flooding, typhoons and famine in mainland China would play a role in establishing Hong Kong as a place for safe shelter.[67][68]
Further conflicts over the opium trade between Britain and Qing quickly escalated into the Second Opium War. Following the Anglo-French victory, the Crown Colony was expanded to include Kowloon Peninsula (south of Boundary Street) and Stonecutter's Island, both of which were ceded to the British in perpetuity under the Convention of Beijing in 1860.
In 1898, Britain obtained a 99-year lease from Qing under the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory, in which Hong Kong obtained a 99-year lease of Lantau Island, the area north of Boundary Street in Kowloon up to Shenzhen River and over 200 other outlying islands.[69][70][71]
Hong Kong soon became a major entrepôt thanks to its free port status, attracting new immigrants to settle from both China and Europe. The society, however, remained racially segregated and polarised under early British colonial policies. Despite the rise of a British-educated Chinese upper-class by the late-19th century, race laws such as the Peak Reservation Ordinance prevented ethnic Chinese in Hong Kong from acquiring houses in reserved areas such as Victoria Peak. At this time, the majority of the Chinese population in Hong Kong had no political representation in the British colonial government. The British governors did rely, however, on a small number of Chinese elites, including Sir Kai Ho and Robert Hotung, who served as ambassadors and mediators between the government and local population.
File:1937 Hong Kong VP8.webmPlay media
Hong Kong filmed in 1937
In 1904, the United Kingdom established the world's first border and immigration control; all residents of Hong Kong were given citizenship as Citizens of United Kingdom and Colonies (CUKC).
Hong Kong continued to experience modest growth during the first half of the 20th century. The University of Hong Kong was established in 1911 as the territory's first higher education institute. While there had been an exodus of 60,000 residents for fear of a German attack on the British colony during the First World War, Hong Kong remained unscathed. Its population increased from 530,000 in 1916 to 725,000 in 1925 and reached 1.6 million by 1941.[72]
In 1925, Cecil Clementi became the 17th Governor of Hong Kong. Fluent in Cantonese and without a need for translator, Clementi introduced the first ethnic Chinese, Shouson Chow, into the Executive Council as an unofficial member. Under Clementi's tenure, Kai Tak Airport entered operation as RAF Kai Tak and several aviation clubs. In 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out when the Japanese Empire expanded its territories from northeastern China into the mainland proper. To safeguard Hong Kong as a freeport, Governor Geoffry Northcote declared the Crown Colony as a neutral zone.
Japanese occupation: 1941–45
Main article: Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Cenotaph in Hong Kong commemorates those who died in service in the First World War and the Second World War.[73]
As part of its military campaign in Southeast Asia during Second World War, the Japanese army moved south from Guangzhou of mainland China and attacked Hong Kong in on 8 December 1941.[74] Crossing the border at Shenzhen River on 8 December, the Battle of Hong Kong lasted for 18 days when British and Canadian forces held onto Hong Kong Island. Unable to defend against intensifying Japanese air and land bombardments, they eventually surrendered control of Hong Kong on 25 December 1941. The Governor of Hong Kong was captured and taken as a prisoner of war. This day is regarded by the locals as "Black Christmas".[75]
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the Japanese army committed atrocities against civilians and POWs, such as the St. Stephen's College massacre. Local residents also suffered widespread food shortages, limited rationing and hyper-inflation arising from the forced exchange of currency from Hong Kong dollars to Japanese military banknotes. The initial ratio of 2:1 was gradually devalued to 4:1 and ownership of Hong Kong dollars was declared illegal and punishable by harsh torture. Due to starvation and forced deportation for slave labour to mainland China, the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945, when the United Kingdom resumed control of the colony on 2 September 1945.[76]
Resumption of British rule and industrialisation: 1945–97
Main articles: British Hong Kong, 1950s in Hong Kong, 1960s in Hong Kong, 1970s in Hong Kong, 1980s in Hong Kong, and 1990s in Hong Kong
Flag of British Hong Kong from 1959 to 1997
Hong Kong's population recovered quickly after the war, as a wave of skilled migrants from the Republic of China moved in to seek refuge from the Chinese Civil War. When the Communist Party eventually took full control of mainland China in 1949, even more skilled migrants fled across the open border for fear of persecution.[69] Many newcomers, especially those who had been based in the major port cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou, established corporations and small- to medium-sized businesses and shifted their base operations to British Hong Kong.[69] The establishment of a socialist state in China (People's Republic of China) on 1 October 1949 caused the British colonial government to reconsider Hong Kong's open border to mainland China. In 1951, a boundary zone was demarked as a buffer zone against potential military attacks from communist China. Border posts along the north of Hong Kong began operation in 1953 to regulate the movement of people and goods into and out of the territory.
Stamp with portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
In the 1950s, Hong Kong became the first of the Four Asian Tiger economies under rapid industrialisation driven by textile exports, manufacturing industries and re-exports of goods to China. As the population grew, with labour costs remaining low, living standards began to rise steadily.[77] The construction of the Shek Kip Mei Estate in 1953 marked the beginning of the public housing estate programme to provide shelter for the less privileged and to cope with the influx of immigrants.
Under Sir Murray MacLehose, 25th Governor of Hong Kong (1971–82), a series of reforms improved the public services, environment, housing, welfare, education and infrastructure of Hong Kong. MacLehose was British Hong Kong's longest-serving governor and, by the end of his tenure, had become one of the most popular and well-known figures in the Crown Colony. MacLehose laid the foundation for Hong Kong to establish itself as a key global city in the 1980s and early 1990s.
A sky view of Hong Kong Island
An aerial view of the northern shore of Hong Kong Island in 1986
To resolve traffic congestion and to provide a more reliable means of crossing the Victoria Harbour, a rapid transit railway system (metro), the MTR, was planned from the 1970s onwards. The Island Line (Hong Kong Island), Kwun Tong Line (Kowloon Peninsula and East Kowloon) and Tsuen Wan Line (Kowloon and urban New Territories) opened in the early 1980s.[78]
In 1983, the Hong Kong dollar left its 16:1 peg with the Pound sterling and switched to the current US-HK Dollar peg. Hong Kong's competitiveness in manufacturing gradually declined due to rising labour and property costs, as well as new development in southern China under the Open Door Policy introduced in 1978 which opened up China to foreign business. Nevertheless, towards the early 1990s, Hong Kong had established itself as a global financial centre along with London and New York City, a regional hub for logistics and freight, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and the world's exemplar of Laissez-faire market policy.[79]
The Hong Kong question
In 1971, the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s permanent seat on the United Nations was transferred to the People's Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong's status as a recognised colony became terminated in 1972 under the request of PRC. Facing the uncertain future of Hong Kong and expiry of land lease of New Territories beyond 1997, Governor MacLehose raised the question in the late 1970s.
The British Nationality Act 1981 reclassified Hong Kong into a British Dependent Territory amid the reorganisation of global territories of the British Empire. All residents of Hong Kong became British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTC). Diplomatic negotiations began with China and eventually concluded with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Both countries agreed to transfer Hong Kong's sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong would remain autonomous as a special administrative region and be able to retain its free-market economy, British common law through the Hong Kong Basic Law, independent representation in international organisations (e.g. WTO and WHO), treaty arrangements and policy-making except foreign diplomacy and military defence.
It stipulated that Hong Kong would retain its laws and be guaranteed a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years after the transfer. The Hong Kong Basic Law, based on English law, would serve as the constitutional document after the transfer. It was ratified in 1990.[69] The expiry of the 1898 lease on the New Territories in 1997 created problems for business contracts, property leases and confidence among foreign investors.
Handover and Special Administrative Region status
Main articles: Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong and 2000s in Hong Kong
Transfer of sovereignty
Golden Bauhinia Square
On 1 July 1997, the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China took place, officially marking the end of Hong Kong's 156 years under British colonial governance. As the largest remaining colony of the United Kingdom, the loss of Hong Kong effectively represented the end of the British Empire. This transfer of sovereignty made Hong Kong the first special administrative region of China. Tung Chee-Hwa, a pro-Beijing business tycoon, was elected Hong Kong's first Chief Executive by a selected electorate of 800 in a televised programme.
Structure of government
Hong Kong's current structure of governance inherits from the British model of colonial administration set up in the 1850s. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration states that "Hong Kong should enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all areas except defence and foreign affairs" with reference to the underlying principle of one country, two systems.[note 3] This Declaration stipulates that Hong Kong maintains her capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of her people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover. [note 4] Such guarantees are enshrined in the Hong Kong's Basic Law, the territory's constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance after 1997, albeit subject to interpretation by China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC).[95][96]
Hong Kong's most senior leader, Chief Executive, is elected by a committee of 1,200 selected members (600 in 1997) and nominally appointed by the Government of China. The primary pillars of government are the Executive Council, Legislative Council, civil service and Judiciary.
Policy-making is initially discussed in the Executive Council, presided by the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, before passing to the Legislative Council for bill adoption. The Executive Council consists of 30 official/unofficial members appointed by the Chief Executive and one member among them acts as the convenor.[97][98]
The Legislative Council, set up in 1843, debates policies and motions before voting to adopt or rejecting bills. It has 70 members (originally 60) and 40 (originally 30) among them are directly elected by universal suffrage; the other 30 members are "functional constituencies" (indirectly) elected by a smaller electorate of corporate bodies or representatives of stipulated economic sectors as defined by the government. The Legislative Council is chaired by a president who acts as the speaker.[99][100]
In 1997, seating of the Legislative Council (also public services and election franchises) of Hong Kong modelled on the British system: Urban Council (Hong Kong and Kowloon) and District Council (New Territories and Outlying Islands). In 1999, this system has been reformed into 18 directly elected District Offices across 5 Legislative Council constituencies: Hong Kong Island (East/West), Kowloon and New Territories (East/West); the remaining outlying islands are divided across the aforementioned regions.
Hong Kong's Civil Service, created by the British colonial government, is a politically neutral body that implements government policies and provides public services. Senior civil servants are appointed based on meritocracy. The territory's police, firefighting and customs forces, as well as clerical officers across various government departments, make up the civil service.[101][102]
My other bookshelf that matches the one that I found on Craigslist. I still need to paint or alter the natural wood holders that are on the top and bottom shelves.
Rubbermaid FastTrack garage organization system is easy to install - with 3 simple steps, your garage will be organized in no time.
A large accordion file folder with inserts organized by the week that they came out.
Write the date larger on the insert front so that you can quickly tell what date you are working with!
The Peace Day Philly organization is working to lessen violence in Philadelphia. The group held an event at city hall in harmony with similar events throughout the world on that day. www.peacedayphilly.org
A large accordion file folder with inserts organized by the week that they came out.
All inserts from each week are together in one pocket, going back in order of date.
When you walk into the room, this is what you see. Welcome to my Happy Place!
Paint color is Tuscan Sun by Ellen Kennon Full Spectrum Paints. For more info, go here: www.ellenkennon.com