15
Friday, December 1, 1972
MORE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT NEEDED
It is absolutely essential to Hong Kong's well being that "we need to
understand each other, and to share in, and identify in, our common hopes and
aspirations", the Secretary for Information, Mr. Jack Cater said today.
Speaking at the opening of the new Ngau Tau Kok Centre of the
Neighbourhood Advice Council, Mr. Cater suggested that we should not only
urgently improve the flow of information and consultation between the government
and the people, but "aim to improve communication between various sectors of
our community" so that each of us understands how his neighbour lives and thinks.
He said the people of Hong Kong shared a highly competitive environment
in which only "the key element of human understanding" could keep us working
together, and he was convinced there was a "bubling eense of identity" which
united the wide extremes of the population.
Hong Kong, he said, had a preponderantly young population who were
"more alert, more enquiring and more concerned about Hong Kong affairs,"
"This youthfulness can be a tremendously valuable asset to our society".
But if we failed to encourage their legitimate desire for commitment to and
involvement in the community, it could lead to disillusionment and frustration,
Mr. Cater said.
He said that faced with a challenge like this there was always the
possibility that well-meaning, dedicated volunteers might come forward with
misplaced zeal and mar the effectiveness of a concerted approach by working
in isolation.
"I am