XN000022-1994-07-22 — Page 14

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FRIDAY, JULY 22, 1994

YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES IMPORTANT

PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES CAN HELP BROADEN YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIAL NETWORK, ENCOURAGE THEM TO SPEND THEIR LEISURE TIME MEANINGFULLY AND FOSTER THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF CURRENT SOCIAL ISSUES.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION ON YOUTH, MR ERIC LI KA-CHEUNG, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE THE PUBLICATION OF A REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES TODAY (FRIDAY).

"THROUGH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION, YOUNG PEOPLE CAN DEVELOP THEIR SENSE OF CIVIC DUTIES AND PREPARE THEMSELVES TO MEET THE CHALLENGES AHEAD, MR LI SAID.

EXPLAINING THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY, MR LI SAID THE WORKING GROUP WAS SET UP IN JULY 1992 AFTER A SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY THE COMMISSION IN 1991 REVEALED A RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.

APART FROM EXPLORING THE REASONS BEHIND THIS PHENOMENON, THE WORKING GROUP HAD ALSO BEEN TASKED TO IDENTIFY WAYS IN WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE COULD BE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE USE OF PARTICIPATION AND WHERE NECESSARY, DEVELOP PROMOTING YOUTH PARTICIPATION.

EXISTING CHANNELS OF NEW INITIATIVES FOR

SAID AN INFORMATION

то ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES, MR LI GATHERING EXERCISE HAD BEEN CONDUCTED ON THE LEVEL OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN THE WORK OF THE OFFICES OF DISTRICT BOARD AND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE OPERATION OF YOUTH AND YOUTH-RELATED ORGANISATIONS, DISTRICT COMMITTEES AND POLITICAL GROUPS.

INFORMATION ON STUDENTS' PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY CLUBS AND SOCIETIES IN SCHOOLS AS WELL AS FINDINGS OF PREVIOUS RESEARCHES ON THE SUBJECT HAD ALSO BEEN COLLECTED.

"TWO FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE WERE ALSO HELD TO SOLICIT. YOUNG PEOPLE'S VIEWS ON THE INITIAL RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING GROUP," HE ADDED.

TERM

BY YOUTH PARTICIPATION, MR LI EXPLAINED, THEY HAD DEFINED THE AS PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVITIES, OTHER THAN CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES, THROUGH WHICH YOUNG PEOPLE COULD CULTIVATE A SENSE OF BELONGING TO THE COMMUNITY AND BECOME CONTRIBUTING AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.

TURNING TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS, MR LI HIGHLIGHTED THE PROPOSAL TO FORM A "DISTRICT YOUTH COMMITTEE*.

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"WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM SCHOOLS, CHILDREN AND YOUTH CENTRES, COMMUNITY CENTRES, YOUTH OFFICES AND YOUTH GROUPS FROM WITHIN A DISTRICT, IT IS HOPED THAT IT CAN PROVIDE A FORUM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ΤΟ DISCUSS MATTERS RELATING TO YOUTH IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES WHICH ARE OF CONCERN TO THEM.

"DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE INVITED TO CONSIDER SETTING UP SUCH COMMITTEES UNDER THEIR AUSPICES, HE SAID.

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