The C.A.Y (Care About the Youth) activity group works for the public good. Public figures from various circles take part in this group for life-care education, psychological consultation and crisis prevention. The purposes of this organization are as followed: To make everybody cherish their lives as well as others'; To establish a Youth Suicide Prevention mechanism joint by the government and social power; To set up a non-religion, non-politics, non-government, non-profit organization, aims at youth suicide prevention and life-care education. Now, the C.A.Y activity group is under the guidance of China Song Chingling Foundation, Chinese Youth Life-education Committee. It’s office is in Liling No.1 Middle-school, Hunan Province.
In Nov. 2005, Premier of China’s State Council, Wen Jiabao extended warm greetings and thanks to all the members of C.A.Y activity group. He also wrote instructions on youth suicide :"The governments and Communist Youth League at all levels as well as schools ,bear responsibilities for both physical and mental health of youth. Related departments should pay highly attention to those issues and suggestions."
In the past 3 years, more than 500 thousand people joint C.A.Y activity group through different ways. Those people including leaders of the Party and State governments at all levels, stars(or celebrities),professors as well as overseas Chinese. During the 3 years, more than 1000 young people who tried to suicide were assisted. Thus to put forward relative motions and proposals on NPC, which refers to suicide prevention and life-care education. What’s more, the annual Jasmine Forum has become a platform to discuss issues, such as to strengthen moral construction among minors and college students, the realization of self-worth under the market economy environment and so on..
In the three years, a volunteer team was set up by CAY activity group, and the work of this team is preventing crisis and educating people about life. It consists mainly of psychiatric consultant experts, educators and social workers from the whole country. In this team, 40% are graduates, and 90% have the related abilities. There is a professional operating team in the group which is rich in international experiences and tactful perceptions. The group also has a top advisory team which can provide for professional guides. The volunteers of CAY activity group are preparing to help others at any time, and they can provide the people who need help for best services.
More than 100 activities about educating people about life have been held through out the whole country by CAY activity group, and these activities were going on with student forums, debates, theme speaking and so on. The contents are mainly about mental education, safe education, health education, drug-fighting and AIDS-preventing and etc. More than 400 materials and handbooks about educating people about life were handed out like “Discussing briefly about teaching people to live”. More than 10,000 publicity papers were handed out, and exhibitions about caring life were held for several times. More than 30 comments and special articles after the interview were given by different media, and more than 10 articles were published in the newspapers and magazines.
A professional team was organized by CAY activity group to serve voluntarily in Sichuan province for 10 days on July 12, 2008, and these volunteers have different professions such as psychology, physic, education and so on. By using these professional advantages, they helping people in many fields like medical treatments, mental aids and etc.
The web about preventing youths from committing suicides and educating people about life, the special audio and video web about caring life, and Jasmine forum are the expanded projects of CAY activity group. These projects are charged by the web management center of CAY activity group.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
The Politicization and Depoliticization of Beijing Olympics
---Causes, Forms, Tendencies and Countermeasures
by BI Yantao, China
The politicization of Olympics was prematured in the international community when Beijing decided on its Olympic bid, which justifies my assumption that the depoliticization of Olympics is nothing but an ideal. The politicization of Beijing Olympics is an outburst of the international community’s uncertainty about China, an evolved form of international struggle, and a warning about China’s diplomatic doctrine. As Beijing Olympics approaches, the collaboration between the globalized political society and the globalized civil society will be further elaborated and professionalized. Understandably, the external pressure on Beijing Olympics will be increased. In addition to its diplomatic endeavors, to turn to professionals and public diplomacy seems primary now for Beijing.
P.S. : This abstract was submitted to a conference held in China before the Beijing Olympics)
by BI Yantao, China
The politicization of Olympics was prematured in the international community when Beijing decided on its Olympic bid, which justifies my assumption that the depoliticization of Olympics is nothing but an ideal. The politicization of Beijing Olympics is an outburst of the international community’s uncertainty about China, an evolved form of international struggle, and a warning about China’s diplomatic doctrine. As Beijing Olympics approaches, the collaboration between the globalized political society and the globalized civil society will be further elaborated and professionalized. Understandably, the external pressure on Beijing Olympics will be increased. In addition to its diplomatic endeavors, to turn to professionals and public diplomacy seems primary now for Beijing.
P.S. : This abstract was submitted to a conference held in China before the Beijing Olympics)
The political legitimacy in contemporary China
by BI Yantao, China
According to Alan R. Kluver, “Political legitimacy is the perceived convergence of legal and moral authority to rule a nation.” It is “the extent to which the populace views the rulers as deserving of that authority.” Methodologically, it is necessary to classify legitimacy into two types: internal legitimacy (IL) and external legitimacy (EL). In some cases, IL and EL are not consistent to each other. Take China for example. Many Westerners hold firmly the belief that the Chinese government is suffering from such a legitimacy crisis that it will collapse sooner or later. To a great extent, this perception justifies D. McGregor’s approach to the factor of the wishful thinking in the making of prediction: “Unguided by objective evidence, most people will make their prediction in accordance with their subjective preference”. Although the legitimacy of the Chinese government has been eroding these years, it has not declined to such an extent as many Westerners estimated. This essay tries to identify the major variables that contribute to the discrepancy between IL and EL of the Chinese government, mainly by questionnaires and in-depth interviews. My speculation is that the Chinese people residing in the Chinese mainland base their judgments on firstly, social interaction, secondly, personal experiences, and thirdly, new media, while people outside China make their judgments based on firstly, mass media, secondly, social interaction, and thirdly, personal experiences. This essay also discusses the interaction between IL and EL.
(This abstract was submitted to an European conference on China.)
According to Alan R. Kluver, “Political legitimacy is the perceived convergence of legal and moral authority to rule a nation.” It is “the extent to which the populace views the rulers as deserving of that authority.” Methodologically, it is necessary to classify legitimacy into two types: internal legitimacy (IL) and external legitimacy (EL). In some cases, IL and EL are not consistent to each other. Take China for example. Many Westerners hold firmly the belief that the Chinese government is suffering from such a legitimacy crisis that it will collapse sooner or later. To a great extent, this perception justifies D. McGregor’s approach to the factor of the wishful thinking in the making of prediction: “Unguided by objective evidence, most people will make their prediction in accordance with their subjective preference”. Although the legitimacy of the Chinese government has been eroding these years, it has not declined to such an extent as many Westerners estimated. This essay tries to identify the major variables that contribute to the discrepancy between IL and EL of the Chinese government, mainly by questionnaires and in-depth interviews. My speculation is that the Chinese people residing in the Chinese mainland base their judgments on firstly, social interaction, secondly, personal experiences, and thirdly, new media, while people outside China make their judgments based on firstly, mass media, secondly, social interaction, and thirdly, personal experiences. This essay also discusses the interaction between IL and EL.
(This abstract was submitted to an European conference on China.)
Snapshot of Yan Xiaofeng
by BI Yantao, China
Mr. YAN Xiaofeng (闫肖锋), born 1963 in Beijing, now works as Writer-at-large of New Weekly (《新周刊》）published in Guangdong Province in south China.
Educated at Qinghua University and Peking University, Yan Xiaofeng is particularly interested in globalization and cultural transmission. Trained by his supervisor Mr. FEI Xiaotong (费孝通), Mr. Yan is good at analyzing social tendencies.
Yan Xiaofeng once worked for China’s State Commission for Economic Reconstruction, Peking University, Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, Guangzhou Economic Development District Administration Committee of Guangzhou Municipal Government, and New Weekly Magazine. He is a long-standing consultant of Guangzhou Blue Cre Ad China, one of the top ten advertising companies in China.
As a writer at large, Mr. Yan has published countless articles, essays, translations. Among the books he wrote and edited, I am especially interested in Agenda Manufacture: Sociology of New Weekly and Crossover.
Mr. YAN Xiaofeng (闫肖锋), born 1963 in Beijing, now works as Writer-at-large of New Weekly (《新周刊》）published in Guangdong Province in south China.
Educated at Qinghua University and Peking University, Yan Xiaofeng is particularly interested in globalization and cultural transmission. Trained by his supervisor Mr. FEI Xiaotong (费孝通), Mr. Yan is good at analyzing social tendencies.
Yan Xiaofeng once worked for China’s State Commission for Economic Reconstruction, Peking University, Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, Guangzhou Economic Development District Administration Committee of Guangzhou Municipal Government, and New Weekly Magazine. He is a long-standing consultant of Guangzhou Blue Cre Ad China, one of the top ten advertising companies in China.
As a writer at large, Mr. Yan has published countless articles, essays, translations. Among the books he wrote and edited, I am especially interested in Agenda Manufacture: Sociology of New Weekly and Crossover.
Great! Access to RFI website resumed
by BI Yantao, China
This morning I successfully logged onto the official website of Radio France International (RFI), which was inaccessible for some time after the Beijing Olympics. I deem it a positive signal in terms of China's media policies.
Now, the websites of VOA, BBC, DW (Deutsche Welle or Voice of Germany) and RFI are all accessible here in Jinan, capital of Shandong Province, China.
Although I am well conscious that different degrees of media bias do exist in foreign reports about China, I still believe free access to these websites will bring more benefits than harms to China. Disagreements in opinions and stances are natural. Furthermore, causes for media bias are quite complicated.
This morning I successfully logged onto the official website of Radio France International (RFI), which was inaccessible for some time after the Beijing Olympics. I deem it a positive signal in terms of China's media policies.
Now, the websites of VOA, BBC, DW (Deutsche Welle or Voice of Germany) and RFI are all accessible here in Jinan, capital of Shandong Province, China.
Although I am well conscious that different degrees of media bias do exist in foreign reports about China, I still believe free access to these websites will bring more benefits than harms to China. Disagreements in opinions and stances are natural. Furthermore, causes for media bias are quite complicated.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wordpress not workable in China
by BI Yantao, China
I have succeeded in opening an account at wordpress.com, and I am able to view its blogs, but I am unable to post any article or manage my account. I have tried again and again, but every time it turns out frustrating me.
I am wondering what is wrong with it.
I have succeeded in opening an account at wordpress.com, and I am able to view its blogs, but I am unable to post any article or manage my account. I have tried again and again, but every time it turns out frustrating me.
I am wondering what is wrong with it.
BBC: Internet Freedoms in China
Bi Yantao contributed this written piece for the BBC Your Story project . These are his own personal views. He is a communication researcher based in China.
China's websites are beginning to impose the long debated true-name registration policy, which I believe will frustrate an increasing number of netizens in China.
Early this morning, I tried to register with the Tianya Community website, one of the most popular websites in China.
I am required to activate my account to be qualified to post. To activate my account, I have to obtain a Tianya code through my mobile phone, or by my own Tianya email. But to apply for a Tianya email account, I have to provide my true name and birth date.
In China all mobile phone users are already required to register with their real names. Tianya website has effectively adopted the controversial true-name registration system.
On the registration page the Tianya website explains these new measures are designed to stop illegal, nasty and harassing information. On these points I understand and support Tianya, but there is another side to the story. I am more concerned to what extent the new requirements will restrain critical voices, and how many websites will follow suit.
So far I am not clear how these new techniques help build China into a harmonious society.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/interact/2008/11/081114_yourstory_chinainternet.shtml
China's websites are beginning to impose the long debated true-name registration policy, which I believe will frustrate an increasing number of netizens in China.
Early this morning, I tried to register with the Tianya Community website, one of the most popular websites in China.
I am required to activate my account to be qualified to post. To activate my account, I have to obtain a Tianya code through my mobile phone, or by my own Tianya email. But to apply for a Tianya email account, I have to provide my true name and birth date.
In China all mobile phone users are already required to register with their real names. Tianya website has effectively adopted the controversial true-name registration system.
On the registration page the Tianya website explains these new measures are designed to stop illegal, nasty and harassing information. On these points I understand and support Tianya, but there is another side to the story. I am more concerned to what extent the new requirements will restrain critical voices, and how many websites will follow suit.
So far I am not clear how these new techniques help build China into a harmonious society.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/interact/2008/11/081114_yourstory_chinainternet.shtml
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