XN000022-1979-09-05 — Page 6

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1979

C.I.T. SETS COMMUNITY SERVICE RECORD IN N.T.

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STAFF OF THE CIVILIAN INFORMATION TEAM (C.I.T.) - A NAME WELL KNOWN TO THOUSANDS OF RURAL VILLAGERS HAVE A GOOD REASON TO FEEL PROUD TODAY (WEDNESDAY) WHEN THEY SET A COMMUNITY SERVICE RECORD IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

IT WAS THE TEAM'S 5 000TH MISSION+ TO BRING NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT TO RESIDENTS OF MORE THAN 500 NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGES - AN IMPORTANT TASK IN FOSTERING GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE IN THE RURAL DISTRICTS.

TODAY'S VISIT TO SHAM CHUNG TSUEN IN YUEN LONG WAS AS USUAL WARMLY RECEIVED BY THE VILLAGERS. MEMBERS OF THE TEAM PUT ON ENTERTAINING FEATURE FILMS AND PUBLICITY FILMS EMPHASISING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. THE FILM SHOWS WERE SUPPLEMENTED BY PUBLICITY LEAFLETS AND HANDOUTS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR C.I.T. SAID THE OCCASION ALSO MARKED EIGHT YEARS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE TO NEW TERRITORIES VILLAGERS PARTICULARLY THOSE WHOSE ACCESS TO INFORMATION WAS RESTRICTED BY THE ISOLATED ENVIRONMENT OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.

C.I.T. WAS FIRST FORMED IN 1971 WITH ONLY TWO FILM TEAMS AND AS DEMANDS GREW IT WAS DOUBLED TO FOUR TEAMS, EACH EQUIPPED TO RUN A COMPLETELY MOBILE FILM/INFORMATION PROGRAMME.

THE MODE OF THE TEAM'S OPERATION HAD CHANGED SOMEWHAT IN RECENT YEARS IN VIEW OF THE RAPIDLY CHANGING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

+THIS RESULTED IN ONE OF THE MOBILE TEAMS BEING DEPLOYED FULL TIME TO COVER THE GROWING NEW TOWNS. THE EFFORT OF THE +URBAN+ TEAM HAS BEEN DIRECTED MORE TO PUBLICITY, INFORMATION AND CAMPAIGNS, PLAYING DOWN ITS ENTERTAINMENT ELEMENT.

+THIS HAS PROVED SUCCESSFUL AND WITH THE DEVELOPMENTS TAKING PLACE IN THE SIX NEW TOWNS, THERE ARE PLANS TO SHIFT THE EMPHASIS MORE TOWARDS INFORMATION AND COMMUNITY-ORIENTED PUBLICITY, + HE ADDED.

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