What Makes a World City - Ho Lok Sang

What does a city consist of? One can name many, many things: high rise buildings, infrastructure, amenities, big department stores, etc. But the soul of a city must be its people.

The quality of the city hinges on the quality of the people, much more than the infrastructure and even the institutions, because they can make infrastructure and institutions.

What qualities make a city's people worthy to be called "world class"? I would say they have to be BRIGHT:

B stands for bold and confident.

R stands for responsible and law-abiding.

I stands for inquisitive and truth-seeking.

G stands for having a global perspective and being earth-friendly.

H stands for humanist and compassionate.

T stands for tolerant and open-minded.

I would like to see a Hong Kong that is confident and innovative, and not afraid of putting forth new ideas, a Hong Kong that will NOT assume we do not have home-grown bright minds and thus need the help of Harvards and Stanfords and other big names to boost our own images.

I would like to see a Hong Kong that is responsible and law-abiding from top to bottom. I would like to see officials not paying just lip service to accountability but actually acting accountably. I would like to see Hong Kong people not blaming others for their ills but doing the best they can to improve the well-being of themselves and their loved ones in a lawful manner. I would like to see political leaders acting in a responsible manner-taking the public interest to heart and putting aside their partisan interest when there is a conflict of interest between the public interest and their party's interest.

I would like to see Hong Kong inquisitive and truth-seeking. This means that they are not restrained by dogmas and doctrines and faiths and sectarian beliefs. I envision Hong Kong as a city known for its truly enlightened people. A truth-loving people. A sincere people. Such a Hong Kong will be an example to the world, where bigotry and "faiths" and theologies have blinded and divided people.

I would like to see Hong Kong people taking on a global perspective and being earth-friendly. Cities have been known to be garbage generators, and "world cities" have been known to be "world-class" garbage generators. I will not be proud of Hong Kong if it demonstrates its affluence by creating millions of tons of garbage a day. I would like to see Hong Kong people friendly to all peoples of the world, regardless of their backgrounds.

I would like to see Hong Kong people being humanistic and compassionate. I know that only humanists can be truly happy and live a fulfilled life.

I would like to see Hong Kong people being tolerant of "alien" behaviours and customs and open-minded. We have to take the differences in people as given and accept such differences. Only then can we live harmoniously and turn the diversity into an asset and not a liability of humanity.

Ho Lok Sang

.