Are we too fatigued to care? Why the protection of dignity matters in 2026
Jacky Shum (sajackyshum@ust.hk)
What does dignity mean in today’s world, and why is its protection increasingly vital? As social pressures rise and compassion grows strained, it becomes crucial to understand who in our community is most at risk of losing their dignity — and what that loss truly involves.
In this session, Mrs. Patricia Ho, founder of the Hong Kong Dignity Institute and a leading human rights lawyer advocating for refugees, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, and other marginalised groups, will explore dignity through real cases from Hong Kong’s most vulnerable communities. These stories reveal how dignity is compromised, the systemic gaps that allow exploitation and abuse to persist, and why safeguarding dignity remains central to building a just society. Mrs. Ho will also discuss why the protection of dignity must continue to guide social justice efforts in 2026.
Participants will be invited to reflect on the broader implications of dignity protection and consider how communities can respond more effectively to those whose rights and humanity are most at risk.
Speaker:
Mrs Patricia Ho
Founder and Director of Hong Kong Dignity Institute (HKDI)
Founder and Managing Partner at Patricia Ho & Associates
Principal Lecturer of the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong
With over 18 years of experience as a public interest law practitioner, much of Patricia's work involves defending the rights of minority and exploited groups in Hong Kong by way of seeking policy advancements through strategic litigation and legislative reform. She regularly provides training and seminars to the NGO and legal community in Hong Kong on avenues to protect different disenfranchised groups. In recent years, she has been focusing her work on anti-human trafficking matters, particularly following the relationship between scam operations and human trafficking.
Her publications include co-authoring Traffickers and Victims: Opposite sides of the same coin? (Anti-Trafficking Review, 2022), co-editing Halsbury’s Law of Hong Kong: Discrimination (Vol. 22), reviewing Transactional Sex-Trafficking by Dr. Sarfaraz Ahmed Khan (Hong Kong Law Journal, Vol. 52:1 2022) as well as Seeking Protection: The Interplay of Human Trafficking and the Refugee Space in Hong Kong (Michigan State International Law Review, Vol. 31: 3 2023).
Patricia was awarded the Pro Bono and Community Work Recognition Gold Award for six consecutive years as well as the Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award in 2017, 2018 and 2020. She was recognised as a TIP Hero by the US Department of State in its 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report, and following the awarding of the 2021 Prestige Women of Power, she was awarded the Front & Female Award by Tatler in 2023.
Patricia also serves on the Board of Voice for Prisoners, Hong Kong Hypnotherapy Association and The Hong Kong Committee on Children's Rights.
Remarks:
- To avoid interruption and hindering the progress of the session, facilitators may not admit new participants who are late for more than 10 minutes.
- [HMAW1905] This is a recognized event in the “Self-directed Experience” component of HMAW1905: Behavioral Foundations of University Education: Habits, Mindsets, and Wellness. To receive 1.25 hours, you must attend the event in full and miss no more than 10 minutes.