Peer Review for Elana Kuvuna

8/22/2019 Peer Review for Elana Kuvuna

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Elana Kuvuna

November 4, 2013

Professor Campbell

Second Draft

Deep Blood Red

Ladies, have you ever looked at the finger that lies between your pinky and your middle

finger on your left hand and imagined the biggest stone that would one day be placed there?

Whether it be a ruby, or crystal, every girl dreams of the perfect diamond that will one day shine

on that very finger. But have you ever stopped and wondered the process that diamond would

have to go through just to land on your finger? To explainthis finding, these studies argue that

lucrative, easy-to-procure resources, such as gems, precious hardwoods, and illegal drugs,

"breed" civil war by supplying the means and motive for armed conflict. (Bhavnani, Vol. 49).

When I think of my future husband placing a ring on my finger, I picture him getting the perfect

ring size from Jareds, but most importantly the perfect cut of the diamond that will satisfy every

girls dream. But, never in a million years did I think about where the diamond would come from,

or who suffered at the cost of my dream?

I will be examining the causation and effects of the "Blood" Diamond trade on the people

of the Central African countries as well as their buyers. Blood diamonds are conflict diamonds

that are mined from rural areas or areas controlled by rebel forces whose trade is to sponsor anti-

government wars. This topic is of interest to me because these are people. I have soul ties to a

continent that owes me nothing, however that I owe everything. African blood runs through my

veins, my food, and my attitude. This topic is of interest to me because the continent is full of


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servants with servants hearts who have worked all their lives to provide for a country who has

not given them what they deserve.

Who hunts for the stone? Who buys the stone? Who gets the stone? How much is the

stone worth? What is the pay for labor? Do the workers get their reward? Who are the laborers?

Is there an even exchange? How does the blood diamond process work? Is the process legal? Is

there an underground movement? Is the hunting of blood diamonds slavery? Is it fair? All of

these are topics and characteristics of which I will explore in this essay.

According to Ambassador J.D. Bindenagel, Former U.S. Special Negotiator for Conflict

Diamonds, Blood or Conflict diamonds were first introduced to the world in the late 1990s

from Sierra Leone where it funded brutal and conflict wars throughout Central Africa. Blood

diamonds represented about 4% of the worlds diamond production. Blood diamonds are for

illegal trading used to sponsor wars and human abuses throughout Central Africa. The countries

that are known for the hunting and selling of these conflict diamonds are Sierra Leone, The

Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Angola. The idea of these Blood Diamonds arose

from the Revolutionary United Front rebels of Sierra Leone going to war with government and

used these diamonds to fund it. Since then, the illegal trading of diamonds has become popular

throughout the central part of Africa. The United Nations (UN) charged, The United Nations

identified the issue of African Blood Diamonds being used as a source of funding for the civil

wars in Africa in 1998. Today, these blood diamonds stand as 1% of the worlds diamond

production. Supposedly.

The United States is the biggest and most consistent diamond consumer in the world to

date. How the trade works is still in question. TheHowthingswork.com, diamonds are judged on

the four Cs: clarity, cut, clarity, and carat weight.Blood Diamond Action intimately describes


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the process of these blood diamonds. First, mainly strong men and boys are hired and sent out to

hunt for stones that look of interest to their bosses (captains). For most of these young men, this

is the first time they have ever seen the sight of something that holds so much value to people so

far away. They will never know such value.

Most captains have a bigger boss who they answer to and who then has a bigger, more

revered boss who then begins the trade of the diamonds. If the diamond is found extraordinary

and worthy to be sold, then a trade is made. Where the diamond goes from there, or how much it

is worth is never known to the hunters who originally found the stone or even to the captain.

From there, the diamond gets to the market at a very expensive price. Some of the buyers are

said to be some of the biggest Carat corporations in the world. My guess would have to be De

Beers Diamond Trade Company, Stornoway Diamond Company, World Federation, Bourses,

and Bill Clinton. Some of these names you may recognize and wonder why them? Though not

literally stated, some of the biggest and most popular people and corporations in the world, I feel,

tend to be the exact same ones guilty of covering up. I know what youre thinking, why a

former U.S. president? Well, I have heard from a countless number of my relatives who live in

Africa that can testify to seeing Bill Clinton with their own eyes, run a numbers of underground

movements. this was all done behind the scenes. (Meek, col. 30). I agree with Brock Meeks

argument because as seen with Clinton, all things that are done in the dark eventually come to

light. This underground movement of these conflict diamonds was brought to light and one day

eventually the whole world will know about exactly who is involved.

The United Nations has tried to limit and decrease the illegal trade of these diamonds by

creating the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme.Hard as Rocksdescribes the scheme as,

The KPCS (Kimberley Process Certification Scheme) and its recommendations were given


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approval by the UN (United Nations) on March 13, 2002. It was agreed that all rough diamonds

would be certified as coming from a non-conflict source. (HAR, pg 2). The scheme says that all

diamond rough would be certified and registered as coming from a non-conflict source. The

scheme also guarantees that all accepted-diamonds would only be accepted if they are in a

concealed package. When I say concealed package, I do not mean a concealed white envelope

with a stamp on it that we send to our grandparents and friends. The diamond is to be registered

with the KPCS in order to be brought into the market fairly and legally. The KPCS is then

responsible for regulating a legal trade through the market. The scheme also promises to charge

anyone involved in the trade of these diamonds. I believe the Kimberly Process does have an

effect to slow down the trade of these conflict diamonds, however, how big of an affect? Because

the KPCS is neutral to certain governments, the question that still remains in the back of my

mind is: is everyone covered by this certification process? Well, the Interactive Map from the

KPCS website shows that about 60 percent of African countries are active in the Kimberly

Process. I can do nothing but wish that the KPCS was like a Secret Service but specifically for

the people who voluntarily or are forced to mine for these diamonds.

This blood trade is not as smooth as it sounds. The process is gruesome and violent.

Greed runs the countries who participate in these Bloody activities. Men and young boys are

forced to perform a task that are not as benefit to them. Greed is the root of the trade. Wars and

consistent murders have occurred on the account of these blood diamonds. Greed runs the

countries who participate in these Bloody activities. Men and young boys are forced to

perform a task that are not as benefit to them. Greed is the root of the trade. For most of these

young men, this is the first time they have ever seen the sight of something that holds so much

value to people so far away. And when I sit down and try to understand how they feel, I end up


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understanding that I will never understand and of it. No amount of research can simplify the fact

that you cant live another persons dream and you cant understand another persons struggles

unless youve walked the same mile and their same walk. Greg Campbell, author ofBlood

Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones, said this, When

giving money to the amputated, you must put it directly into their pockets. (Campbell, 58). I

interpret Campbells quote in agreement, because in order for these delayed gratifications to even

reach these workers, credit must first be given to the worker who is without a limb, yet still

hunting for the empty diamonds.

Diamonds are the perfect currency for war and strife because it is a demand. Living in

Africa, I have witnessed what it means to be desperate. SO desperate that the value of $1 million

dollars means nothing compared to the chance to live the next day. So wherever the demand is,

no matter how corrupt, people will be drawn to it. And where demand is, there is competition,

and where there is competition, there is strife and jealousy....WAR. Arthur Levy, author of the

book Diamonds and Conflict, Problems and Solutions brings up a point that the world should

know: "The conflict in these diamonds is not the bloodshed, but the greed behind the bloodshed."

(Levy pg. 156). Levy sums up the problem and the solution to the Conflict Diamonds in this one

sentence. I believe that the only way to prevent the rise in this underground movement is to first

deal with the root of it all: greed.

I purposely named the title of my paper Deep Blood Red because that is exactly what I

think of when I hear about this blood diamond trade. No it's not literally lucrative stones soaked

in blood, but blood is shed over these diamonds; not just from labor, but from the greed that runs

deep for these diamonds. It is deep blood red. Though The New York Times argues that this will

be a great commodity, I argue that behind every perfect fairytale is an untold story. There is so


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much corruption in the world today, that it is easy to miss one side of a two sided story. Families

are suffering just to live to the next because of corruption not only in the Blood Diamond trade

but also the economic corruptions in the continent.

So ladies, next time your man likes it and puts on a ring on it, enjoy the moment,

however remember that behind your perfect Jareds fairytale, remember the untold story of the

hunting process someone who did a lot of work to make your fairytale come true.

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Peer Review for Elana Kuvuna