Constructing a Human Rights Campaign: Contemporary Slavery in Mauritania

This paper seeks to draft a human rights campaign with regards to contemporary slavery in Mauritania. The research focuses on political, economic, social, and religious factors that account for the persistence of the institution of slavery within the Mauritanian society. These aspects are taken into consideration to construct a campaign that addresses the human rights issue at hand. In order to ensure a measurable impact, a twofold top-down and bottom-up approach is considered. The focus is set on measures aimed at the Mauritanian government, while simultaneously engaging with the local grassroots population. The core pillars of the campaign are a symbolic voice that articulates the human rights claims, a convincing message constructed around the well-established frame of slavery, the adequate use of media, and the construction of a receptive audience. This work gives an overview of the possibilities of promoting a certain aspect of human rights in a society where slavery is deeply ingrained. It also draws on the certain limits to the campaign that, to this day, represent important obstacles for a more egalitarian Mauritanian society.