Conflict or blood diamonds fuel conflict, civil wars and human rights abuses.
They have been responsible for funding recent conflicts in africa, resulting in the death and displacement of millions of people. During these conflicts, profits from the illegal trade in diamonds, worth billions of dollars, were used by warlords and rebels to buy arms. Diamonds have also been used by terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda to finance their activities and to launder money.
As the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone shows, even a small amount of conflict diamonds can wreak enormous havoc in a country. Even now, up to $23 million of conflict diamonds are entering the legitimate diamond trade annually from Cote d-Ivoire in West Africa.
After knowing this reality, would you still buy a diamond?
2007-07-09 12:58:22 · 22 answers · asked by Annie Karina 5 in News & Events ➔ Current Events
I won't buy a diamond, not even id they tell me is not a blood diamond. If you agree with me, star my question. Thank you!
2007-07-09 12:59:32 · update #1
I was hoping with the movie Blood Diamond and the information that is being put out there that more people would boycott the diamond industry. One can buy diamonds from other countries such as Canada where the industry is carefully monitored and human suffering is not a common biproduct.
2007-07-10 02:55:40 · answer #1 · answered by Deirdre O 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I've known about the blood diamonds for a while now, there was a really good show on discovery a few months ago, I called as many people as possible and told them to watch. I buy man made diamonds, I do want to go to Arkansas and mine for my on diamonds. I have lost every real diamond I have ever had so no more especially at the hands of death and debe*rs.
2007-07-09 14:07:27 · answer #2 · answered by watergoddess53 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Never.
About 4 years ago, the New York Times had a series of very good articles discussing and showing how the diamond trade was financing wars in numerous countries.
I wouldn't believe that any retail jeweler knows where a diamond really comes from.
2007-07-09 17:54:30 · answer #3 · answered by Score 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The blood diamond thing is fairly recent, compared to other things that made me not want to buy diamonds since about 25 years ago. I saw a show about the cruelty of how the miners were treated, and the DeBeers cartel trying to create a monopoly on diamonds to control the price, and ever since then I decided I would never buy a diamond. I do have a couple diamond rings that were handed down to me, that I keep because the owner was dear to me, but I would never purchase a diamond myself.
2007-07-09 15:36:34 · answer #4 · answered by cmm_home 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I have never been enamored with diamonds. I find them pretty boring, actually. My favorite stones are garnet, emerald, ruby, sapphire, etc...COLOR!
I have long since vowed never to buy a diamond unless I could buy it direct from a company that does NOT get their diamonds from Africa. There was actually a company in Canada that was mining diamonds of really good quality that they had laser marked so that they could be traced back to the mine...I forget the name but last I heard of them, they were facing going broke because they couldn't get a market going.
Sadly, many people are more focused on the bling...the conspicuous consumption of goods rather than how those items got to their market. As long as there are stars and those that want to emulate them, there will be blood diamonds. *sigh* Wish I could be more optimistic about it.
2007-07-10 06:51:22 · answer #5 · answered by jade_calliope 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've seen the programs on the corrupted diamond market. I don't have to say the name of the company that is responsible. After viewing this show several years ago I vowed never to buy a diamond.
This company has slaves mining diamonds. They are paid pennies a day and live in horrible conditions. There is no way out for them.
The gold industry is very similar.
I support you on this.
2007-07-09 13:09:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
No way, this is one of the reasons I will be avoiding diamonds, both on my engagement ring as well as on my other jewelry. How sad that we humans have the ability to mar such beauty with violence and hatred.
* for you.
ETA: Branden - for some of us, that isn't enough of an excuse for apathy or inaction. It's true that no one person can take on every adversity and every cause in this world, but that's why we pick our battles and try to trust that there are enough other people out there to help deal with the rest. To belittle each other for doing what we each can is not exactly helpful, either.
2007-07-09 16:17:54 · answer #7 · answered by Nisha 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Diamonds for blood? Hmmm, sounds like something else being mined for "blood". Maybe......oil? Every high priced commodity has evil written all over it. Ask all the underaged people in Taiwan being employed by Nike. Or all the Chineese working in slave camps. Whether its Diamonds, Oil, Shoes or anything else, practices like this are going to happen. People are full of greed. No way around it and it will never stop. If you want to stop buying diamonds because of them causing harm to others, that is your business. But you might want to look at all the other things that are not getting press for the same treatments.
2007-07-09 13:44:41 · answer #8 · answered by Coach 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
No, and that's why I won't watch the TV preacher Pat Robertson. He brought many of the blood diamonds into this country on his personal aircraft.
2007-07-10 03:28:35 · answer #9 · answered by Mountain Man 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, not after seeing Blood Diamond - really openned my eyes.
2007-07-10 05:44:03 · answer #10 · answered by Dawn 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋