Can Cross-Cultural Exchange Really Change a Person?
We often say that cross-cultural exchange broadens horizons, but what real change lies behind that phrase? When young people from Japan, Thailand, Russia, Laos, Indonesia, and Turkey joined local participants in community action, what they experienced went beyond differences in language and culture. It was a collision, and a reshaping, of values. Six days and five nights together turned strangers into companions and turned the abstract idea of “global citizenship” into concrete, lived experience.
A Deep, Hands-On Program Combining Education, Environment, and Culture
The Hong Kong Summer International Workcamp 2025 took place in April 2025. It ran for six days and five nights, with education, environment, and culture as its core themes. The program brought together participants from Japan, Thailand, Russia, Laos, Indonesia, and Turkey, and used shared living, shared tasks, and community practice to build a foundation for cross-cultural understanding and cooperation.
The camp was not a one-way experience but a process that combined learning, practice, and reflection. Participants completed community tasks through teamwork, came to understand one another’s backgrounds through storytelling, and saw the real face of Hong Kong’s communities through on-site visits. This immersive design kept learning from staying at the level of theory and deepened it through concrete action.
The program also supported the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Quality Education (SDG 4), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11). It tied global issues closely to local practice, helping young people understand their role in a global context.
Preparing For a Festival, Understanding the Weight of Culture
For some Hong Kong communities, the Tin Hau Festival is more than a celebration. It is a cultural ritual that carries history and faith. Participants helped prepare for the festival by setting up the venue and getting activities ready, experiencing firsthand the community mobilization behind a traditional celebration. Along the way, they talked with villagers and learned how faith can become the core of community cohesion.
The goal of this experience was not for young people to watch culture but to take part in it. By pitching in on the preparations, participants realized that passing on a culture takes time, patience, and collective effort. Through sweat and teamwork, they saw that tradition is not something in the past but something still being built and sustained today.
Shugo Mizushima from Japan shared after the event: “When the international cultural workshop wrapped up, we were totally exhausted, but we also fulfilled our mission and activities simultaneously, the ocean landscape was stunning and exhilarating while drinking sprite (soda) after the event.” These words reflect the satisfaction and emotional bond they felt after completing their mission. Physical exhaustion brought a deeper understanding of culture and teamwork.
Through this kind of deep involvement, the young people began to think about the value of culture and the responsibility that comes with it, and start to reconsider their own relationship with the community.
Walking into Ho Chung Village: From Guided Tour to Dialogue
Ho Chung Village has a rich history and traditional beliefs, but as the city develops, its cultural character is changing. The workcamp arranged a guided village tour in which participants learned about the village’s architecture, religious customs, and history through explanations and on-site observation.
This was not just a visit but a lesson in local identity. On the tour, participants came to see that a “community” is not merely a geographic space but a way of life that a group of people protects together. They listened to villagers’ stories, thought about how urbanization affects traditional culture, and began to reflect on how the places where they grew up have changed.
In cross-cultural group discussions, young people from different countries shared the cultural challenges in their hometowns and discovered that the issues they faced were strikingly similar. This comparison and exchange made a local issue less isolated and part of a global picture.
Through this learning process, the young people gradually developed respect for cultural diversity and a deeper sense of empathy.
Reflecting on cultural preservation through the documentary Winter to Come
One important part of the workcamp was watching a documentary related to Ho Chung Village, Winter Chants (《冬未來》), and talking with people connected to it. The film shows the traditions and historical stories that are disappearing from the village, letting participants see the reality of cultural loss.
Through film and conversation, the young people were no longer just onlookers; they began to ask whether they could become participants in cultural preservation. Learning that starts from emotion can be more powerful than any theoretical lecture.
Measuring Youth Growth and Community Benefit
The results showed that 97.3% of participants became more accepting of cultural diversity, 92.7% became more curious about the world, 90.9% became more willing to care about and contribute to their local communities, 96.4% made friends from different cultures, 93.6% gained a better understanding of Hong Kong’s communities, and 97.3% said the experience increased their enthusiasm for and understanding of different cultures.
These figures reflect not only personal growth but also the longer-term impact of cross-cultural workcamps at the community level. As young people come to understand their communities better, they become more likely to take part in public affairs and social innovation in the future.
Six days, Five nights, and Beyond
Six days and five nights may seem short, but the impact can last for years. The cross-cultural friendships young people build during this time can become the foundation for future international cooperation and exchange. Their understanding of Hong Kong’s communities may also turn into motivation for continued involvement.
Most importantly, the program showed young people that change is not out of reach; it begins with understanding and action. When they learn to view different cultures with empathy, face differences with respect, and respond to community needs with a sense of responsibility, these values become an essential part of who they are.
Culture does not continue on its own, and communities do not become inclusive by themselves. They need each generation to step in and protect them. VolTra’s Hong Kong Summer International Workcamp 2025 was created with this belief, using concrete action to nurture young people with both a global outlook and local care.
If we believe young people are key to the future, then every effort invested in youth growth and community connection is a long-term investment in tomorrow’s society. When more young people are willing to step into communities, understand cultures, and cross differences, a city will be more than a collection of buildings. It will be a community full of understanding and connection.
Walk with VolTra and Keep Change Going!
Strong youth development and community impact don’t happen by chance. They take long-term commitment backed by a system, a vision, and real platforms for practice. For many years, VolTra has built bridges between young people and communities through local and international programs, so that learning happens in real settings and impact builds through action.
If you’d like to learn more about how cross-cultural workcamps and community practice can nurture young people with global citizenship and local care, we invite you to explore VolTra’s programs and join us in advancing more impactful youth development and community inclusion.
About Glocal Leader Academy
The Glocal Leader Academy is funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust and organized by VolTra. Its aim is to train the next generation of changemakers through training programs, interactive tasks, workshops, local and overseas volunteer service, and other projects. Based on VolTra’s “3E’s and 2A’s” belief (Exploration, Empathy, Empowerment of Change; Local Awareness and Global Awareness), the program encourages young people to explore the world and build a better society through community action.
For past projects in the Glocal Leader Academy, please visit https://bit.ly/cpg-glocal-leader-academy.
Make a Real Impact with VolTra!
If you care about youth development, community restoration, and sustainability, we’d love you to explore VolTra’s local projects in Hong Kong. Through partnerships and hands-on practice, we want more young changemakers to learn in real-life contexts, and more communities to be seen, connected, and supported.
Want to know more about our local projects? Follow the link below to find out more!