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The Navajo County Board of Supervisors unanimously proclaimed January 2019 as “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month” after a presentation by Dylan Baca, the Navajo County Commissioner for the Governor’s Youth Commission (GYC) and a student at Blue Ridge High School in Show Low.
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Introduced by Vice Chairwoman Dawnafe Whitesinger, who is also his mother, Baca shared the purpose behind the GYC. “The GYC has been a part of the governor’s office for youth, faith and family since 1989. The job of the commission is to engage youth through innovative programs, events and campaigns that effectively serve the communities in the areas that are most meaningful.”
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“The GYC has identified five major issues that affect today’s youth throughout the State of Arizona and around the world,” continued Baca. “Those issues are substance abuse, education, teen dating violence, distracted driving and human trafficking.”
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Each of the identified issues was assigned a committee and Baca became part of the human trafficking committee, which was launched this year. “As a member of the human trafficking committee, I hope to bring change to our county as well as our state,” said Baca. It is estimated that human trafficking denies freedom to at least 20.9 million people worldwide, with cases of human trafficking reported and prosecuted in all 50 states.
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The proclamation defines human trafficking as “a form of slavery that severely victimizes vulnerable populations including women, children and impoverished individuals. Human trafficking occurs when a person is recruited, harbored, transported or obtained for the purpose of commercial sex, forced labor, involuntary servitude, debt bondage or slavery through force, fraud or coercion or if the victim has not reached the age of 18.”
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While the Governor’s Arizona Human Trafficking Council has made significant strides in the areas of public awareness, victim services, data collection and training, it is the goal of the proclamation to have Navajo County commit to raising public awareness, and ensuring that the county has zero tolerance for any form of human trafficking while committing to “protecting victims’ rights and restoring their freedom and dignity.”
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Supervisor Jason Whiting thanked Baca for being concerned enough about the issue that he would take the time and effort to make others aware of what is going on. “Sadly for me, I guess I was in the belief that we as a society had gotten far away from these types of issues. What a devastating thing for communities; what a devastating thing for the individuals that are involved. It is sad that society would accept this type of thing. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.”
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Whitesinger said, “I want to thank my son for bringing this to our attention. This is something that is happening in the State of Arizona.”
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For more information on human trafficking, visit www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign or facebook/bluecampaign.
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