In Africa

Conflict/Blood

Diamonds

How are diamonds formed?Diamonds take 3 Billion years to make

What are diamonds?They are made of carbon that has been

crystallized from billions of years of pressure

http://youtu.be/vHPOp69SO9E

Diamonds

Rough Cut Diamond

Colored Diamonds

The rarest colors are red and purpleThe colors come from impurities in the stone (some other tiny mineral added to

the carbon)

25% of mined diamonds are used for jewelry

Diamonds consist of 80% of the gem trade

Clear diamonds are the most popularUsed in tools and in manufacturing2/3 of the world’s diamonds come from Africa (about 8.5 million dollars worth)

How are diamonds used?

Cut – can be cut into different shapes

Clarity- how clear is it?

Carat- how much does it weigh?

Color

The 4 C’s of a Good Diamond

They are diamonds mined in war zones and sold to finance the purchase of ammo and war supplies.

Essentially, diamonds are being sold to other nations in exchange for weapons to be used in war

What are blood diamonds?

Slave laborers dig up the diamonds

Militaries force the villages to dig up the diamonds

Some join willingly and hope to make some money as a miner

Many live separately from their families (in other countries) in hopes of making a living in the diamond mines

Two kinds of diggers: “Some are paid about a dollar a day and 30 percent of the value of

their stones, which they must hand over to a representative. Others work for a percentage of the gravel they extract and own any

stones they find. They should get a fair sale price, but dealers often exploit (take advantage of)

their ignorance.”

Who digs up the diamonds?

Conflict

Siaka Stevens became prime minister of Sierra Leone

He recognized how lucrative (profitable)

the diamond trade industry was

Stevens made a lot of money from mining and trading diamonds illegally

1968: Sierra Leone

Because of Steven’s greed, rebels (the RUF) step in and try to get rid of him

This starts a Civil War in Sierra Leone over power of the diamonds

RUF ousts the government and takes control of the diamond mines

RUF ends up being BRUTAL to the people of Sierra Leone over the diamonds

1991-2001 Sierra Leone

Most people thought that the RUF (rebel group) wanted to get rid of Stevens because he was exploiting the diamond industry and wanted to become wealthy.

Unfortunately, RUF wanted to control the

diamond mines, too.

The fighting got ugly, fast.

Rebels vs. Government

Labor conditions in the mines were extremely poor harsh punishment for small mistakes

To show their power, RUF cut off hands and legs of many people in Sierra LeoneThey wanted to make the people move away

from the diamond mine areas, so by cutting off parts of their body, they sent a message. “Move away!”

More than 10,000 people lost a body part to the RUF

With RUF in control of the diamonds…

17 year old boy in Sierra Leone lost both handsfrom rebels’ machetes

Women left without hands after a village raid in Sierra

Leone

“An estimated 50,000 people died during the war and untold thousands were permanently scarred.”

Hundreds of thousands to millions of Sierra Leoneans were refugees because of the violence

The RUF mined diamonds illegally and shipped them around the world in order to receive more money for weapons

$125 million dollars= the amount of money Europe spent on buying illegal diamonds (blood diamonds) during the Civil War.

“This means that this staggering amount of money went to fund the RUF who killed thousands of people during the civil war in Sierra Leone.”

Results of the Civil War

Refugees

African refugees

leaving war torn

regions

Blood Diamonds in Africa

Rebel guard guarding a diamond mine in Angola during civil war

13 year old boy carrying a sack

of rock in Mbuji-Mayi, the

Congolese “diamond capital.”

Children work in Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond mines

http://youtu.be/aenFOPbBvQo

Blood Diamonds Video: the Beginning

Cold and dampInjuries

Rocks fallingSharp objectsBrutal mine owners or “managers”Poor nutrition

Very little payMany are forced into working (slavery)Child Labor

Mine Conditions

http://youtu.be/2TT3NfoeDrc

Impact of Diamond Mining on Environment

Started by Cecil Rhodes

Operates in more than 20 countries

Has a monopoly on the diamond industry

DeBeers

DeBeers just sold its 40% stake of the company to Anglo American plc for $5.1 Billion in cash

This ends the 80 rule of the DeBeers empire by the Oppenheimer family

DeBeers con’t…

How do we stop the countries from selling diamonds in

exchange for money? How do we stop the sell of blood

diamonds?

What is the Kimberley Process?The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme

(Kimberley Process or KP) is an international governmental certification scheme that was set up to prevent the trade in diamonds that fund conflict. Launched in January 2003, the scheme requires governments to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are conflict-free.

Kimberly Process

KPCS Certificate

http://youtu.be/yknIZsvQjG4

Blood Diamond Movie Trailer

http://youtu.be/i3Z4K_WWeBA

Lupe Fiasco “Blood Diamond”

Diamonds are expensive… but they shouldn’t cost people their

lives.

- Paul Kelbie, journalist

What price for these diamonds?