[CAMPBELL] 1 Stephen Clifford Campbell Ms.

Troy AP English 4 March 25, 2014 The Global Price Of Blood Diamonds Many people have heard of the infamous blood diamond. A blood diamond is the illegal industry of diamonds in parts of Africa where people are forced to mine for diamonds, often by militiamen or secretively by some governments. The controversy behind the African diamond industry has been viewed as a guilty pleasure and evidence of government corruption. When blood diamonds come into a conversation people either raise an eyebrow in interest or put their heads down in shame, knowing the horrible and saddening facts of the African diamond industry. Starting with a young 15 year-old boy, a British colonist just out on his familys farm looked on the ground to find something that would completely change the lives of many people. Creating wealth and bloodshed for hundreds of years. Most of the information that will be displayed in this essay will explain how diamond companies are taking responsibility, what the blood diamond industry has done to these countries in a positive and negative aspect and what is being done to fix the problem. 40 years ago, the country of Botswana was ranked one of the poorest countries in the world (Oppenheimer 1). But now the nations capital is home to an $83 million facility built to cut, clean, and examine their most important income, blood diamonds (Oppenheimer 1). Oppenheimer, in his article, firmly believes that

the diamond industry has nothing to do with the continents poverty, saying, Natural resources are morally neutral. They can be a source of greed-and all that implies- or a source of good. He explains that every person has their own personal choice in life and the choices that certain people make will change all of Africa for the next 25 years. This includes Oppenheimers own grandfather, whose main plan was to make sure the people he did business with would make money, and make contributions to the regions they were based in. Oppenheimer had the idea that solid governance could make a prospering nation through strong investments (directly relating to the diamond industry). Oppenheimers grandfathers diamond mining industry reportedly contributes about $4.6 billion to African economies each year (Oppenheimer 3). It is no coincidence that the governments of the countries we operate are those that deploy considerable revenues that derive from diamond mining, not for the profit of a few, but for the benefit of all their people, Oppenheimer continues on page 3. The overall positive insight of the diamond industry shows that countries are able to use their own resources in the way that they need to, to help make their own nation prosper. De Beers diamond industry, even though it has been known they have been connected to the infamous blood diamonds, they are working to purify the diamond industry in Africa. Oppenheimer believes, fervently that my argument on the role of natural resources can add and must play in Africas future development may be applied across a wide spectrum of actors and interest (2). Diamond companies such as De Beers are a major part in the development of Africa by providing jobs to large amounts Africans. Africas resource endowment

[CAMPBELL] 3 represents its best possible chance of levering itself out of poverty (Oppenheimer 2). De Beers believes that by giving the people of Africa the diamond industry, De Beers is bringing jobs to the African people. Oppenheimer says that De Beers activities and business contributes almost five billion dollars to African economies each year. This is an example of how De Beers is helping the African economy by giving resources back to the countries. Others, on the other hand, find this industry to cause major conflicts. Author Paul Orogun, author of the article Blood Diamonds and Africas Armed Conflicts in the Post-Cold War Era believes that the industry has a negative impact on Africa. Orogun describes in the beginning of his article that it was an important time in Africa after the Cold War, since all colonial powers have left the continent, the people left will do what they can to restore their countries and make new my new lives for themselves. With a large amount of small militias placed all over the continent, many took advantage of the colonial leave to start war and make money. By starting a war, it allowed the militias to take over the blood diamond industry and make illegal money. People started to take advantage of the weak people and started sending them to the mines. Orogun states, These savage wars perpetuate regional destabilization, cross-border military incursions, and acute internal political instability, and they also have unleashed a major humanitarian refugee catastrophe in postcolonial Africa. He also describes the 6.8 billion dollar revenue from the diamond industry. Diamonds would be harvested with force because of the militias who make them. After the diamonds are harvested, then are traded for military weapons, guns and assorted war materials such as land mines (Orogun 1).

Plenty of these weapons are used in several countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Angola, and Sierra Leone (Orogun 1). One of the major examples of offensives that used Blood Diamond weapons was in Angolas UNITA offensive in 1990 (Orogun 1). Much of the diamond industry has started crossborder attacks between militia groups and the home countrys own militants, causing large amounts of controversy and turmoil (Orogun 3). Orogun then explains how diamonds can be sold illegally to jewelers around the world and what loopholes are used. Jewelers are able to get past the Kimberley Certification Scheme, which is a UN border plan to stop all forms of illegal trafficking between nations such as weapons, prostitution and diamonds. The Certification was adopted in 2003, which has made a positive influence on the smuggling process (Orogun 4). This process helps weed out illegal smugglers crossing borders with blood diamonds. Most of these rough diamonds (unpolished) are sometimes cut into the skin of animals or even people so they can be moved across borders. Over the past few years, the diamond industry has turned less from violence into a much better business thanks to the Kimberley Certification Scheme, as said by Martin Rapaport in his short article Diamond Industry of the Future. African governments are asserting control over the diamond industry, demanding black ownership of mining companies (Rapaport 1) Rapaport explains that African diamonds need to be cut and polished by Africans and not Indian cutters. He continues to say that Be Beers (the company that had control of over 60% of the diamond industry in Africa) have been forced to send down stream markets to lose their rough diamond imports which will change the industry from blood to clean business (Rapaport 1).

[CAMPBELL] 5 After examining each of the articles, it was easy to see that there are several different viewpoints that strive for a single goal. Stopping the blood diamond thankfully is the main goal of the diamond companies and the people of Africa. Bieri and Boli both discussed in their article that Diamonds were no longer glittering symbols of love; they became conflict diamonds or blood diamonds, linked to village massacres, chopped-off limbs, and massive refugee emergencies (Bieri & Boli 1-2). These tragedies are an example of what the blood diamonds are and why they are trying to be stopped. The De Beers diamond company and the Kimberley Certification Scheme are entities that are striving to put an end to these devastating practice.

Works Cited Bieri, Franziska and Boli, John. Trading Diamonds Responsibly: Institutional Explanations for Corporate Social Responsibility. Sociological Forum, Vol. 26, No. 3, September 2011. Oppenheimer, Nicky. "Diamonds, Development, and Democracy." World Policy Journal. 116.3 (2008): 211-217. Orogun, Paul. "Blood Diamonds." And Africas Armed Conflicts in the Post-Cold War Era. World Affairs. 116.3 (2004): 151-161. Rapaport, Martin: Diamond Industry of the Future; Gemological Institution of America. Fall 2006.