XN000022-1980-08-25 — Page 3

MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1980

CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE HARMONY IN MARRIAGES

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A FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN WILL BE LAUNCHED NEXT MONTH AIMED AT MINIMISING MARITAL CONFLICTS WHICH ARE CONSIDERED A MAJOR FACTOR OF FAMILY BREAKDOWNS AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS.

WITH ITS THEME ON +MARITAL RELATIONSHIP+, THE CAMPAIGN IS ORGANISED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG.

THROUGH COMMUNITY-WIDE AND DISTRICT ACTIVITIES, THE CAMPAIGN WILL STRESS TO YOUNG COUPLES THE RISK OF RUSHING INTO MARRIAGE, AND TO MARRIED COUPLES THE NEED FOR ADJUSTMENTS AND ENRICHMENT TO KEEP THEIR MARRIED LIFE HAPPY.

+THE OBJECTIVE IS TO HELP PREVENT FAMILY BREAKDOWNS WHICH ARE OFTEN THE RESULT OF PERSISTENT MARITAL DISCORDS,+ A SPOKESMAN FOR THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT OF THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FAMILY PROBLEMS HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S FAMILY SERVICES CENTRES, MARITAL CONFLICTS FORMED THE LARGEST SINGLE CATEGORY.

IN 1979-80, HE SAID, ABOUT 3 000 MARRIED COUPLES WITH MARITAL CONFLICTS HAD COME TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE AND COUNSELLING.

HE SAID AS HUSBAND AND WIFE WERE THE NUCLEUS MEMBERS OF A FAMILY, CONSTANT CONFLICTS BETWEEN THEM WOULD NOT ONLY BRING TO THEMSELVES MENTAL AGONY BUT ALSO CAUSE TURMOILS IN THE WHOLE FAMILY, AFFECTING PARTICULARLY THE IR CHILDREN.

MARITAL DISCORDS GENERALLY RESULT FROM AN UNCLEAR CONCEPT OF MARRIAGE, INADEQUATE PREPARATION BEFORE GETTING MARRIED, INABILITY TO ADJUST TO CHANGES AFTER MARRIAGE, OR A LACK OF EFFORTS TO ENRICH MARRIED LIFE, HE SAID,

+THERE ARE CASES WHERE COUPLES HURRIED INTO MARRIAGE MORE FOR EMOTIONAL REASONS THAN FOR ANYTHING ELSE, ONLY TO FIND THAT THE IR MARITAL RELATIONSHIP COULD NOT STAND THE TEST OF TIME FOR LACK OF CAREFUL PREPARATION, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE SAID THERE WERE ALSO CASES WHERE CONFLICTS DEVELOPED AS THE COUPLES COULD NOT ADJUST TO CHANGES WITHIN THE FAMILY OR THEY DID NOTHING TO REVITALISE WHAT THEY MIGHT PROGRESSIVELY FIND AS MONOTONOUS MARRIED LIFE.

HE STRESSED THAT MARRIAGE WAS MEANT TO BE A LIFE-LONG BOND THE HARMONY OF WHICH COULD ONLY BE SUSTAINED ON THE BASIS OF MUTUAL TRUST, UNDERSTANDING, RESPECT AND CONCERN, AS WELL AS SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES.

THE FORTHCOMING PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN, WHICH WILL RUN INTO 1981, WILL BRING HOME ITS MESSAGES THROUGH A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY-WIDE PROGRAMMES, PROMOTIONAL PUBLICATIONS AND ACTIVITIES IN DISTRICTS.