Russell Simmons Explains His Stance on Blood Diamonds, DeBeers and African Development - Page 3
Critics of the diamond industry very commonly misunderstand the distinction between these two forms of mining. They also don’t realize that in many cases the alluvial diamond mining workers have no other option for employment and support a whole family on the substance wage given (even if it is $1 a day). The situation alluvial miners face today reflect the fundamental challenges of extreme poverty and a lack of basic infrastructure, education and healthcare in previously war-torn countries. Also unknown to these critics are efforts such as The Diamond Development Initiative, announced at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative and founded by partnerships between the diamond industry members, NGOs and governments. The DDI aims to find sustainable methods of ensuring that diamonds are mined and distributed for the benefit of local communities and local governments. To learn more about their important work on behalf of more than a million artisanal diamond diggers and their families who are struggling for survival in countries that have been ravaged by war, go to http://www.ddiglobal.org.
Compared to most countries on the continent, African countries with formal diamond mining do well in terms of human development; if you take a look at the HDI map (Human Development Index which measures long-term well-being and quality of life through factors such as life expectancy, education and income), you’ll see that compared to most other African countries, those countries with formal diamond mining do well in terms of human development. In fact, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia are all in the top six among countries covered in the map.
The diamond industry decided to establish the Kimberley Process to prevent conflict diamonds from being sold on the international markets. The phenomena of conflict diamonds in Sierra Leone as portrayed in the Blood Diamond film was one of the reasons why the Kimberley Process was established. In 2000, producer nations and the global diamond industry made clear to the international community its zero tolerance policy towards conflict diamonds. Dedicated to eradicating the trade in conflict diamonds, these countries and the global diamond industry worked closely with the United Nations, NGO’s such as Global Witness and Partnership Africa Canada to create the Kimberley Process Certification System. This system was formally adopted in 2003 and guards against conflict diamonds entering the legitimate diamond supply chain. The diamond industry also adopted a voluntary System of Warranties to assure consumers that their diamonds are from sources free of conflict. 74 governments have enshrined into their national law the Kimberley Process Certification System, and now more than 99% of the world’s diamonds are from conflict free sources. The diamond industry continues to work with governments, NGOs and the UN to strengthen the Kimberley Process and the System of Warranties. Today, more than 99% of the world’s diamonds are now from conflict free sources and are officially traded under the UN mandated Kimberley Process. There’s more information available at diamondfacts.org.
On the backlash from his critique on the Blood Diamonds film….
Our position is that there should be no conflict diamonds. We did not initially critique the film and therefore if there was any backlash, it was as a result of misunderstanding and misinformation of our position.
On Naomi Campbell’s alleged involvement with Chuck Taylor…
Naomi Campbell is a strong supporter of human rights, not only in Africa but also for people throughout the world. We do not have any information about allegations concerning Naomi Campbell.
On Diamond Empowerment Fund’s current projects…
In keeping with the Diamond Empowerment Fund’s mission of supporting education initiatives that develop and empower those most disadvantaged in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource, the organization looks to fund projects that have proven success in providing African youth with high-quality educational experiences, including skill-building and vocational training initiatives. A philosophical and pragmatic commitment to self-determination is important to D.E.F. as it takes a partnership approach in selecting organizations that will be recipients of funding. D.E.F looks for efforts where there is a proven history of educational excellence, sound administrative management, and a clearly articulated financial need.
To further the goal of having a significant and measurable impact on beneficiary organizations, D.E.F. has two beneficiaries, CIDA City Campus and African Leadership Academy, both based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
