XN000022-1974-06-22 — Page 5

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SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1974

DESIRES OF THE YOUNG MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT SAYS DEPUTY DIRECTOR FÜR HOME AFFAIRS

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YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE MANY POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TJ MAKE IN JAY ARAS OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITY AND THEIR WISHES AND ASPIRATIONS SHUJLJ DE RESPECTED, MR. DAVID T.K. WUNG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF 40 L. AFFAIRS, SAID TJJAY.

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HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE KOWLOON SETY DISTKIST YOUTH SERVICES COUNCIL AT THE CARITAS I; KOWLJJM MICH WICE CO-ORDINATE YOUTH ACTIVITIES IN THE DISTRICT ON A YEAR-ROUND BASIS.

dit. WUNG SAID THAT MANY PEOPLE SOMETIMES OVERLOOKED THE FACT THAT HUNG KONG IS AN INCREASINGLY YOUNG SOCIETY, WITH OVER 55 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION UNDER THE AGE OF 25.

+IT 13 RIGHT, THEREFORE, THAT YOUTH SHOULD PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN SHAPING THE SOCIETY IN WHICH WE ALL LIVE.

+THEIR_W] SHES AND THEIR POINTS OF VIEW JUGHT TO JE TAKEN LTO ACCOUNT.+

MR. WURG WAS CONFIDENT THAT, GIVEN SUITABLE CHANNELS OF EXPRESSION LIKE THE COUNCIL, +18= C«TAVOTASM, THE SAKY AND THE DISH OF THE YOJI; JILL BRING IMMENSE BENEFIT TO OUR SOCIETY.+

THE FURIATI OF THE COUNCIL, HE SAID, MARKED A SIGNIFICANT MILESTURE IN THE SPHERE OF YOUTH ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG, +IT [5 SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE COUNCIL REPRESENTS ONE OF THE FIRST ATTEMPTS TO CO-ORDINATE DISTRICT YOUTH ACTIVITIES ON A CONTINUING YEAR-ROUD BASIS.+

IT WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT IN THAT THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY OF RUNNING THE COUNCIL AND ORGANISING ITS PROGRAMMES WOULD EVENTUALY DEVOLVE ON THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHOM THE COUNCIL TS TJ SERVE.

+THIS WILL PROVIDE AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE YOUNG TJ EXERCISE BOTH CHOICE AND RESPONSIBILITY,+ HE SAID.

H. WONG NOTED THAT WHEN OLDER PEOPLE ORGANISED ACTIVITIES FOR THE YOUNG, THEY WERE APT TJ JE +UNDULY CONSERVATIVE AND PROTECTIVE.+ THEY WERE LIKELY TO THINK IN TERMS OF ACTIVITIES WHICH THEY REGARDED AS BEING GOOD FOR THE YOUNG RATHER THAN ACTIVITIES WHICH THE YOUNG REALLY ENJOY.

+THIS TYPE OF REACTION 13, I THINK, NOTHING MORE THAN A CONFLAMATION THAT THE HABITS AND MANNERS, THE VALUES AND MORALS OF SOCIETY ARE UNDERGOING CONSTANT CHANGE AND CHANGE IS LIKELY TO BE MOST SHARPLY REFLECTED IN THE YOUNG, + HE SAD.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

COPIES OF THE FULL TEXT OF MR. WONG'S SPEECH ARE BOXED FOR COLLECTION.

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