How the government can best channel the energies of Hong Kong’s restless youth
Tik Chi-yuen says young people need to be nurtured, not lectured, and the government should set up a Youth Department and a dedicated innovation committee to help guide them
When people are marginalised, or treated as unimportant, they will usually either become hostile to such action or become antisocial. Some of our local youths, including gifted student leaders, have done exactly that to express their dissatisfaction, manifesting itself most prominently in last year’s Umbrella Movement.
Young people are sources of creativity and innovation, though it’s true they can also be impatient and narrow-minded. When capable young people are given influential positions, their dynamism and potential can be fully realised to help society progress. The government is certainly aware of this; witness its appointment of 33-year-old Ronald Chan Ngok-pang, the youngest undersecretary since the handover, to the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau.
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The appointment reflects an open-minded approach to power-sharing but needs to be followed up with similar action.
How could more talented youth be engaged to better understand governance and offer constructive proposals? Could the voice of the young generation be officially recorded and used for reference in policy formulation?
Young people are sources of creativity and innovation, though it’s true they can also be impatient and narrow-minded
It is obvious that the government has to enhance the foundations to nurture more political talent, so that more people are capable of acting rationally, taking on responsibility and working towards a sustainable Hong Kong.
We therefore recommend that the government consider setting up a powerful Youth Department, under the direction of the chief secretary, to effectively coordinate all youth-related policies and focus on training young political elite. It could develop a database of online youth groups with a view to seeking their input, in order to get to know them, their thoughts and ideas.
