Topics in This Issue:

-Sex Trafficking Forum

-Refugee Donations

-Plastic Program

-Citizen Election Initiative

-TROT Fundraiser

-Top 10 Friendliest Cities

-Railroad in Tucson

-Ward 6 Community Room Art

-Plan Tucson

-Mayor and City Council Salary Survey

-Pima County Youth Resource Fair

-Easter Seals/Blake Foundation All Abilities Day

-Sam Hughes Home and Neighborhood Tour

-Zoo Construction

Sex Trafficking Forum

The online sex trafficking forum will take place both tomorrow and on Wednesday. Since its online there aren’t any restrictions on how many people can join in. And it's free. We’ll be following these presentations with some in-person training/educational meetings in which there will be caps on participation. What’s coming this week will lay the groundwork for those later meetings. 

There are two realities guiding these forums. One is that we do not have a robust local law enforcement focus on trafficking. The second is that there is robust sex trafficking activity happening all over Tucson. We’re trying to bridge the gap. 

Dominique Roe Sepowitz is the statewide authority on trafficking. In these forums she’ll share data, talk about who is most vulnerable, and share information on what actions place people at greater risk. If you’ve got young people who are involved with social media in your home then you might want to sign into one of these online presentations.  

Please use this link to get registered. The training is free – the information is invaluable.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sex-trafficking-101-identifying-youth-in-our-community-tickets-558113601807

These events are open to anyone with an interest in learning the red flags and protective measures you can take with regard to sex trafficking. Each session will cover the same material so you don’t need to register for both. We’re putting the details together for the in-person meetings and I’ll share that once its finalized. 

Refugee Donations

Two Sundays' ago, 60 Minutes aired a 2-part segment on the challenges Afghan women have in accessing an education. It was the story of how one woman challenged all odds and is now operating a school for Afghan refugee women...in Rwanda. In the 60 Minute piece you’ll see the all-too-familiar video of people trying to get on planes during the Kabul evacuation. That’s all I’ll tell you. The story is compelling. Thanks to Eileen for sharing the link with me so I can share it with you. 

Here’s the link:   

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sola-afghanistan-education-60-minutes-2023-02-26/

The 60 Minute story ties in well with many of the real-life stories I share in the newsletter. I’m currently working with a woman and her 25-year-old daughter trying to get them out of harm's way in Pakistan. They fled Afghanistan and are still being hunted by Taliban. And I’ve shared photos of bombed schools in Kabul. There’s so much that we take for granted – and we should. Nobody should have to fear for their life over getting an education in their homeland. 

Over the weekend the national news had a story about young girls in Iran who are getting sick inside their schools. There’s some sort of respiratory agent causing severe reactions which result in having to vacate the schools. Of course, the Iranian government denies any involvement, but it’s not happening in boys' schools, and it all began shortly after the government edict that girls are not to be in school beyond primary grades. 

On Wednesday of this week please join us downtown for the rally in support of Afghan and Iranian women. Many of the people taking part in the march are those you’ve helped get established here in Tucson after the botched evacuation from Afghanistan. They’ve left family and friends behind, but most are still in touch and those who are here the horrible stories of threats and worse. Here’s the flyer giving information on the rally: 

Click Here To View About The City Of Tucson A Message From Steve K Newsletter - March 6, 2023