To promote social inclusion and strengthen the prevention of domestic violence, the Regional Crime Prevention Office of New Territories North (NTN) together with the Family and Child Protective Services Unit (Yuen Long) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD), held a launching ceremony for the “Diverse Community Family Protection Programme” on September 30. The initiative establishes a cross-professional support network focusing on non-ethnic Chinese (NEC) families.

The then acting Regional Commander of NTN Peter Whitton stressed at the ceremony that seeking help is not a sign of weakness but an act of courage and strength. He urged members of the NEC community to recognise early warning signs of abuse and to trust the comprehensive support provided by the Force and the SWD.

The project advances through “three pillars”, namely promoting community participation among NEC group, enhancing cultural-sensitivity training, and strengthening publicity and education. The ceremony invited university lecturers, representatives from social welfare sector, and Senior Inspector Abdul Faisal, who is of NEC background, to share the supportive strategies from academic, social service, and personal perspectives respectively. On-site booths showcased the Project Gemstone, Project Himalaya and Project Diversity, while the SWD opened registration for three new parent-child activities, which received enthusiastic responses from NEC families.

NEC community leaders and guests visit the booth set up by SWD.