Dhalla has created the Brampton-Springdale Youth Advisory Council to provide a forum and vehicle for youth to participate in developing solutions to issues confronting them. About 100 youth, parents, trustees, teachers, and representatives from youth organizations and other community stakeholders attended a recent advisory council information meeting.

A formalized council executive board is expected to be in place soon. An executive composed of about 15 people will be assembled to develop community initiatives, explained Dhalla. The board will reach out into the community for help and youth engagement, she added.

"I would encourage all young people in Brampton to get involved," Dhalla said. "We want children regardless of how young or old they are-- anyone from the age of 10 and up."

Application forms for the advisory council and more information is available online at www.rubydhalla.ca.

Anyone interested can also contact Dhalla's constituency office at 905-874-6868.

Creation of the advisory body, according to Dhalla, partly originated from an anecdotal sense youth crime rates have been on the rise.

"I think that we can take a look that over the past year there has been an increased number of incidents of violence," she said.

"I'm gauging it by the number of e-mails and phone calls and constituents that come into the office."

However, the most recent Peel Regional Police statistical data available indicates a drop in crime among youth aged 12 to 17. The Peel police Youth Crime report for the 2006 calendar year shows 2,570 young people were charged-- a 4.7 per cent decrease from 2005.

Violent crime, including murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and sexual assault, showed a 5.4 per cent decrease. In 2006 there were 764 young persons charged with such offences in Peel, compared to 808 people in 2005.

Statistics for 2007 will not be released until later this year.

Whether it is in schools or the broader community, Dhalla believes she is hearing about a greater number of incidents related to violence, gangs or drugs. The second-term MP visits many local schools to speak about youth empowerment and is often confronted by the serious issues some young people deal with on a regular basis.

"Every time I go in (to a school) I quickly learn of the challenges some of these students and young people are facing within their schools," she said.

Her response has been to bring the Youth Advisory Council idea to fruition.

"The Youth Advisory Council is going to be run by youth and it is going to be for youth in designing and developing solutions to the challenges that young people are facing, whether it's in their schools or whether it's in the community," Dhalla explained. "This about youth coming up and designing their own solutions and having an opportunity to work with the community."

She expects youth involved with the council to work with elected officials, educators, teachers, youth organizations and stakeholders in the Brampton community. It is essential young people have an environment where they feel comfortable and empowered, she noted.

"Youth very often feel they are told what to do, but don't very often feel they have the opportunity to be listened to and to be consulted," Dhalla said.

In schools or at home, it seems an adult is always telling a young person what to do. Youth need to be involved and empowered in designing solutions that are going to work for them, she continued.

Until young people are engaged and have a role to play in addressing issues affecting them, there will be no real solutions, Dhalla said.

However, it is going to require a community effort to make sure initiatives get implemented and have an impact, Dhalla concluded.