TNAG-1734-FCO40-2447-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 333

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

11 May 1988

1381

MR. LAI (in Cantonese): Sir, the Community Building Policy Committee set up the Working Party on Youth Policy to review the need for a comprehensive youth policy. As a result, on 25 April, the Report on Youth Policy was published. I welcome the recommendations of the report. The report briefly outlines the ills in the provision of youth services, but has also given direction to youth policy and suggests future implementation of youth policy should be in line with our social structure. The report has clearly pointed out what needs to be done as far as developing youth services is concerned. It is recommended to Government that there should be a central consultative and co-ordinating body so that there will be closer links between the government departments and other voluntary agencies concerned in order to achieve greater efficiency.

However, the Central Committee on Youth has not provided a specific way of implementing policies for the young people; to make up for that inadequacy I would like to suggest that district-based youth conferences be set-up.

They should be comprised entirely of young people and structurally follow that of the district boards. There should be one youth conference for each district. In such forums, young people should be allowed to speak their minds, and to discuss youth affairs in each district. Such youth conferences should have an opportunity of discussing various things pertaining to youth. In this way, the young peoples' views can be reflected to the commission on youth. There should also be members from youth conferences sitting on the commission on youth. Since the commission is consultative and co-ordinatory in its nature, executive functions should be handed instead to the Social Welfare Department, City and New Territories Administration, Education Department and the Municipal Services Branch. I am sure the idea of youth conferences will facilitate better reflection of opinions.

The purpose of setting up youth conferences will not only provide an opportunity of nurturing political talent and political participation, but will also more importantly increase the thinking ability and analytical power of young people in general as well as provide an opportunity of getting to know oneself and to develop personal potentials.

Civic education for young people is more important now than ever. The Joint Declaration provides for a high degree of autonomy in Hong Kong and by 1997, a group of young people who have grown up and were born in Hong Kong will take the place of the older generation of colonial officials and they have the responsibility of governing Hong Kong well. Their management efficiency and administration will have decisive impacts on Hong Kong's stability and prosperity. Ten years from now, these young people will be in their 30s, and they will be in the years of greatest contribution.

How should we go about civic education for the young people? I think the youth conferences can play a very important role and they can tie-in with district boards which will be helpful to the implementation of future adminis- tration policies.