The seventh annual Human Trafficking Symposium, hosted by the Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE) in partnership with San Bernardino County, was held on Thursday, Jan. 15, at the DoubleTree Hilton in Ontario.
With many different organizations attending, ranging from the San Bernardino County Sector of Behavioral Health to the SBC Children’s Network, the Polaris Project, and many more, the convention aimed to help inform the community.
The focus of the event amplified one main message: Human trafficking isn’t just one issue; it’s a tree that branches out into multitudes of types of scenarios. It’s a specific learning process to identify when it’s occurring, including the global problem it now is, unbeknownst to many, has become the main targets of spreading its awareness. Especially in recent years, where it continues to grow under black markets and syndicates that live in the shadows of everyday life.
According to the County website and CASE, (paraphrase) “Human trafficking thrives in silence and isolation, but through strength, unity, and collective action, we can break the cycle of exploitation. By growing partnerships and building resilient communities, we empower survivors, raise awareness, and create lasting change.”
CASE, founded in 2009 in accordance with an initiative from the District Attorney’s Office, has been in charge of developing resources in the county to educate, prevent, intervene, and support victims of sexual exploitation, becoming the main driver in recent years of shedding light on cases happening within the county and beyond, with the symposiums being a primary example.
The seminar also served as a platform for a variety of voices, particularly this year’s keynote speaker, former Navy Seal, now film director and best-selling author, Remi Adeleke.
Born in Nigeria in 1992, Adeleke’s life faced drastic changes at a young age, with the death of his father placing his family in turmoil, and forcing the rest of his family, including his mother, to the Bronx. There, he struggled with his self-identity, seeking a father figure, until deciding on enlisting in the Navy in 2002, not even knowing how to swim.
In his book, “Transformed,” however, the reader witnesses his change, the internal struggles he faced, and how he overcame his obstacles. His roller coaster life, though, led him to become an active advocate for many issues, including human trafficking.
“The liaison with us could sense my confusion… these parents could do this… I got deeper into human trafficking and specifically organ harvesting… a lot of the victims are desperate and traffickers prey on people who are vulnerable,” said Adeleke in a We are the Mighty Article.
“We all have the ability to, especially as Americans, to raise our hands down and pick somebody else up. Do what you can with what you have.”
RCHS students and assistant principal Mr. Robert Sanchez also attended the seminar, including seniors Kennedy Ewing-Chow, Lauryn Desai, and sophomore Marco Awad.
