Fireworks
This week sees the convention of diamond officials who will discuss the continuing problem of Blood Diamonds.
As Mugabe’s diamonds remain on the global market, can anyone be sure that they aren’t currently buying a diamond from the high street which has been mined amidst the murder of some 200 civilians in Zimbabwe in the diamond fields?
The profits from these conflict diamonds are being used to finance political militia.
Sierra Leone has yet to make a full recovery from it’s bloody conflict, funded by diamonds, 1991-2002. Tens of thousands of civilians lost their lives and over 2 million people were displaced by the war.
As Christmas seems to quicken it’s pace towards us, the surge in engagement ring enquiries for Christmas delivery has got well under way. However, for those who aren’t ‘in the know’ about conflict diamonds, far less fair trade diamonds, they could well be unwittingly placing a Blood Diamond on their loved one’s finger.
Zimbabwe’s Rio Tinto mine alone produces approximately 260,000 carats per year and has plans to increase production up to sixfold.
Gifts of Love Should Not Fund Hate
I’ve just signed an urgent petition urging international regulators meeting in Namibia this week to ban Zimbabwe diamonds, sending a clear message that I do want the rough diamond trade financing war and violence as has been seen in the recent past in Angola & Sierra Leone.
Please join me by signing the Avaaz petition below and let’s get a massive petition together that will be delivered directly to the meeting in Namibia.
We have just 24 hours to persuade regulators to act.
Click here to Sign the Petition
I feel it’s time we sent up a rocket to stop this trading in its tracks- and so remove a considerable source of finance from Mugabe’s grip.
Ethical Diamonds
Ethical diamonds are more than a luxury which offers a consumer choice, they have a real impact on the communities who mine them and the nations which hold such valuable reserves.
At Fifi Bijoux I was determined to make the maximum positive impact possible on these communities, many of which remain in abject poverty despite their valuable resources. We source our diamonds with extreme care and only from specific mines (not just from specific countries). We’ve gone as far as it’s possible to go into our supply chain. However, most jewellers fail to trace their supplies any further than the dealer who sold them the goods (and not without reason, its extremely difficult to access the supply chain).
However, this should not mean that high street jewellers are legitimately trading in Blood Diamonds, or Conflict Diamonds without any choice in the matter.
Diamond industry officials must intervene and stop these diamonds reaching the market.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and learn more. If you’d like to read a detailed article I have written for Greener View magazine on Blood Diamonds, please follow this link below:
Vivien
