Conflict or Blood Diamonds |
Conflict or Blood Diamonds are diamonds whose profit is used to fund war. They are also diamonds that are mined or produced under unethical conditions.
Civil or Foreign WarA conflict or blood diamond is any diamond that originates from a country where the profits from the diamond industry are funding arms trade or military organizations. During these wars, armed combatants often fight for control of the diamond mines because of their profitability. The fighting is rarely restricted to armed personnel, and civilians are often killed during the campaign. The wars in Angola, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the most notable examples. However, the wars are not always internal; Liberia has used the profits from diamonds to fund conflicts in other countries.While international organizations have attempted to stop the illegal trade from war-ravaged countries, diamonds are easily transported over national borders and sold into the global diamond market. When local merchants in a warring country can no longer sell diamonds through legally established supply channels, the merchants simply smuggle the diamonds across the border and sell them in a neighboring country. The legal supply channels are no clearer: Ineffective international trade legislation requires the diamond�s last country of export be declared, but not the diamond's country of origin.Unfair Labor PracticesConflict diamonds are less commonly known for their production under unfair labor practices. People are often exploited and subjected to unethical practices, which include: utilization of child labor, failure to provide proper safety equipment, and refusal to pay fair wages. While unfair labor practices are common in war torn countries, they also exist in non-warring countries that are allowed to sell diamonds legally on the global market.
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�Conflict Diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.� -Source: United Nations Security Council
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�Conflict Diamonds are diamonds that fuel conflict, civil wars, and human rights abuses.� -Source: Global Witness
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Conflict-Free Diamonds are diamonds whose profit is NOT used to fund war. They are also diamonds that are mined or produced under ethical conditions.
Conflict-Free is Not EnoughThe majority of diamonds are conflict-free � but which ones? Unless a conflict-free diamond has gone through a certification program, it is impossible to know the diamond�s origin.
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Certified Conflict-Free Diamonds |
Certified Conflict-Free Diamonds are conflict-free diamonds that have gone through a certification process.
Certified Conflict-Free Diamonds are the Only SolutionThe only way to certify a diamond as conflict-free is to trace and monitor the diamond from the diamond mine to the consumer. Simply banning conflict diamonds from wartorn countries and assuming all other diamonds are conflict-free is na�ve and ineffective. Conflict diamonds continue to be sold across national borders into the international diamond market as clean diamonds. Only diamonds that are part of a certification program and can be traced from mine to consumer are certified as conflict-free.
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