Modern slavery does not often make the press. We have the idea that slavery was something that was abolished in the 19th century. However, as iAbolish has documented, slavery is far from over (See particularly their section "Modern Slavery 101"). One country where forced labor slavery is still common is Mauritania. VOA News recently reported that as many as 43 people have been freed from slavery in 2008, despite the fact that the government contends that slavery has been abolished.
Slavery in Mauritania has numerous cultural roots. The practice is embedded not only in the economic structure, but in the tribal and caste structures as well. As such, it will take efforts in law enforcement, education, and economic restructuring to make the problem vanish entirely. Though many of the slaves in Mauritania know that they are held in bondage illegally, many are either afraid to go to the authorities or are ignored when they do. Thus the government must continue to enforce the laws on slavery rather than hide behind them and claim that slavery is a thing of the past. The educational and economic issues are even more difficult, but these too must be addressed. As abhorrent as the concept of slavery is to us, it is still a part of Mauritanian culture; a part that must be rejected if the concept of human rights is to flourish in that country.
