Conflict Diamonds.

That Diamond May Have Cost an Arm and a Leg!

Some time ago I came across an article published by Amnesty International discussing the concept of Conflict Diamonds. I tried very hard to get them to allow me to republish the item as I thought word of this should be common knowledge. For a bunch of brave people who risk their lives driving small inflatable boats around the bows of huge ships I thought it was incredible that they wouldn’t grant my wish to republish an article that could possibly help save lives!

So what does Conflict Diamonds mean? Perhaps this quote from a UN article expresses it most clearly:

“Conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council.”

In simple terms what actually happens is that groups of people in some African countries are forced to labour to mine these diamonds. If they refuse this slave labour then often members of their family are mutilated by having limbs severed.

The profits from these “cheap” diamond sources are used to wage wars and create further suffering.


In September 2004 Amnestry International managed to get interested people across the USA to visit jewellery retailers and ask them what they knew and what policies they had in place regarding Conflict Diamonds. Amazingly, only 37% of the shops visited had, or claimed they had, any awareness of the issue.

It would be very sad to discover that the diamond you bought cheaply to celebrate your marriage was mined by slave labour under penalty of death and perhaps not just their own but that of their children.

It’s a very real issue!