Shine on in Peace - A Plea to Demand Conflict-Free Diamonds
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It has been said that when the West finds something of value in Africa, people die. From cheap labor to oil to, most recently, diamonds, nearly every time a commodity of value is discovered in the Dark Continent, the result is civil unrest, exploitation, and in the worst cases genocide.
Are we really willing to continue to exploit the people of this continent in exchange for cheap goods? Are we willing to stain the soil with blood to save a month’s salary on our next engagement ring?
A Short History of Conflict Diamonds
Possibly the first instance of the diamond trade funding war atrocities was Angola in 1975, when a paramilitary group known as UNITA used the black-market diamond trade to fund its anti-government movement, trading diamonds for arms.
Since then, nearly every nation in Africa that has discovered this rare resource has followed a similar path - most famously, Sierra Leone. In 1990, a civil war broke out in Sierra Leone, fronted by the revolutionary group RUF. The RUF employed not only the despicable practice of child soldiering, but also used slave labor to set up camps to mine diamonds, which they traded for arms. The war killed thousands, and displaced more than 2 million people from their homes.
This war was made possible by the illicit diamond industry that western countries have infamously not only tolerated, but participated in.
What You Can Do
Executive orders from both President Clinton and Bush have created regulations for diamond importers to ensure that conflict diamonds are illegalized, but there is still much to do. Despite the legislation, conflict diamonds still make their way into the United States and Britain. Many nations that previously participated in the “blood diamond” trade have now switched to a legitimate diamond trade, but history teaches us that these attrocities can, and very well may, happen again.
So it is up to you, the consumer, to take responsibility for the goods you purchase. If you wish to purchase a diamond, ensure that the company you are purchasing it from uses only conflict-free diamonds (most do, but it is worth demanding!) I have spoken with sales people at the local jeweler Farr’s, who assured me that their diamonds are 100% conflict-free, and since double-checking the factuality, this is the only place I will use in Idaho Falls to purchase my diamonds.
If you want to take it a step further, there is an option called an Absolut diamond, which is not a diamond at all, but a chemically-processed mineral that looks, shines, and manipulates light nearly identical to a diamond - so much so that even the most skilled diamond specialist would not be able to tell the difference if not for signatures implanted by the manufacturer.
It is up to you if people will die to ensure your way of life. Take responsibility now and deman conflict-free diamonds are used by every American company!
[Sources Used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone_Civil_War]
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Comments
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0 
0 Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? A company can say one thing, but do another, and we’d never know a thing!
This was the subject of an investigation by a group that I support called Global Witness (www.globalwitness.org) that found that of 30 stores that claimed to be conflict-free, 25 sold diamonds from companies that failed to comply with what is called the Kimberly Process - such as Cartier, Bulgari, etc.
What I had to do is obtain the company name that supplied the diamond and do as much research as I could to find out if they had ever been accused of using blood diamonds. If I found no information indicting them, I decided they were “safer” to use.
http://www.globalwitness.org has some good resources you can use.
(ps after studying about their practices in exploiting the Arab world, especially India, during the Empirical Age, I will never use DeBeer’s again. Just a side-note)
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0 0 Another decent resource provided by Amnesty International:
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0 0 I agree with Jeremy, it will always be difficult to know for sure whether or not a company’s claims are accurate in stating their diamond is conflict free or not. Even with the Kimberly process, there are ways for jewelers to get around it. Although I do support the Kimberly process and think it is a big help in trying to weed out the sale of confict diamonds. But I also agree…I will never buy from DeBeer’s either, as their one of the most if not THE MOST corrupt diamond suppliers out there.
One way to know for sure you’re not buying a conflict diamond is to purchase a Canadian diamond. Since the late 1990’s they’ve had incredible growth in the diamond industry and have since become one of the worlds largest producers and exporters of diamonds.
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0 0 Looks like someone went to see a movie and now this is his cause of the day.
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0 0 Wow, Buzz, that was incredibly hateful and ignorant. I’m glad you decided to add your opinion to the discussion.
I hesitate to dignify your silly little comment with a response, but I will say this - I have dedicated a significant part of my adult life to understanding, researching, and helping the fire that continues to rage out of control in Africa.
So yes, perhaps this is my cause of the day, but at least I have a cause. At least I’m trying to do something for world rather than cruising the internet looking for a chance to bolster my confidence with a snide remark and a brilliant display of my idiocy.
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0 0 Buzz-
Not that Jeremy needs me to defend him, but your comment just struck a nerve and quite frankly really irritated me. Here these people are having a perfectly sane conversation and here you go trying to throw a verbal bomb. After hanging around this site for some time, I can say that Jeremy has been involved with causes to make the world better since I’ve been on here. I admire him for doing his part to make a difference.
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0 0 I’ll take idealism over cynicism any day, every day.
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0 0 You are a bit behind the times my friends. Because of the Kimberley Process, more than 99% of all diamonds are from sources free from conflict. I know you will say “if only 1 diamond gets by then it is a tragedyâ€. But most consumers can shop with confidence, if they are still not sure they can ask if the Jeweler has a conflict diamond policy, and they should be able to answer a customer’s questions about the topic.
Africa has a much bigger problem than “blood diamondsâ€.
I want you to throw away your cell phone, stop using your computer (throw it away, never buy another), stop driving your car if it has an airbag, don’t ever fly again, never use anything that has a computer chip, fiber optics or capacitors. Are you ready to stop using those items?
Because if you do use any of those items, you are no better than those buying blood diamonds.
An ore called columbite-tantalite, col-tan for short is a vital component used in mobile phones, jet engines, air bags, fiber optics and capacitors, as well as the components that maintain an electric charge in a computer chip.
Col-tan is mined in the Congo and the proceeds are use to conduct terror, slaughter and misery in Congo, Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Namibia.
Are you ready to give up your computer my friend? Are you ready to give up your car, your cell phone, stereo, VCR? I know you are all very passionate about the sufferings of the African people and you will dispose of those items. I know you would never support “conflict cell phonesâ€. I’m sure you will boycott Dell, HP, IBM, Boeing, Delta, Verizon, Honda, GM, Toyota, and most all other companies till they stop using this mineral.
Are you going to do it? I know you will not be able to responding to this post because your computers will be in the garbage.
Get with the times, blood diamonds are old news, col-tan is the item that funds misery and murder these days.
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0 0 How cynical to say that since col-tan is such a big problem, we shouldn’t worry about conflict diamonds.
Change comes because of one person. You have to start somewhere, why not with conflict diamonds?
If you are concerned about coltan production and smuggling, why don’t you write an article telling us to pressure suppliers to buy from Australia, Canada, Brazil, or China. The largest supplier of coltan is Australia, where a large company operates 2 mines. Congo has the largest reserves of the mineral.
Your arrogant remarks about removing our electronics seem a little hippocritical to me, are you getting rid of yours? Or are you just trying to be critical and suggest that we throw out the baby with the bath water.
Blood diamonds are old news? I’m pretty sure people are still dying, but since it’s not as many as it used to be, I guess we shouldn’t worry about it anymore.
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0 0 What I was saying is the blood diamond issue is basically under control and has been for years. It is not perfect but the diamond industry, has eliminated over 99% of the blood diamond market and are working to make it 100% (which I think is going to be impossible).
Granted the situation in Sierra Leone in the late 1990s brought blood diamonds to light, however the situation has been addressed, but will never be completely eradicated. A current movie playing in the theaters has brought to light the blood diamond situation, but it’s like watching Shindlers List and demanding a boycott of Germany.
I just thought if someone really wanted to make a statement and save lives, boycott those that purchase coltan from Congo.
And no, I’m not getting rid of those items and neither will any one else, so why get on your high horse and pick on local jewelry stores.
If I where to apply myself to boycott all products having a genesis that causes people to suffer and die, I would have to go naked and cold.
Yup, I am cynical, but you are the hypocrites, if you think you are doing anything to help these poor people in Africa by not buying diamonds (yeah that’s a real hardship). Put your conviction to the real test and not use the items I have talked about. When you do, then I’ll respect you for standing up for what you believe is an injustice.
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0 0 Isn’t a hypocrite someone who asks someone else to do something when they are not willing to do it themselves?
“…then I’ll respect you for standing up for what you believe in an injustice.” Umm, i’m pretty sure that’s what we were doing in speaking out about conflict diamonds. Just because you think coltan is a bigger problem, that doesn’t make our standing against injustice (in any form) any less valid.
If the situation is as resolved as you claim it is, then why did the Kimberly Process review meeting from Nov. 2006 in Botswana find it neccessary to: “[Address] the serious issues in Ghana over the next three months or suspension from the Kimberley Process will be necessary.
” (Note: “addressing” found in original quote was changed to “address” in my cut/paste for clarity)
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0 0 I’ve recently heard about the coltan issue, and it disturbs me. I have not heard enough about it though to make any decisions.
Where do you get the figure that 99% of diamonds are certified conflict-free by the Kimberly process? I’m not disputing you, I just wondered where you got that?
Wikipedia says it is “essentially self-enforced” and there are many holes in the system, so fake certifications can be had for conflict diamonds.
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0 0 Joe, in 2004, the Canadian Government, as chair of the Kimberley Process, cited that 99.8% of the world’s rough diamonds are certified to be from sources not involved in funding conflict (kimberleyprocess.com).
Ronin, I know the problem with Ghana, but that’s the point I’m trying to make, The Kimberley Process identified the problem, and is working to bring them into compliance. You could have the greatest police force in the world and there will still be crimes committed.
What I’m trying to get across, and not very successfully it seems, is the blood diamond issue has been recognized by the world governments and addressed. It really isn’t a big problem any more thanks to the efforts of the UN and the Kimberley Process. Is it perfect? No, but it’s very close (98.8%). If crime decreased in IF 99.8% we would be ecstatic. Sure the other .02% would need to be addressed but I certainly would not be making something more out if it than it is. I’m sorry for any offense I caused.
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0 0 thank you for the clarification. I also apologize for any offense. And, thanks for bringing the coltan issue to my attention, I wasn’t even aware of it until your comments earlier today. I will start looking into it as well.
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0 0 Ronin,
Thanks for your reply, and no offense was taken by me.
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0 0 Buzz, my God. You took a post talking about doing something positive to help a global problem and turned it into a debate about hypocrisy and idealism. It’s like this:
“Hey guys, this problem exists.”
“Well it’s not as big as this problem.”
“So what? At least we’re talking about problems.”
“My problem’s bigger than your problem!”
You’re looking for a pissing match, and I’m not going to get into one with you.
So, I will leave my comments to two points:
1) We’re all very impressed with how compassionate you are … selectively compassionate, but nonetheless. Your problem is bigger than our problem, so you win.
2) I had never heard of the Coltan problem, but don’t you think that it may have been more constructive to present it in a more civil, less arrogant and pompous way? I would have very much liked to be informed about the issue, but all you accomplished was making yourself look like an ass. So instead of taking advantage of a constructive conversation, all you did was become just another faceless troll that we all try to avoid.
Good job!
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0 0 here here JeremyPlo!
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0 0 going back to buzz.. yes it is said that 99% of all diamonds being imported are conflict free, but you have to take in mind that nearly 15-20% of those diamonds have been wrongfully certified as conflcit free. It starts with smugglers taking the illegal blood diamonds from Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast,and Liberia and bringing them illegally into ghana where they are certified as conflict and exported to other countries So this proves there are serious loopholes in the KImberley Process.
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How were you able to verify that Farr’s uses only conflict-free diamonds? How I can check on my preferred jeweler (Ingram’s) in some way other than just asking them? It seems to me that there isn’t much that could stop a jeweler from just saying, “Oh no, we would never buy conflict diamonds,” even if they did buy such diamonds.