Joanna Wong wins “25@25: Canada’s Future with Asia” contest

Written by Press Release Thursday, 11 February 2010 11:32

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, together with HSBC Bank Canada, announced Vancouver-born Canadian Joanna Wong, now living in Beijing, as the Grand Prize Winner of the "25@25: Canada's Future with Asia" youth video contest. Joining from Beijing via video-chat, Joanna was presented with a red envelope containing a $5,000 prize cheque, during an awards celebration held at the Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.

Wong's work, Canadian Resources 2.0, was selected among 5 finalists. The main message of Wong's entry was built around her belief that Canada's relationship with Asia is about more than foreign policy and trade, and more than anything, animated by human connections. Other finalists were Knowledge Diplomacy; Child Rights in Asia; R + D; and Riding the Green Leap Forward.

APF Canada's 25@25 contest opened on September 17, 2009 and closed on January 15, 2010. The contest asked young Canadians (18-35) to share their vision for Canada's Future with Asia, and set out to identify some of the 25 most important issues, in the next 25 years of Canada-Asia relations. More than 35 video submissions were received, and nearly 2,000 Canadians cast their votes in the ($500) People's Choice Award.

"Asia has never been more important for Canada, and the entries in our 25@25 contest make that point loud and clear. We were thrilled to see the creativity, sophistication, and passion that came across in all the submissions," said Yuen Pau Woo, President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

HSBC Bank Canada was presenting sponsor for the Foundation's first-ever video contest, and 25@25 judge Mark Whitmell (Head, Cultural Markets HSBC North America) notes, "the diversity of insights and experiences shared by a national community of young Canadians through 25@25 was a positive experience for everyone involved, and we were very pleased to have worked with APF Canada in order to make this increasingly important conversation possible."

Joanna's entry was selected by a diverse panel of Canada-Asia innovators, including Yuen Pau Woo, President and CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation; Hon. Jack Austin, former Senator; Nanon de Gaspé Beaubien-Mattrick, President, Nanbeau Inc.; Hank Bull, co-founder of Centre A; Gerri Sinclair, Executive Director of the Masters of Digital Media Program, Great Northern Way Campus; Nobu Adilman, broadcaster and filmmaker; Ziya Tong, co-host and producer, Discovery Channel Canada and Mark Whitmell, Head of Cultural Markets for HSBC North America.

The contest was also in celebration of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada's 25th anniversary. It's amazing how much things have changed since the organization was started in 1984, and how much more things are poised to change in the next 25 years.