XN000022-1979-11-17 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1979

SNT SPEAKS OF GROWING FEELING OF IDENTITY

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THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THERE WAS A GROWING FEELING OF IDENTITY AND A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR MORE THAN THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT OF THE HOME AND THE FAMILY.

SPEAKING AT THE 20TH COMMENCEMENT OF THE HONG KONG BAPTIST COLLEGE, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS OR SO, ATTEMPTS HAD BEEN MADE FOR A MORE DELIBERATE ATTACK ON SOME OF OUR MORE PRACTICAL PROBLEMS CLEAN HONG KONG, FIGHT CRIME AND CORRUPTION

AND DRUGS.

GOVERNMENT HAD TRIED TO EXPLAIN ITSELF MORE TO THE PEOPLE AND TO MAKE ITSELF MORE ACCESSIBLE AND INVOLVED AT A LOCAL LEVEL- MUCH MORE USE HAD BEEN MADE OF ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES ON SUCH THINGS AS SOCIAL WELFARE, EDUCATION AND MEDICAL SERVICES, AND A PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR A VAST HOUSING PROGRAMME HAD BEEN APPOINTED, HE SAID.

+WE HAVE ESTABLISHED CLEAR POLICY OBJECTIVES IN A GREAT NUMBER OF MATTERS WHICH AFFECT THE DAILY LIVES OF THE PEOPLE AND PEOPLE THEMSELVES HAVE BECOME INVOLVED IN THESE ACTIVITIES THROUGH MUTUAL AID AND AREA COMMITTEES AND THROUGH DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS.

+ IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THESE MANY FACTORS HAVE BEGUN TO KNIT THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND TO BUILD UP MORE COHERENT AND INTEGRATED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ITS VARIOUS SEPARATE ELEMENTS, FACING OUR PROBLEMS TOGETHER, DEVELOPING OUR OWN PARTICULAR POPULAR SOLUTIONS TO THEM AND CREATING A FULLER AND RICHER LIFE FOR OUR PEOPLE,+ MR. AKERS-JONES SAID,

HE TOLD THE STUDENTS ATTENDING THE CEREMONY THAT THIS WAS WHERE THOSE WHO WERE FORTUNATE TO BE MEMBERS OF THIS ACADEMIC COMMUNITY HAD A GREATER RESPONSIBILITY THAN OTHERS, BECAUSE, WITH THE IR TRAINED MINDS, THEY MUST BE ABLE TO PERCEIVE WHERE OUR SOCIETY WAS WEAK AND WHERE ITS STRENGTHS LAY.

+YOU HAVE THE VISION TO SEE THE NEED TO PARTICIPATE AND TO RESPOND SENSIBLY TO THE WEAKNESSES OF OUR SOCIETY, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID.

SOME OF THESE WEAKNESSES WERE QUITE MUNDANE AND ORDINARY, BUT THEY WERE THE OUTWARD SIGNS OF A PEOPLE WHO CARED FOR ONE ANOTHER.

HE CITED CORRUPTION, DIRT, CRIME, CARELESSNESS, DISCOURTESY AND UNCONCERN AS SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS OF A DIVIDED SOCIETY.

IN

MR. AKERS-JONES SAID +YOUR ATTENTION TO, AND YOUR INVOLVEMENT COMBATING THESE EVILS THAT BESET US IS IMPORTANT.

+YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO STAND ASIDE SECURE IN THE SMALL WORLD OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS BECAUSE, IF YOU DO, WE WILL BE OVERWHELMED BY THE NEGATIVE FORCES WHICH ARE EVER-PRESENT INSIDE OUR SOCIETY AND WE WILL BE UNABLE TO FACE THE UNDOUBTED CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD.

/+THERE ARE