Blood Diamonds

M4rkKyl3

Just1n

Origin

• Blood diamonds or otherwise known as conflict diamonds have originated in Africa.

• Africa is where 2/3 of our diamonds come from.

• Conflict diamonds are diamonds that come from hostile areas controlled by rebelling parties against the government.

Background

• Conflict diamonds captured the world's attention during the conflict in Sierra Leone in the late 1990s. During this time, it is estimated that conflict diamonds represented approximately 4% of the world's diamond production. Diamonds have also been used by rebels to fund conflicts in Angola, Liberia, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.

Rebels

• Groups that take over whole villages Killing others, wounding people, and capturing men and children to work in the

mines.Rebels rebel against the government using the

diamond money to buy weapons, illegal drugs, and other illegal things.

• Between 4 percent and 15 percent of the world total and generate annual trade revenues of $7.5 billion per year.

• Between $350 million and $420 million worth of Angolan diamonds were smuggled into countries in Africa in 2000. That figure represents about half of Angola's yearly output and 5 percent of annual rough diamond sales worldwide.

How are they smuggling the diamonds?

• Smugglers will cut the back of a herd of animals open and put the diamonds inside the wound and stitch them back up.

• So many people just on the street also will buy diamonds off of any person. Or you can find a buyer very easily.

How to know your diamond is not a conflict diamond.

• The Kimberley Process is a government program created in 2002 to slow down the flow of conflict diamonds. Rough diamonds that are used by rebel movements to finance wars against their governments. The Kimberley Process is the process designed to ensure the origin of rough diamonds from sources which are free of conflict funded by diamond production.

The Kimberley Process

• It was set up to assure consumers that by purchasing diamonds they were not financing war and human rights abuses.