NEWS
MEMBERSHIP EXTENSION OFFER & CAMI WEB FORUM
April 1, 2020
With the recent coronavirus pandemic, our lives have never been so affected. Many normal activities we usually do day by day and week by week now become unreachable. Our CAMI Forum, through which we meet and we connect within MI, is no exception. It had been postponed again and again, since around the end of last year because of the social situation, to last month due to the coronavirus outbreak.
To show our care to our dearest members, and taking into consideration the recent impact of our activity arrangement, our board would like to make the following decisions:
1. Membership Extension Offer
We will waive one year of membership fee for our full members and student members. We hope we will continue to stay together and keep growing in MI. Though this arrangement may not concern our life members, we still would like to express our gratitude to their ongoing unfailing support that makes us feel able to carry on good endeavours.
2. CAMI Web Forum
Although this sudden change in life affects us intensely, it also sparks our creativity to try new ways to accomplish what we aspire. Our board is working hard to work out an online way to organize the forum originally planned, even though forms may be different or only parts of it could be retained. Further details will be announced. Stay tuned and let’s continue our MI learning no matter what happens.
Wish you well and healthy!
Paul Kong
On behalf of CAMI Board of Directors
ABOUT US
Turning Interest Into Action
We are a group of healthcare professionals in Hong Kong who are interested in Motivational Interviewing (MI). We started out as a mutual learning community and, when we met, we had also been gradually exploring how a local MI platform could be helpful for gathering people with similar vision to grow in MI together. After a year of hard work, the non-profit Chinese Association of Motivational Interviewing (CAMI) Limited, being the first association of MI in Chinese societies, was founded and incorporated in late 2014. We are officially granted by the Inland Revenue Department of the Hong Kong Government to be a charitable organization with effect from 9 November 2015. Within spirits of generosity and enthusiasm, we strongly believe this platform belongs to all and humbly welcome you to support and join us.
Words from Our Honorary Advisors
Warm congratulations from both of us on the founding of the Chinese Association of Motivational Interviewing (CAMI)! It is true that motivational interviewing (MI) does not belong to any particular culture, or indeed to any individuals. Long ago we made the decision that we would not try to restrict or control the use of MI, and we are pleased that it is now being applied in so many different professions, settings, nations and cultures on every continent.
Across all these adaptations there is a characteristic underlying spirit of partnership, acceptance and compassion that seeks to evoke each person’s own wisdom and motivation. It is the opposite of pretending to be the expert on someone else’s life. The same applies across cultures. MI does not say to a person or culture, “This is how you should live your life.” Around the world there are large differences in how people talk to and negotiate with each other about change, and therefore particular practices within MI will require adaptation by those who live in and understand the culture. What we hope will remain consistent is deep, curious listening that respects each person’s own wisdom and ability to change.
In this spirit, CAMI is a vehicle to make MI more freely available within Chinese societies. CAMI exists to promote understanding and good practice of MI; not to own, control, or limit its use. It is about giving MI away rather than trying to profit personally or corporately from it. In this way CAMI represents at an organizational level the same way of being that is found in the practice of MI itself.