Argumentative Essay On Blood Diamonds

1267 Words3 Pages

Diamonds are supposed to be symbols of love, and commitment, and joyful new beginnings, but for many people in diamond rich countries, these sparkling stones are more a curse than a blessing. Too often, the world’s diamond mines produce not only diamonds, but also civil wars, violence, worker exploitation, environmental degradation, and unspeakable human suffering; these diamonds are commonly referred to as “conflict diamonds” or “blood diamonds”. The negative effects of diamond mining have been reduced in the last decade due to public scrutiny and public as wells private action to erase all conflict diamonds from the market; yet the issue persists. Diamonds have been used as resources to fuel civil wars and violence around the Africa since the early 1990’s if not earlier. “’They are a form of currency,’ remarked Mark Dick Bockstael of the Diamond High Council in Antwerp. ‘They back international loans, pay debts, pay bribes, and buy arms. In many cases …show more content…

In 2005, Kanye West released a song titled “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” where he publicized the issue saying “Little is known of Sierra Leone, and how it connects to the diamonds we own”. The issue of conflict diamonds was also spread on a massive scale with the movie “Blood Diamond”. This movie starred Leonardo DiCaprio and told the story of a greedy smuggler in Sierra Leone attempting to steal a massive diamond. The movie depicts the slaughters and mutilations that occurred during the peak of the civil war in the 90’s. Though the movie released in 2005, after the Kimberly process, it drew a great deal of attention towards the issue and persuades diamond customers to buy non-conflict diamonds. Though this publicity came after most of the war was over, the constant struggle over control of the diamond mines is a persisting issue that must constantly fought against in order to stop and prevent actions such as those previously

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