Conflict Diamonds |
Amnesty International and Conflict Diamonds |
Amnesty International, busy and involved in a lot of issues going on around the globe today, is also actively making efforts towards educating people about conflict diamonds and is dedicated in stopping the conflict diamond trade. Amnesty International does this by monitoring the events surrounding the diamond industry and the industry's efforts to make diamond trade more transparent. It also holds activities that foster awareness and that encourage buyers to actively participate in doing something to stop the diamond trade. Amnesty International has also made recommendations to help strengthen schemes aimed at stopping the trade in conflict diamonds.
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| Amnesty International's Conflict Diamonds Events and Suggestions |
1. A National Day of Action on Conflict Diamonds |
Held last September 18, 2004 246 Amnesty International activists in 50 states around USA went to diamond retail stores to conduct a survey and went to local communities to give leaflets to raise awareness about conflict diamonds. The results of the survey was astounding with statistics showing that a majority of the shops having no policy regarding conflict diamonds, not issuing warranties to customers, not being aware of the Kimberly Process, and not even being really aware of the crisis in conflict diamonds. The survey also showed that most of their customers also were not really concerned with conflict diamonds with 83% of the shops claiming that their customers rarely or never even inquired about conflict diamonds.
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| 2. Valentines Day Suggestions |
Last Valentines Day Amnesty International released a list of ideas that concerned individuals can take to help in the campaign for awareness of the crisis in conflict diamonds. Some of the ideas were holding tabling events, speaking events, film screenings of movies that deal with the issue of conflict diamonds, and a street theater along with flyer distributions. They also released a new diamond shopping guide, prepared by Amnesty International and Global Witness, to assure that the diamonds bought on Valentines Day would be non conflict diamonds.
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3. Position Paper on Recommendations to the Kimberly Process Participants
The objective of the position paper drafted by Amnesty International published just this June 2006 is to help participants of the Kimberly Process to effectively strengthen the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), which combats the problem of conflict diamonds . Some of the recommendations were for:
Participating governments to establish a minimum set of control measures that the countries would be required to adopt, and for targeted efforts to be made that would enhance each countries capacity to meet the requirements.
Participating governments to improve measures for dealing with compliance issues and apply more rigorous criteria for allowing countries to join the KPCS.
Participating governments to enhance monitoring of the industry's compliance with the KPCS and self-regulation.
Participating governments to increase transparency of statistical assessments and other KP documents.
Participating governments to exercise particular vigilance where diamonds transit through customs-free zones.
Participating governments to improve internal controls of diamond cutting and polishing centers.
Participating governments to provide funding and professional support for the coordination and implementation of the KPCS.
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World View on Blood Diamonds 
Britany Britany (11/02/2007)
