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Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary, Mr Henry Tang, at the Opening Ceremony of the Conference of Rotary International District 3450 held at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this afternoon (March 19):
David Liddiatt, Mr Jason Chan (District Governor 2010-2011, Rotary), Mr Tony Yue (Chairman of 51st District Conference, RI District 3450), Distinguished Guests, Rotarians, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
It is my great pleasure to join you for this Rotary District Conference Opening Ceremony.
First of all, I would like to welcome all our visitors to Hong Kong. I also thank all Rotarians for the wonderful work you do in Hong Kong and in communities around the world.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences for the people of Japan at this difficult time. We can only imagine the heartache that the Japanese community is experiencing following the devastating earthquake and tsunami last week.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this natural catastrophe as they rebuild their lives and their communities.
Rotary Clubs around the world are responding to this catastrophe in the true spirit of your motto: Service above Self.
With the Japanese people in mind, the theme of this Conference seems particularly relevant: Building Communities – Bridging Continents.
I am also pleased that the Rotary Club places a strong focus on providing guidance and support for our younger generation.
It is our shared responsibility to listen to our young people, respond to their needs and empower them with the knowledge and skills to make our world a better place.
In today's global village, the best way to do that is by strengthening our communities at home while also establishing strong links with people in all corners of the globe.
Here in Hong Kong, we have a firm commitment to our next generation through education; providing support for those in need, and by creating opportunities for their personal development. In other words, we give them room to create their own universe.
Our strategies include the guarantee of high-quality education, with 12 years of free education available to all students. Education takes up almost a quarter of recurrent government expenditure, indeed education is our single largest programme of expenditure. In the coming financial year, we expect to spend HK$54 billion on education alone.
We also promote positive values among our youngsters; we enhance their understanding of Chinese culture and heritage; we encourage them to take part in voluntary and community work and we seek to broaden their horizons through various leadership programmes and exchanges.
The recent Budget supports such exchanges. It proposes allocating $100 million to subsidise students participating in learning programmes as well as voluntary services in the Mainland of China.
Our new generation faces various increasingly sophisticated challenges. To properly prepare them for the future requires collaborative efforts between Government, youth organisations, NGOs, schools and families.
The Hong Kong Government takes the views of our young people very seriously. For example, our Commission On Youth hosts regular youth exchange sessions and youth summits for young people to express their views and enable us to gauge the opinions of the next generation.
Today's youngsters are fully engaged in community issues, ranging from the environment to home ownership and from healthcare reform to social justice.
We are constantly inspired by the vision and compassion of our young people – the future is indeed bright and we encourage them to continue with it.
Finally, congratulations to the Rotary Club District 3450 on its 80th Anniversary. Over eight decades you have provided unstinting support for communities in Hong Kong, Macao, Mongolia and beyond.
A very heartfelt "thank you" to all Rotarians for your hard work and commitment to building our communities and bridging continents.
I wish you all a very successful Rotary District Conference and our visitors a wonderful stay in Hong Kong.
Thank you very much.
Ends/Saturday, March 19, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:51
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