XN000022-1993-02-10 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1993

יד

TO

FURTHERMORE, FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION PROGRAMMES HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE TO HANDLE FRUSTRATIONS AND TO COPE WITH CRISIS. PROGRAMMES ARE ALSO DESIGNED ΤΟ ENCOURAGE FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION AND HELP PARENTS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND HELP THEM DEAL WITH THE EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. AND I KNOW ALSO THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAS TAKEN A SERIES OF MEASURES TU STRENGTHEN TEACHERS' PROFESSIONAL SKILLS TO DEAL WITH STUDENTS WITH PROBLEMS. PARENTS ARE ALSO TAUGHT TO HELP THEIR CHILDREN TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS. STUDENTS THEMSELVES ARE TAUGHT SKILLS ON COPING WITH STRESS AND PROBLEMS. SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS HAVE ALSO BERN ORGANIZED AND RESOURCE MATERIALS PREPARED.

THIS IS NOT ENOUGH. WE NEED TO DO MORE AND I AM GRATEFUL THE OPPORTUNITY OF LISTENING TO MEMBERS' SUGGESTIONS AT THE DEBATE.

FOR

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, I AM SURE PARENTS MUST FACE UP ΤΟ THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTHOOD. I AM SURE THE MAJORITY OF PARENTS

DO. WHEN PARENTS NEED HELP, THE COMMUNITY MUST HELP THEM TO DO SO. HOWEVER, IN SAD CASES OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT BY IRRESPONSIBLE PARENTS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO INTERVENE. WE DON'T WANT THAT, OR DO WE! MAY BE WF DO.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS DEBATE. HONOURABLE MEMBERS HAVE REASONED WELL BUT AS A MODERN PHILOSOPHER PUT IT, "WE DO LOVE AND REASON, LOVE IS THE GREATER". I'D LIKE TO DRAW UPON THE HONOURABLE ELSIE TU'S

STATEMENT, BECAUSE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEED FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SHOULD NOT BE UNDERESTIMATED. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ECHO THE HONOURABLE SAMUEL, WONG'S CALL FOR LOVE, A VERY SIMPLE WORD, BUT HOW IMPORTANT. I'D LIKE TO END WITH A QUOTE WHICH SAYS LOVE IS ALL WE HAVE AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN HELP EACH OTHER. LOVE OUR CHILDREN IN OUR MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

LET US

THANK YOU, MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT.

0

—

MRS ELIZABETH WONG,

FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY SECRETARY FOR HEALTH

AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE IN THE

AND

WELFARE, LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL ON AIDS IN HONG KONG:

MR DEPUTY PRESIDENT,

I SHARE MANY OF THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY HONOURABLE MEMBERS IN THIS ADJOURNMENT DEBATE.

A IN THE SPACE OF JUST OVER 10 YEARS, AIDS HAS DEVELOPED INTO WORLDWIDE EPIDEMIC,

OF CLAIMING THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN ALL CONTINENTS. IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD, WHOLE FAMILIES AND VILLAGES HAVE BEEN

COUNTRIES ARE DEVASTATED. MEN AND WOMEN IN THE THEIR MOST PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE, LOSING LIFE, THE MAINSTAYS OF THE ECONOMY AND THE SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE,

AND то

THE

THE SOLE SUPPORTERS OF THE VERY YOUNG MENTION PEOPLE. THE TERM "AIDS ORPHAN" HAS BECOME PART OF OUR VOCABULARY.

PRIME OF NOT

ELDERLY

/THE RAMIFICATIONS