BEHIND THE HEADLINES

You don't have to rely on North American newspapers, radio shows and television programs to get all your information about Asia. In fact, a more direct way to get your information is to plug into the World Wide Web, where you can find electronic versions of newspapers from Asian countries and home pages of different organizations in Asia. It's a great way to find internet buddies from Asia and get the real scoop on how young Asians feel about child labour and other pressing issues.

The same is true for Asians wanting to learn more about Canada.

Many Canadians ignore the fact that there are more than 5,000 street kids in Toronto alone, not to mention other cities across the country. They also ignore the reality that despair and suicide are the number one issue facing Aboriginal youth in Canada. Similarities do exist between Canadian youth living on the streets and youth in Asian countries. How much attention do Canadians pay to street kids who prostitute themselves in their own backyard before pointing fingers across the ocean?

Have you ever felt as if the media has misrepresented young people? For example they create stories that give youth a bad rap: youth violence is up, all youth do drugs, the young offenders should be tightened up, etc. Have you ever thought that maybe the same sensationalism distorts our view of ordinary people's lives.