2020年6月，中共在香港實施一部國家安全法，抓捕政治反對派和公民社會組織者，令民間噤若寒蟬，有關香港社會運動、群眾抗爭的大眾刊物、中文專著，也陸續成為被審查的對象。
在種種艱難的條件之下，更需要保存、傳播香港社群的記憶、聲音、想法與歷史。因此，一群身處北美和英國的青年學者，在2024年起開展了「香港社運口述歷史計劃」，藉此口述歷史計劃，連結流散各地的香港人，將他們的生活、思考與參與香港民主運動的經歷，再次呈現於香港離散社群和國際社會。
編者認為，歷史論述不應只由某一家之言所壟斷，更不應抹去其參與者的能動性。香港社運口述歷史計劃收錄不同身位的參與者的聲音，藉此保存一份多元且具溫度及厚度的社運記憶。保存社運記憶不僅僅是面對官方打壓的頑抗，亦是為保存及承傳香港社會運動的知識及經驗。正如所收錄的參與者經歷所闡示，2019年反修例運動並不是空穴來風，而是六四運動、反國教運動、雨傘運動等多年經驗累積下來的成果。這些不僅是個人的經驗，也是社群的記憶。
港人在近年來流散到英美加等地，散播香港人的口述歷史，亦是讓這些接待離散港人的國家與人民進一步理解港人歷史的機會。通過這份多元並立體的歷史記錄，讓其他社群理解到香港社群並不是鐵板一塊，從而推進社群之間的理解與互諒。編者將這次計劃的大部分成果，翻譯作中英雙語發佈。編者希望能告訴國際社會，香港人不只是被害者，而是有主體性及行動力的參與者，而雖然社群中有各種各樣的觀點與衝突，但在條件許可下，有不少港人依然能成追求自由、民主、人權的國度的人民的夥伴。
出於篇幅與出版考量，部分訪談內容與延伸主題文章放於Medium平台，透過掃描書中提供的QR code，讀者可以即時閱讀、評論與分享。
編者期待，這本書不是一個句點，而是一個起點。——一本可以翻開的記憶，一個可以打開的對話，一道可以延續的共鳴。
In June 2020, the Chinese Communist Party imposed a National Security Law on Hong Kong, leading to the arrest of political opposition figures and civil society organisers. This created a chilling effect across society. Publications and academic works in Chinese relating to Hong Kong’s social movements and popular resistance have since become frequent targets of censorship.
In the face of these difficult circumstances, it is even more crucial to preserve and share the memories, voices, ideas, and histories of the Hong Kong community. In light of this, a group of young scholars based in North America and the United Kingdom launched the Hong Kong Social Movement Oral History Project in 2024. Through this initiative, the authors aim to connect the global Hong Kong diaspora and present their lives, reflections, and experiences in the struggle for democracy to both the dispersed community and the wider international audience.
The authors believe writing of history should not be monopolised by any single narrative, nor should it erase the agency of its participants. This project captures the voices of individuals from diverse backgrounds who took part in the movement, preserving a record that is rich in nuance, emotion, and depth. Documenting the memory of the social movement is not only a form of resistance against official repression, but also an effort to sustain and transmit the knowledge and experience of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy struggles.
As the experiences the authors have collected demonstrate, the 2019 anti-extradition protests did not emerge from nowhere. Rather, they are the product of years of accumulated resistance, including the 1989 Tiananmen movement, the anti-national education protests, and the Umbrella Movement. These are not merely personal experiences — they are the collective memory of a community.
As Hongkongers have dispersed across the UK, the US, Canada, and beyond, sharing Hongkongers oral histories also provides an opportunity for host countries and their people to gain a deeper understanding of Hong Kong’s history. By presenting a multifaceted and layered historical record, the authors hope to show that the Hong Kong community is not monolithic, and to promote understanding and empathy between communities.
Most of the outcomes of this project have been published bilingually in Chinese and English. The authors hope to show the international community that Hongkongers are not merely victims, but individuals with agency and initiative. Despite the diversity of views and tensions within the community, many Hongkongers continue to stand as allies with those around the world who pursue freedom, democracy, and human rights.
Due to space and publication constraints, some interview content and extended articles are hosted on the Medium platform. Readers can scan the QR codes provided in the book for immediate access to read, comment, and share.
The authors hope this book is not an endpoint, but a beginning — a memory to be opened, a conversation to be started, a resonance to be carried forward.
電子書下載 (外部連結) Download e-book (External link)
延伸主題文章 Extended contents for full interviews and visuals 
