"Conflict" Diamonds / Blood Diamonds - Political Forum

agoodfella · 10-14-2006, 03:57 PM

Did someone die for that diamond ring on your finger?

The upcoming film with Leo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond) will bring greater awareness to the topic of "conflict" or blood diamonds:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/blooddiamond/

I, personally, am just learning about the difference between "conflict" vs. "conflict-free" diamonds. What I've learned is that conflict-free diamonds are out there and they aren't necessarily more expensive. You just need to look in the right places. Warlords (mostly in Africa) force people to mine diamonds through force and intimidation. The warlords have connections to buyers in wealthier countries. Many buyers don't know / care about the circumstances surrounding the diamonds. It is very hard to know exactly where a diamond is from. The diamond industry has worked very hard to give the impression that they are taking a stand against conflict diamonds. They created the Kimberley Process, which doesn't identify where a diamond is from, and started www.diamondfacts.org (where the statistics above are from) in order to combat the potential negative press. The best way to know that a diamond has not caused pain to another human - and perhaps - in the process - help to become more aware / proactive in getting the diamond industry to address this situation is to get better educated.

Btw, I'd like everyone to participate in the poll - and please try and be as HONEST as possible (the results are all anonymous) - i.e. for example, if you could buy a 100% genuine high quality diamond for a great price, with the only caveat being that it was 100% a conflict diamond, would it really matter to you? would you care? why? i mean, its not as if someone looking at your diamond could ever "know" it was a conflict diamond - so it begs the question about whether it would bother your conscious. I'm just curious where people fall on this spectrum.

FYI, some background / general links about "conflict" diamonds:

http://www.conflictfreediamonds.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/diamonds/d4.html
http://www.amnestyusa.org/diamonds/index.do
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conflict_diamond
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/...in296716.shtml
http://jewelry.about.com/cs/diamondm...a/diamonds.htm

Otter · 10-15-2006, 03:47 PM

I wasn't aware there was a way to be sure that a diamond wasn't mined using slave labor. I avoid them. I used to be married to a jewler, and we never used diamonds, partly because of this issue (partly because they aren't really in the right style- most of what he makes is silver, and semiprecious stones). I really prefer colored stones, anyway.

FRYandBENDER · 05-14-2007, 05:16 PM

I watched this movie last weekend and all I can say is Holy Fuck. It is graphic as hell. If you haven't watched it, and your not upset by violence, then check it out.

vladward8 · 05-14-2007, 06:08 PM

Any knowledge of Pat Robertson diamonds?...the Crusader Pope

FRYandBENDER · 05-14-2007, 06:10 PM

No. I know about Neil Daimond though. What about ole Pat?

vladward8 · 05-14-2007, 06:23 PM

I heard he owns an African diamond mine. I don't think its a smear. I'll ask one of my fundy aqaintances where. The excuses should prove interesting.

dahermit · 05-14-2007, 07:36 PM

Quote:

I heard he owns an African diamond mine. I don't think its a smear. I'll ask one of my fundy aqaintances where. The excuses should prove interesting.

Blood diamonds are quite different from diamonds that have obtained from legitimate sources (commercial mines). Inasmuch as I despise Pat Robertson, if he has an interest in a mine, they would not likely be "blood diamonds".

UFpoliticizer · 05-14-2007, 09:30 PM

Although diamonds are often surrounded by controversy, other less glamorous products slip under our radars every year. Seemingly, the factor of indulgence involved with purchasing diamonds has brought about some level of attention and activism. It's good the public knows about blood diamonds but focus should be shared consumer goods.

For example, in the early 1900's...

"after a series of negations, the government of Liberia struck up a bargain with capitalist, Harvey Firestone, of Firestone Tire Company. In order to gain the upper hand in world pricing authority over Great Britain who had entrenched production in their global colonies, Liberia showed promising prospects of mass production. Before 1930, with Liberia producing rubber tires in both competitive quality and quantity, elite profiteers within the state, and supposedly under the Firestone radar were under scrutiny for not only coercive labor recruitment methods but also the forced labor of the workers. President H. Hoover, pressing Monrovia to amend these human rights abuses, temporarily suspended relations in an outlying act of foreign policy with respect to Liberia." (to quote a research paper of mine)

Although this particular incidence was amended through embarrassing global press connecting entities within the United States with near-slavery human rights abuses, numerous dangers and ethical issues continue to be raised in context to modern rubber production.

Although price has always been (and always will be) the most important factor within the markets, we need to seize as many opportunities that present themselves to improve the production ethics surrounding the goods we buy.

vladward8 · 05-14-2007, 10:16 PM

Wasn't Firestone in the Congo?

UFpoliticizer · 05-15-2007, 09:00 PM

Wow...I just said it was Liberia but as fast as you posted that reply, you could have confirmed that yourself...