| Who hasn't heard of the slogan "A | | | | of which there is definitely no shortage - |
| diamond lasts forever"? Diamonds have | | | | you can get a large amount of money for them. |
| always occupied a very high status in the | | | | Where does the profit from these sales go? |
| world of jewelry. Fueled by tradition and | | | | |
| intense marketing campaigns, diamonds have | | | | You guessed it - to finance wars and other |
| achieved incomparable status. Starry eyed | | | | forms of armed conflict in the affected |
| young men present gorgeous diamond rings to | | | | areas. The manner of mining and selling blood |
| their girlfriends. Married couples exchange | | | | diamonds is usually done in secret. You can |
| diamond studded jewelry over the years as | | | | just imagine what the reaction of the |
| symbols to their undying love. Celebrities | | | | (average) buyer would be if he learned that |
| and personalities don fabulous diamond | | | | he was financing a war somewhere in Africa |
| jewelry whenever they go out in public. There | | | | with his transaction. Thus, people involved |
| is absolutely no doubt as to how valuable and | | | | in the conflict diamond business do not |
| sought after diamonds are. | | | | really advertise what they are doing. |
| | | | |
| As with most things in life, there is always | | | | Although these activities have been going on |
| something bad mixed with the good. A diamond | | | | for quite some time, it was only in 2000 that |
| may be a woman's best friend but a diamond | | | | the international community formally |
| can also be the bane of some people's | | | | recognized the gravity of the situation. In |
| existence - and I am not talking about the | | | | December of that year, the United Nations |
| man's pocket here. The term conflict | | | | General Assembly recognized the role of rough |
| diamonds, or blood diamonds as others call | | | | diamonds in furthering the conflicts in |
| it, became quite well-known to the average | | | | specific areas in Africa. The General |
| person in 2002 when the James Bond movie | | | | Assembly came up with a resolution aiming to |
| "Die Another Day" was released. | | | | severe the connection between the illegal |
| This contribution to the legendary James Bond | | | | sales of diamonds and wars in concerned |
| saga revolved around the idea of smuggling | | | | areas. |
| blood diamonds. | | | | |
| | | | With this resolution in place, countries that |
| So what is a conflict diamond? The UN | | | | buy diamonds from Africa became more aware of |
| formally defines a conflict diamond as a | | | | the illicit trade. International sanctions |
| "diamond that originates from areas | | | | were then put in place. In addition to these |
| controlled by forces or factions opposed to | | | | sanctions, individual countries set up their |
| legitimate and internationally recognized | | | | own methods and processes to curb the |
| governments, and are used to fund military | | | | practice of trading conflict diamonds. The |
| action in opposition to those governments, or | | | | idea is that if no one will buy, then no one |
| in contravention of the decisions of the | | | | will sell. People who take advantage of |
| Security Council." In short, a conflict | | | | conflict diamonds would have no market and |
| diamond is any diamond that is mined from an | | | | thus the practice would stop. |
| area in which there is war, or armed | | | | |
| conflict. The idea is that diamonds are very | | | | We all know however, that in the real world, |
| much in demand and that they fetch such a | | | | things are never as simple as they usually |
| high price in almost any market. If you mine | | | | seem to be. |
| diamonds and sell them to other countries - | | | | |