Educate and raise awareness of the growing phenomenon of street gangs

The street gang phenomenon preoccupies the general population as well as those who work in the judicial system (police officers and prosecutors), correctional facilities and youth centres. Although many people are concerned by the phenomenon, our knowledge of the matter is relatively limited (Report ‘Le phénomène des gangs de rue au Québec, 2009’ from the Gouvernement du Québec).

In addition, youth membership to street gangs is becoming more alarming in the country. Poverty and social disorganization are the two main contexts in which gangs emerge, and the young people who join them are usually in need of the status and recognition they offer (Jeunesse et gangs de rue Phase I, Jacques Hébert, Sylvie Hamel and Ginette Jacinthe Savoie).

Following the recent summit in Copenhagen, the importance of an international environmental agreement is now clearer than ever. Environment Canada aims for “an agreement that brings countries together to address our shared global economic and environmental challenges, and one that will put us on a path toward sustainable, low-carbon economic growth.”

The O.P.C.R. maintains that children are the earth’s greatest asset and that we must act now to ensure a planetary collaboration on the environment to secure a better future for us all. The opinion piece Gaia 2031 underlines the strategies needed to preserve the evolution of future generations and give them the best possible chances for success. Click here to know more about Gaia 2031.