Chinese Charity Day kicks off with local forums

The achievements of Chinese philanthropy will be announced and experiences shared at the 3rd World Philanthropy Forum, which kicks off in Shanghai on Wednesday.

September 5 is the International Day of Charity, and also Chinese Charity Day. 

The forum, with the theme of “Building a Sustainable Community with a Shared Future for Mankind,” is being held from September 5 to 7. It aims to promote the development of charity and social work worldwide. 

Government officials, scholars and social workers from all over the world will discuss global partnerships for sustainable development, World City 2050, vocational education and youth development, arts and humanities, as well as the protection of women and children.

According to Chinese Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Gu Zhaoxi, China's social donations last year totaled 75.53 billion yuan (US$11 billion), which was widely spent in poverty alleviation, education, health, culture, environmental protection and other fields. 

Chen Xu, an official with Tsinghua University, said that they have funded more than 8,000 poor students over the past decade, and that volunteering is popular on campus.

“The number of registered volunteers in our university has surpassed 20,000,” Chen said. “They have been engaged in many fields of charity, such as teaching in Tibet Autonomous Region, and Qinghai and Gansu provinces, and designing infrastructure for remote, rural areas of the country.”

The forum will also host a Belt and Road personnel training plan, formally establish the academic committee, and launch the WPF Philanthropy Index Research.