Jun 11, 2013

Slavery Round-Table In Paris


PRESS RELEASE                                        for immediate release

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Slavery in Mauritania

Roundtable in Paris

 4.00 – 7.00 p.m.

Wednesday, 12th June 2013,

Assemblée Nationale, Salon Mars III,

Rue de l'Université 101 (Rez-de-chaussée), Paris

12 June 2013, Paris –  IRA-France, Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Quai d'Orsay, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR), Minority Rights Center (MRC) and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) will be holding a roundtable discussion entitled “Slavery in Mauritania”, which will take place at the Assemblée Nationale in Paris. The event aims at raising awareness about the Haratin community in Mauritania, which is still facing traditional forms of forced labor.

Keynote speakers will be Jean-François Mancel, member of the National Assembly of France, Amhed Amu, member of IRA-France, Martin Schulthes, Policy Advisor at Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and Ulrich Delius of the Society for Threatened Peoples.

Though Mauritania has abolished slavery four times (in 1905; 1961; 1981; 2007;) and the practice is officially labeled as a crime against humanity by statute law, forced labour is still a widespread practice that targets the ethnic group of Haratin. The Haratin constitute the largest minority group in Mauritania, yet remain the most politically and economically marginalised in a deeply and ethnically stratified Mauritanian society as a result of centuries of enslavement by the dominant Arab-Berbers. Today, approximately 50% of the Haratin community remain in conditions of de facto enslavement through such forms as domestic servitude and bonded or forced labour. It is estimated that 90% of those enslaved are women.

Biram Dah Abeid, Mauritanian anti-slavery activist and president of IRA, will address the social, cultural and economic dimension of slavery in Mauritania. Mr Abeid was recently awarded with the Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk.

The presentations will be followed by the screening of a CNN documentary, after which there will be time for the audience to ask questions to the panelists and engage in a debate.

 

 

For media queries please contact:

Maud Vanwalleghem | +32 251 314 59 | [email protected]

 Attached File: Press Release (PDF)