Diamonds

HistoryHistory• First used and First used and

mined 2500 mined 2500 years agoyears ago

• Was a symbol Was a symbol of wealth and of wealth and nobilitynobility

• Originally a Originally a rare rare engagement engagement presentpresent Mary of Burgundy - first

known recipient of a diamond engagement ring in 1477.

Diamond MiningDiamond Mining• South AfricaSouth Africa• NamibiaNamibia• BotswanaBotswana• Republic of Republic of

CongoCongo• Sierra LeoneSierra Leone

• Largely MonopolizedLargely Monopolized• De BeersDe Beers

• 60% market share60% market share• Centered in Centered in

Johannesburg, South Johannesburg, South AfricaAfrica

• Uses strict supply controlsUses strict supply controls• ““sightholders”sightholders”

• Questioned social and Questioned social and environmental policiesenvironmental policies

• Indicted and fined $10 Indicted and fined $10 million in U.S. antitrust million in U.S. antitrust suitsuit

• $9 billion/year industry$9 billion/year industry

The Diamond IndustryThe Diamond Industry

De BeersDe Beers• Advertising Advertising

CampaignCampaign• ““A diamond is A diamond is

forever”forever”• Manipulating Manipulating

demand demand through through cultural meanscultural means

Direct Environmental DamageDirect Environmental Damage• Actual Mining WasteActual Mining Waste

• Causes air pollutionCauses air pollution• Machinery/Chemicals UsedMachinery/Chemicals Used • Water PollutionWater Pollution

Indirect Environmental Damage•Clearing of plant life •Mine dumps make land impossible for cultivation •Dust storms ruin crops•Earth-shaking blasts

Blood Diamonds

What are blood diamonds?

Also called “Conflict Diamonds,” Blood diamonds are “diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council” ~United Nations General Assembly

December 1, 2001

Blood Diamonds

Why the diamond is such an easily traded commodity?

Large Amount of Wealth in Small

Size

Form of Currency

Blood Diamonds

Where does the Blood Diamond Trade occur?

Botswana

South Africa Namibia

Angola

Sierra Leone

Nigeria

Blood Diamonds

How countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone are affected:

Rebel Forces Use Diamonds to Finance Arms Purchases

Blood Diamonds

How countries like Nigeria and Sierra Leone are affected:

Blood Diamonds

What is being done to curb the trade of these diamonds?

Kimberley Process•Fully Implemented in August 2003 after 52 nations Ratified•Certification System for rough diamonds•Also established national import and Export Standards

Blood Diamonds

BLOOD DIAMONDS

Diamonds symbolizeDiamonds symbolize wealth, love, and gracewealth, love, and grace

around the worldaround the worldIn several African nations they In several African nations they

have been a means to have been a means to powerpower

a reason to terrorize millions of a reason to terrorize millions of innocent civilians, and may innocent civilians, and may

have even helped finance some have even helped finance some of the world's most brutal of the world's most brutal

terroriststerrorists

The History The History

In 1991 In 1991 a few a few hundredhundred men crossed the men crossed the

Liberian border Liberian border and and

attackedattacked towns in eastern and towns in eastern and southern Sierra Leonesouthern Sierra Leone

Once the war beganOnce the war beganmoney became money became scarce scarce

and and people took things into their own hands people took things into their own hands

by by searching for other means of finding money to searching for other means of finding money to

fund the warfund the warAfrica is known for there diamonds, it is the Africa is known for there diamonds, it is the

most most valuedvalued item item

The War The War

Liberia is the main area of conflict: Liberia is the main area of conflict: key meeting place for key meeting place for

rebelsrebels, , terroriststerrorists and otherand other criminalcriminal groups groups

to exchange blood diamonds for weaponsto exchange blood diamonds for weapons Criminals are able to trade these Criminals are able to trade these

diamonds with ease and are diamonds with ease and are rarely caught, they use the money to rarely caught, they use the money to

purchase illegal weaponspurchase illegal weapons

Thousands of Sierra Leoneans Thousands of Sierra Leoneans have been have been killedkilled and and

mutilated mutilated mainly because there was mainly because there was

nono large scale, international large scale, international intervention in the early intervention in the early

stages of the warstages of the war

The ongoing The ongoing Blood Blood

DiamondsDiamonds War has yet to War has yet to

ceasecease

The Government The Government

The Kimberley Process is an international The Kimberley Process is an international government initiative to stop criminals who government initiative to stop criminals who

profit from the illicit trade in rough diamondsprofit from the illicit trade in rough diamonds

A diamond certification evaluation sheet must A diamond certification evaluation sheet must be completed, that displays the diamonds be completed, that displays the diamonds

originorigin

Otherwise the shipment of that diamond must Otherwise the shipment of that diamond must be confiscatedbe confiscated

The major difficulty is deciphering The major difficulty is deciphering between a “genuine” diamond and a between a “genuine” diamond and a

“conflict” diamond“conflict” diamondOnce any diamond is sent off and Once any diamond is sent off and polished, discovering its origin is polished, discovering its origin is

impossibleimpossible!! Blood diamonds still contribute to 30% Blood diamonds still contribute to 30%

of global tradeof global trade

The VictimsThe Victims

Guiltless children are turned into soldiers and forced Guiltless children are turned into soldiers and forced to mine for small bits of carbon that have no to mine for small bits of carbon that have no intrinsic value in themselves, and no value intrinsic value in themselves, and no value whatsoever to the average Sierra Leoneanwhatsoever to the average Sierra Leonean

• 50,00050,000 have been killed have been killed• HalfHalf the population displaced the population displaced• More than More than two-thirdstwo-thirds of its already severely of its already severely

limited infrastructure destroyedlimited infrastructure destroyed• 130,000130,000 people have been killed people have been killed• Tens of Tens of thousandsthousands raped, abused, raped, abused, and mutilatedand mutilated • Children make around Children make around twenty centstwenty cents a day a day• Global diamond trade makes around Global diamond trade makes around $80 billion$80 billion a a

yearyear

Something Something MUSTMUST be done! be done!