Pubdate: Wed, 03 Aug 2005
Source: Surrey Now (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc., A Canwest Company
Contact:  http://www.thenownewspaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1462

GANGS, DRUGS REQUIRE A CO-OPERATIVE SOLUTION

Two ambitious, motivated young men are doing what many groups and 
individuals spend a great deal of time talking about - proactively tackling 
the thorny issue of drugs and gangs.

Kabir Shaukar Ali, 19, and Daljit DJ Parmar, 20, are putting their full 
efforts into producing and airing a series of mainstream TV and radio ads 
aimed at combating gangs and drugs. The pair is also working on a website 
designed to give useful information for teens on how to avoid falling prey 
to gangs, and will also have an educational component for adults. (See page 
15.)

We commend their dedication.

Everyone recognizes gangs and drugs are inextricably linked, however, not 
everyone recognizes just how pervasive and insidious these problems are. We 
have to recognize gangs are not only an Indo-Canadian phenomenon - they 
exist everywhere and are made of people from all backgrounds. Drugs are not 
just a cash cow for organized crime, such as the Hells Angels, nor are grow 
ops only manned by Vietnamese gangs, as might be surmised by the mainstream 
media's coverage of who gets busted and why.

Drugs and gangs are a fact of life in B.C. right now, and also all across 
North America, not to mention all around the globe.

To say this problem is an issue that must be addressed by the Indo-Canadian 
community by itself is to commit the gravest transgression of all; we 
cannot throw this problem onto any one community and expect it to go away. 
Gangs and drugs adversely affect each and every person in society to some 
degree, and it will take a sustained effort by all of society to end this 
modern-day scourge.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom