User:Edwardv96/sandbox

Article Evaluation: European Union
This particular article relates to my course as it an integral part of the global politics and development of East Central Europe. Because the EU is so important and critical in modern politics, the article is "semi-protected" on Wikipedia. It's introduction section is well-organized and thorough, providing basic facts and statistics while not seeming to display bias towards it. The section detailing the history of the EU is extremely thorough, going back to the times of the Roman Empire. Although it seems to overreach, the information is somewhat relevant. Because the article is one of the most viewed on Wikipedia, there is carefully-placed information and pictures, such as graphs, timelines, and important historical events. It is difficult to find any bias in favor or against the EU in the article. The citations and links all work perfectly fine, as do the links to other Wikipedia entries. It is a well-researched article and seems to be a good example of how the Wikipedia community collaborates to give as much useful, relevant, and potent information as possible.

Article Selection: Slavery in Mauritania
The article is generally objective and unbiased. Since most international observers and NGOs acknowledge the prevalence of slavery in Mauritania, and is banned in almost every single country in the world, the article seems critical of the Mauritanian government and its role in the continuing slave trade. Given the magnitude of the problem, the article is relatively short, although it covers important aspects such as anti-slavery organizations and a basic overview of why slavery persists there today. I'm set on this article for a few reasons: that Mauritania is a relatively large African country at the crossroads between the Maghreb, the Islamic world and Sub-Saharan Africa; that it is rarely mentioned when it comes to geopolitics despite it's strategic position in Africa; that the region Mauritania is in has a rich history with ancient African empires; and that Mauritania was the last country to officially abolish slavery in 1981. Although varying degrees of slavery exist today in the form of human and sex trafficking (as well as migrant labor and debt slavery), slavery in its near basic form still exists in this particular country. The lack of development, intervention, and even interest from the West and power players in the region has resulted in Mauritania retaining old traditions, practices, and customs into present day. Although the peoples of the Maghreb and West Africa retain many of their cultures and traditions, this is particularly acute in Mauritania, as slavery was tolerated for decades before its abolition.

U.S. State Department

The Mauritanian government has taken action to end all forms of slavery and compulsory labor. In 2015, the government expanded the definition of slavery to include child labor, although they have had difficulty in enforcing anti-slavery laws. The government is underfunded and ill-equipped to deal with slavery. The courts must battle against the cultural and historical legacy of slavery.

Mauritania Article Edits

Mauritania currently faces many problems when it comes to slavery and labor conditions. The Global Slavery Index estimates that up to 140,000 people are slaves in Mauritania. Despite slavery being banned in 1981, enforcement was virtually non-existent and the issue was not taken seriously until the 2000s. Because of a lack of infrastructure and weak government enforcement, slavery is still prevalent across much of the interior. The government is dominated by Arabs, and the majority of slaves in the country are Black. As of 2017, there were only 86 labor inspectors and 20 labor controllers for all of Mauritania. The Ministry of Labor does not have adequate funding for training. Since 2007, Mauritania has prosecuted two cases of slavery.

In January of 2018, the African Union officially reprimanded Mauritania for not taking action against slavery in the country. The African Union pointed to the prevalence of hereditary slavery.

Child Labor

Child labor remains prevalent across the country, including indentured servitude and hereditary slavery. Child labor isn’t isolated to the countryside, as the Mauritanian government recently conducted a raid in the capital, Nouakchott, and rescued forty-two children. According to the United States Department of Labor, violating child slavery laws is rarely punished.