Right Before our Eyes: Dissent, Democracy and Creative Resistance in Hong Kong

After the passing of the National Security Law on July 1, 2020, we witnessed the 'un-doing and dismantling' of the relatively high autonomy of Hong Kong. In this session we situate the HK pro-democracy protests 2019 as part of the global movement against tyranny and dictatorship. Hong Kong people have stood up against a powerful authoritarian regime to safeguard the core values of democracy, freedom of expression and the rule of law. It is now incumbent upon us as members of the international community to take meaningful actions and extend our full support.

The four panelists discuss the actions of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement as a collective expression of freedom and a form of creative resistance. We discuss its impact on and interrelationship with Canadian and other movements for democracy. 

Featuring:

• Brian Leung Kai-Ping, 梁繼平, Hongkonger & Political Science PhD student, University of Washington
• Ken Moffatt, Jack Layton Chair; Ryerson University
• Student Representatives from RU Stand with Hong Kong and Ontario University Hong Kong Awareness Group 
• Introduced and Moderated by Winnie Ng, Chair of Toronto Association for Democracy in China

This event is organized and co-sponsored by Winnie Ng, Toronto Association for Democracy in China and Ken Moffatt Jack Layton Chair. 

This event will be Live-Streamed online with ASL and closed-captioning. For other accessibility accommodations, please email laytonchair@torontomu.ca. 

Panelist Bios:

Brian Leung 


Brian Leung Kai-Ping is a Hong Kong democracy activist who is currently pursuing his political science Ph.D. at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research focuses on political economy, social movement, China, and Hong Kong. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Hong Kong, during which he participated extensively in the Umbrella Movement of 2014. Since then, he has been an active political commentator on Hong Kong politics and published a bestselling edited volume on Hong Kong’s identity politics. In 2019, he became an icon of Hong Kong’s anti-extradition movement, after unmasking himself and reading a statement on behalf of protesters at the Legislative Council.

RU Stand with HK 

Ryerson Stands with Hong Kong is a student support group at Ryerson University that seeks to raise awareness about Hong Kong’s democracy movement and the Chinese Communist Party's oppression around the globe. Some of our work in the past includes: fundraising to support Canadian advocacy work and Hong Kong protesters, delivering presentations and tabling to share about the movement, and organizing mental health workshops to support the wellbeing of students who have been impacted by the Hong Kong crisis.

• Facebook: Ryerson Stands with Hong Kong
• Instagram: @ru.standwithhk

Ontario University Hong Kong Awareness

ONUHKAG is a student-led group that aims to advocate for academic freedom and human rights relating to Hong Kong and other regions under CCP control. The group seeks to connect pro- Hong Kong movement students across Ontario, Canadian Hong-Kongers, and other diasporic communities in Canada. ONUHKAG’s work primarily involves delivering presentations/webinars, organizing events and rallies in Toronto and advocacy work on campus.

• Facebook: Ontario Universities Hong Kong Awareness Group
• Instagram: @onuhkag___

Ken Moffatt

Ken Moffatt is the Jack Layton Chair at Ryerson University He studies the effects of information technology and media on freedom and subjectivity. His recent publication Postmodern Social Work focuses on pedagogical approaches that face precariousness due to the neoliberal, capitalist economic system. He takes an interdisciplinary reflective approach to addressing personal and social well-being, He is most interested in creative resistance that draws upon arts based practice to enliven social possibility, enhance subjective engagement, and foster social imagination. 

• Website: https://www.torontomu.ca/jack-layton-chair/
• Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @JackLaytonChair