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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
he was aware of the problem of squandering long ago, he could hardly find solution to the problem. Finally he could do nothing but ask a consultant to conduct a survey and prepare a report with some proposals on their family. The survey was conducted and the report prepared, but it was found that the proposals were too sketchy and not the pertinent answers to the problem. Instead it was suggested that one more steward should be employed. (The story
ends here!)
If I were the consultant, I would make the following suggestions in addition to preparing the well-known report:
1.
2.
3.
4.
School authorities should tell the children the story about the two Grandpas'.
The father should talk more about the strenuous efforts spent in setting up the family and the estate of the family.
As a husband, the son should say to his lawful wife, 'If your children refuse to accept my natural father, you may bring them to your maiden home and only return here when necessary. You are always welcome but you'd better let your children know about the financial circumstances of your maiden home.'
He should say to his concubine, 'It seems that you and your sons will remain here. Now you'd better tell them about my natural father, teach them to foster their affection for him gradually and let them have more contacts with my paternal uncles and my brothers so that the barriers to communication between them may be broken down. The reason for doing so is that they have to get along with each other in the future.' In the light of the above story, I think that there is indeed a need for a youth policy to be formulated at present. However, the youth policy should be based upon the education of our young people about the history of China, Britain and Hong Kong for the purpose of inculcating a sense of commitment and belonging in them. That is to say, education on local history has to be strengthened and improved. Services regarding social welfare, counselling, cultural and recreational facilities are only routine matters which will not bring any breakthrough in our attempts to solve the problem. I am afraid that an increase in government organizations will waste more money and may yet be unable to serve as any solution to the problem. I think what the Council should do is to consider setting up an 'Ambassador of Urban Services', or an 'Urban Services Working Group' or the like so as to provide a better chance for young people to participate in relevant kinds of work. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to call upon our younger generation to develop a sense of social awareness and to shoulder their responsibility of building our society, not to care only about their rights without fulfilling their obligations or expect others to listen to their own views without listening to the views of others!
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion with my speech above.
(Dr. Philip Kwok left the meeting at 3.40 p.m.)
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 46 of 182
85
DR. ELSIE TU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I believe that the Central Committee on Youth has spent a great deal of time and effort on this report, and they are to be congratulated on coming up with the proposal to set up a Commission on Youth to advise on the formulation of Youth Policy.
There is only one point that I should like to raise today on this subject.
I believe that we are all the product of the soil in which we grow up. The influences of the home, the school and the community form the principles that guide our future activities.
During the nearly forty years that I have lived in Hong Kong, I have been concerned about the environment in which our young people are growing up. Thirty or forty years ago, the struggle was against the poverty of the majority, but poverty is no longer the lot of the majority today, and our aim has now moved from the struggle against poverty to the struggle for greater wealth.
Maintaining prosperity is, of course, necessary, because our stability depends upon it. But there is a vast difference between maintaining healthy prosperity and encouraging unashamed greed for wealth.
As our young people struggle through the soil of their environment, what they see around them will formulate their values on life. I am sure that they will notice that great respect is often paid to those who amass wealth by any means, fair or foul. They will probably notice that while a rich person may get away with a horrendous commercial crime because he can afford to pay for his defence, the small man will have difficulty in defending himself even if he is innocent. Our young people must notice that vice, illegal activities and peddling in pornography really pay, no matter how badly they damage our young people. Our young people cannot fail to notice that gambling could be a get-rich-quick activity, though they may fail to notice the tragedy that often follows the family of the gambler.
Our young people today live in an atmosphere of crass materialism, and I believe that the apathy, noted by the Central Committee on Youth, is a direct result of the race for wealth, and what wealth can buy. If we want our young people to be more responsive to the needs of our community, and more aware of their place on the international scene, I believe that we need to make sure that they have a sense of security; I believe that equal justice for all is an incentive to social awareness; and I believe that prosperity can achieve stability only if it is kept within the bounds of honesty and fairplay.
I therefore hope that the Commission on Youth, when and if it is set up, will advise on how to overcome the environmental factors that cause apathy and sometimes even anti-social behaviour among our young people. Anything which neglects this aspect of the problem would scarcely reach the risk groups among our young people.
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
84
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
а
he was aware of the problem of squandering long ago, he could hardly find solution to the problem. Finally he could do nothing but ask a consultant to conduct a survey and prepare a report with some proposals on their family. The survey was conducted and the report prepared, but it was found that the proposals were too sketchy and not the pertinent answers to the problem. Instead it was suggested that one more steward should be employed. (The story
ends here!)
If I were the consultant, I would make the following suggestions in addition to preparing the well-known report:
1.
2.
3.
4.
School authorities should tell the children the story about the two Grandpas'.
The father should talk more about the strenuous efforts spent in setting up the family and the estate of the family.
As a husband, the son should say to his lawful wife, 'If your children refuse to accept my natural father, you may bring them to your maiden home and only return here when necessary. You are always welcome but you'd better let your children know about the financial circumstances of your maiden home.'
He should say to his concubine, 'It seems that you and your sons will remain here. Now you'd better tell them about my natural father, teach them to foster their affection for him gradually and let them have more contacts with my paternal uncles and my brothers so that the barriers to communication between them may be broken down. The reason for doing so is that they have to get along with each other in the future.' In the light of the above story, I think that there is indeed a need for a youth policy to be formulated at present. However, the youth policy should be based upon the education of our young people about the history of China, Britain and Hong Kong for the purpose of inculcating a sense of commitment and belonging in them. That is to say, education on local history has to be strengthened and improved. Services regarding social welfare, counselling, cultural and recreational facilities are only routine matters which will not bring any breakthrough in our attempts to solve the problem. I am afraid that an increase in government organizations will waste more money and may yet be unable to serve as any solution to the problem. I think what the Council should do is to consider setting up an 'Ambassador of Urban Services', or an 'Urban Services Working Group' or the like so as to provide a better chance for young people to participate in relevant kinds of work. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to call upon our younger generation to develop a sense of social awareness and to shoulder their responsibility of building our society, not to care only about their rights without fulfilling their obligations or expect others to listen to their own views without listening to the views of others!
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion with my speech above.
(Dr. Philip Kwok left the meeting at 3.40 p.m.)
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 46 of 182
85
DR. ELSIE TU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I believe that the Central Committee on Youth has spent a great deal of time and effort on this report, and they are to be congratulated on coming up with the proposal to set up a Commission on Youth to advise on the formulation of Youth Policy.
There is only one point that I should like to raise today on this subject.
I believe that we are all the product of the soil in which we grow up. The influences of the home, the school and the community form the principles that guide our future activities.
During the nearly forty years that I have lived in Hong Kong, I have been concerned about the environment in which our young people are growing up. Thirty or forty years ago, the struggle was against the poverty of the majority, but poverty is no longer the lot of the majority today, and our aim has now moved from the struggle against poverty to the struggle for greater wealth.
Maintaining prosperity is, of course, necessary, because our stability depends upon it. But there is a vast difference between maintaining healthy prosperity and encouraging unashamed greed for wealth.
As our young people struggle through the soil of their environment, what they see around them will formulate their values on life. I am sure that they will notice that great respect is often paid to those who amass wealth by any means, fair or foul. They will probably notice that while a rich person may get away with a horrendous commercial crime because he can afford to pay for his defence, the small man will have difficulty in defending himself even if he is innocent. Our young people must notice that vice, illegal activities and peddling in pornography really pay, no matter how badly they damage our young people. Our young people cannot fail to notice that gambling could be a get-rich-quick activity, though they may fail to notice the tragedy that often follows the family of the gambler.
Our young people today live in an atmosphere of crass materialism, and I believe that the apathy, noted by the Central Committee on Youth, is a direct result of the race for wealth, and what wealth can buy. If we want our young people to be more responsive to the needs of our community, and more aware of their place on the international scene, I believe that we need to make sure that they have a sense of security; I believe that equal justice for all is an incentive to social awareness; and I believe that prosperity can achieve stability only if it is kept within the bounds of honesty and fairplay.
I therefore hope that the Commission on Youth, when and if it is set up, will advise on how to overcome the environmental factors that cause apathy and sometimes even anti-social behaviour among our young people. Anything which neglects this aspect of the problem would scarcely reach the risk groups among our young people.
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.