Media

From “Good Separation” to “Good Life” - A Memorial Booklet to Help Bereaved

31 Mar 2009

 

The Ching Ming Campaign

"You are happy when ...", "The silliest thing you have done is ...", "You overcome adversity by ..." and "We share some similarities ...", have these questions ever cross your mind when you are thinking of some deceased loved ones? During the Ching Ming Festival, there are rituals to be followed yet some would choose to have some quiet moment of thoughts.

Funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, An Empowerment Network for Adjustment to Bereavement and Loss in End-of -life (ENABLE) established by the Centre on Behavioral Health, HKU, held a press conference today (March 31, 2009) promoting a healthy mode of spiritual or emotional connection with the deceased as healthy grief process would enable the bereaved to reinvest in life.

The Centre on Behavioral Health, HKU, is launching a campaign called "From Good Separation to Good Life". A booklet "Thinking of you - A memorial book" is produced. By suggesting practical ways and means, the bereaved would be able to endure some of their difficult moments.  Free copies of the book can be obtained at:

1. Offices at Chai Wan Cemetery and Tseung Kwan O Cemetery, and Central office at Wu Chung House, The Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries; or

2. Over 230 social welfare agencies. People who are interest in learning more about life and death education may also join the respective activities or programs held at these social welfare agencies.

A first-of-its-kind study on attitude of youth towards ancestor worship is released.  173 young people between 18 to 35 years old were interviewed; it shows that over 70% of them follow grave sweeping rituals during Ching Ming Festival. The majority, 66% of them join the family grave sweeping rituals because they miss their loved ones.

10 Steps to Healthy Grieving

It is normal to memorize our deceased family members. The Centre has developed 10 steps guide for healthy grieving.

1.    Accept grief as a manifestation of our love for our beloved ones.

2.     Express our grief emotions.

3.    Understand that the appreciation of love and feelings is more important than formality of the memorial activities.

4.     Review the happy memories.

5.    Remember the happy images of the deceased.

6.     Pass on the legacy of your beloved ones.

7.    Make use of religious rituals and traditional customs.

8.    Plan how you would like to spend the day on festivals or special days.

9.     Maintain spiritual connections with your beloved ones in your own ways.

10. Live your life as a way of continuing your love.

About the Project ENABLE:

The Centre on Behavioral Health (CBH) of the University of Hong Kong has established an Empowerment Network for Adjustment to Bereavement and Loss in End-of-life (ENABLE), a project funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.  Through a societal-wide campaign which serves to educate the general public on effective death preparation as well as to promote enhanced adjustment to bereavement and loss, we believe that life can become much more beautiful and fulfilling and death can be peaceful and at the same time manifest a blissful sense of life completion.

For photos of the press conference, please visit www.hku.hk/hkumedia and check "Photo Gallery".

For media enquiries, please contact Ms Trinni Choy, Assistant Director of External Relations (Tel: 2859 2606/Mobile:9464 3431/E-mail: pychoy@hku.hk ) or Ms Joanne Yung, Manager (Media), External Relations Office, HKU (Tel: 2859 2600/E-mail: hkumedia@hku.hk )