SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1986
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CIVIC EDUCATION SEMINAR IN EASTERN
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CIVIC EDUCATION COVERS A WIDE SPECTRUM OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY AND IS NOT LIMITED TO ONLY EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT POLITICS, THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR HONG KONG AND KOWLOON, MR T.H. CHAU SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF A CIVIC EDUCATION SEMINAR IN EASTERN DISTRICT, MR CHAU SAID: THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY ARE GUIDED BY A SET OF STANDARDS AND VALUES, AND IN TURN THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE COMMUNITY. WOULD DEPEND ON HOW WELL THESE STANDARDS AND VALUES ARE RECOGNISED AND PRACTISED BY OUR RESIDENTS.+
+CIVIC EDUCATION SHOULD BE AIMED AT PROMOTING RESIDENTS' AWARENESS OF THEIR RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS AS CITIZENS OF SOCIETY, AND TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS AND FULFIL THEIR OBLIGATIONS.+
ANOTHER SPEAKER, EASTERN DISTRICT OFFICER, MR BOWEN LEUNG, POINTED OUT THAT WHILE DISTRICT BOARDS MONITORED GOVERNMENT ACTIONS IN THE DISTRICTS, BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD ALSO REALISE THAT IN TURN THEIR PERFORMANCE WAS BEING MONITORED BY RESIDENTS.
HE HOPED THAT DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS WOULD BE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THEY WERE ACCOUNTABLE TO RESIDENTS AT ALL TIMES.
+ IT MAY BE USEFUL FOR DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS TO TAKE SOME TIME OFF THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES TO REPORT BACK TO THEIR CONSTITUENCIES ON THE WORK OF THE DISTRICT BOARD, AND TO REFLECT ON THE EXTENT OF FULFILLING THEIR ELECTION PLATFORMS, + MR LEUNG SAID.
+ THE GOVERNMENT IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME, AND DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS CAN HELP EXAMINE AND ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SCHEME AND MAKE PROPOSALS FOR FURTHER REFINEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT.+
HE SAID THE CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES OF RESIDENTS DID NOT END WHEN THEY HAD CAST THEIR VOTES IN ELECTIONS. THEY ALSO HAD THE RIGHT TO MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AFTER THE ELECTIONS.
+THUS, THE FURTHER PROMOTION OF THIS TWO-WAY PROCESS BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS AND RESIDENTS IS PART OF THE CIVIC EDUCATION PROCESS,+ MR LEUNG SAID.
OTHER SPEAKERS AT THE SEMINAR INCLUDED A LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, MRS ROSANNA TAM, AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH POINT KAI FONG ASSOCIATION, MADAM ANITA CHAN.
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