Blood Diamond

An African Curse

By-_ Amol

Indurkar

Roll No’62

Introduction.

What is Blood Diamond?

What is Blood Diamond?

• Blood diamonds are also known as “conflict diamonds” and are usually produced in areas controlled by rebel forces that are opposed to governments. The rebels use violence to force men, women and children into slave labour to mine the diamonds. The diamonds are used to purchase arms and fund their military actions. Through out the entire operation violence, threats, torture and slavery are

practiced hence ‘Blood Diamond’.

The diamonds are smuggled onto the international

diamond trade and then sold as legitimate stones. The flow of conflict diamonds

originated mainly from West Africa in places like Sierra

Leone, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia

and Ivory Coast.

History.• First Diamond was found by a young boy

named Stephanus in South Africa• Gave it to his neighbor named Niekerk • Niekerk gives it to traveling salesman

• . . And later Displayed at World Fair in Paris in 1867, & declared to be a diamond and named

‘Eureka’ !!!

History• More diamonds were found during the time &

this was the start of the history of bloodshed in Africa

• Mining became a big time activity

• Realizing worth & preciousness of diamonds

• Local people began competing each other , and

started War among themselves.

History• Major profits is used by rebels & Warlords • Forced labor, Child labor, Killing, Beatings,

Smuggling, and Corruption Burning of houses and live stock have arisen with a high rate with no law enforcement to resrict.

• “Blood diamonds” costed more than 50,000 people dead !

• Half Million of Refugee's and thousands of amputees.

Sierra Leone (West Africa)

• Major source of hard currency was Diamond Mining

• In 1991 - A rebel group entered the country & took control of it’s mining cities.

• Rebels attempted to overthrow the government, & an illegal diamond trade was conducted openly.

The group cut off thousands of hands & feet to show their power.

They even cut off the hands of children and infants

More then 30,000 people were killed at that time.

What's being done to stop

?• The Kimberley Process of Certification

Scheme (KPCS) is the process established in 2003 to prevent conflict Blood Diamonds from entering the mainstream market.

• The KPCS was introduced by United Nations General Assembly. The process was set up "to ensure that diamond purchases were not financing violence by rebel movements and their allies seeking to undermine legitimate governments

• The KP has done more than just blocking the flow of conflict diamonds, it has also helped to stabilise fragile countries and supported their development.

• As the KP has made life harder for criminals, it has brought large volumes of diamonds onto the legal market.

• This has increased the revenues of poor governments.

Remember.• So if you’re buying diamonds it’s crucial to

make sure you get some sort of documentation that the diamond your buying originated from a conflict free source.

THANK You