Politics in Diamonds
Let's discuss politics for a moment. I'm not talking about intergovernmental politics here, but the politics of diamonds.
Many of you have probably heard of something called "conflict diamonds" or even "blood diamonds". What do these terms mean though?
These terms are used for diamonds that are sold to fuel various conflicts.
In Africa from around the early 1970s to the turn of the century, a number of long-running terrible armed conflicts took place. Many of these conflicts occurred in diamond producing regions throughout Central and Western Africa. As a result, diamonds were often illegally used to help fuel the conflicts.
Some of the conflict-ridden countries brought this illegal trade to the attention of the world. Those countries were Sierra Leone, the Republic of Congo, and Angola.
As the conflicts spiraled out of control, it was discovered that various combatants both stole and used forced labor to mine diamonds. These diamonds were then sold to purchase more arms and continue the conflicts. It was this illegal trade, during the 1990s, which inspired the film Blood Diamond.
Once this horrific practice was recognized, the diamond industry including diamond producing nations as well as diamond trading companies came together in Kimberley, South Africa. They worked together to implement trade and human rights protective measures that are now known as the Kimberley Process.
The Kimberley Process requires nations that sign onto it to declare their total input and output of diamonds as well as where the money for the diamonds goes. Participants are required to provide official Kimberley Process Certificates for all of their diamonds, so that it is clear that they are not providing funds for armed conflicts.
Nations that do not sign onto the Kimberley Process and follow its rules are considered to be operating illegally and outside of the diamond industry.
This not only damages their world image, but also prevents them from trading their diamonds outside of their own country.
Since the introduction of the Kimberley Process in 2002, approximately 99% of the entire world's diamonds are traded through it and are certified as conflict-free.
It is important to note that the Kimberley Process is not static in its commitment to making diamonds conflict-free.
Every year, the member nations meet along with representatives from the diamond industry, the United Nations, and various human rights organizations such as Global Witness in order to strengthen and update the Process.
Today, 74 nations have signed onto the Kimberley Process. In order to play our part in the Kimberley Process, Abazias offers only conflict-free diamonds.
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