Blood Diamonds

Diamonds Diamonds are found under the Earth’s surface and must be mined or panned in rivers They are controlled by the De Beers cartel. They once owned 80% of the diamonds Now they own about 40%

Importance of Diamonds Diamonds are the hardest natural resource De Beers made diamonds seem scarce They control how many of their own diamonds are put into the market. When other companies put diamonds into the market, they use their wealth to buy them.

Hardness Scale

4 C’s Cut Carat Color Clarity How well is the diamond cut and what shape Carat Size of Diamond Color Lack of color increases worth of diamond Clarity Internal quality of diamond Impurities decrease worth of diamond

Blood Diamonds Diamonds that are mined and sold in order to fund an insurgency or rebels fighting a war.

Blood Diamonds Fund Conflict Rebel groups use the profits from the sale of diamonds, upwards of $300 million a year, to buy more small arms and supplies so that they can sustain their military endeavors. In the past decade, over 6 million people from Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have become refugees after being forced from their homes by diamond fueled conflict. Blood Diamonds Fund Conflict

Blood Diamonds Fund Conflict Millions more have died in diamond related conflicts over the past decade. Rebel cruelty in many conflict areas is well documented, and includes the abduction and training of child soldiers, amputation, abduction of males as diamond mine workers, and the use of rape as a tool of war.

De Beers’ Campaign “A Diamond is Forever” Connected diamonds to true love Now most engagement rings are diamond rings

Kimberley Process Certification of rough diamonds that ensure their origins are conflict-free Assures consumers that their diamond purchases are not financing a war

Kimberly Process Member Countries

Current Status Under 1% of the world’s diamonds are blood diamonds 74 governments have included the Kimberley Process into their country’s laws Blood diamonds are still being mined in The Ivory Coast and the Congo

Exit Slip On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following questions. What is a blood diamond? What are some causes of blood diamonds? Include supply and demand in your answer. What are some effects of blood diamonds?