New social climate needed in Hong Kong
It was reported in the South China Morning Post on September 10, that the Government is launching a scheme to provide more opportunities for volunteer service for young people. This is a long awaited step in the right direction.
These days, volunteer service is a rare commodity in Hong Kong where stock market prices and horse racing predominate conversation topics in town.
An updated report from the Agency For Volunteer Service shows that 3,978 people, or one in 1,500, have signed up as volunteers. The volunteer spirit is particularly wanting among young people and a Commission on Youth survey shows that only 11 per cent of the respondents had taken part in community activities.
This nonchalance is evident among youths from all sectors of our community, regardless of their family background, education or employment. For them, personal success, money and materialistic gain are their sole aspirations in life.
In other words, we have an egocentric, myopic younger generation zealously addicted to hedonism. 'Political participation' and 'patriotism' are non-existent in their dictionaries and heroic deeds of altruism and self-sacrifice seldom make an impression upon them. With the exception of a minority, many youngsters consider community service and making contributions to society to be 'anachronistic' and 'foolish'.
In a society where service to the community has never been seriously promoted and prominently honoured, such attitudes may be accepted as the foibles of youth. Social atmosphere, the lack of parental guidance, mass media and peer influence together form the recipe for producing a younger generation bent on the pursuit of ephemeral values. The quality of life aside, there is a tendency for young people to distance themselves from the overall social well-being and become eventually detached. As time goes by, Hong Kong becomes a callous, uncaring society.
The time has come for the building of a new social climate. In this regard, volunteer service is an appropriate starting point and an effective anodyne. Volunteer work can extend young people's scope of life as well as giving them lofty goals. Volunteers often gain new knowledge, useful experience, inspirations and insights through their dedication to unpaid work. More opportunities should be provided for young people to serve the community, not only by the voluntary agencies, but also by the Government. Public bodies such as the District Boards and government advisory committees should publicise their work among young people and absorb new blood that could vitalise their work.
Edifying volunteer work should also be actively promoted at home and in schools. The Government could do more to publicise the concept of volunteer service through the use of slogans and promotional films, and with the help of youth idols who are powerful advocates.
Let us hope that by working together to promote volunteerism, we can bring home to our young people the truth, as expressed by John Donne, that 'no man is an island'.
PATSY LEUNG Mid-Levels
