Zhang Qian

    zhqcindy@163.com

    A CITYWIDE election of outstanding youths from all walks of life has officially kicked off with the organizers’ announcement at Shenzhen Civic Center yesterday.

    Young people, aged between 18 and 45 years old, living and working in Shenzhen are encouraged to nominate themselves for their special contribution to the city. Residents of all nationalities are welcome, said Liu Guangyang, Party chief of the Communist Youth League Shenzhen Committee, at yesterday’s media conference.

    “Shenzhen is becoming more and more internalized and we know that there is quite a good number of people coming from areas other than the Chinese mainland to settle in Shenzhen and do great things for the city, so we also welcome them to join the election,” Liu told the Shenzhen Daily.

    The Party chief said that Shenzhen has obtained remarkable achievements over the past three decades, and the achievements would never have been fulfilled without the effort and devotion of young people. Therefore, the award for “Shenzhen Outstanding Youths” is to acknowledge the unique qualities of young people, their persistence in pursing their dreams in Shenzhen and being inspirations to others.

    Some requirements of the nomination include being born between March 1, 1972 and Feb. 28, 1999. Candidates must work, study or live in Shenzhen. They also must have acknowledged achievements in their field of work or community. The candidates are also expected to obey Chinese laws and agree with China’s key political principles.

    Shenzhen Media Group is one of the organizers of the award.

    Readers of the Shenzhen Daily who think they are eligible to apply for the award can email the Shenzhen Daily or nominate themselves by approaching the organizing committee. Recommendations can also be lodged by the same method.

    Enterprises and working units can also nominate their staff members for their inspiring stories and the special achievements they’ve brought to Shenzhen.

    The election will last for about six months with five stages. The application period, where applicants can fill out the application forms, will be in March. A panel comprised of professional judges and media representatives will conduct a preliminary review of all the applicants and select 30 candidates by the end of March.

    An online vote will be carried out in mid-April. The 30 candidates’ information, stories and achievements will be shared on various online media outlets and websites. All residents can vote for the youths that win their hearts. The result of the online vote will be considered in the final review, when a total of 10 candidates will be elected as Shenzhen’s top 10 outstanding youths in the second half of April by the panel.