When Shirley Bassey sang Diamonds Are Forever nobody could have ever guessed the furore the issue would still cause more than thirty years later.
With the release of Hollywood blockbuster, Blood Diamonds and hit rap remix, Diamonds From Sierra Leone, the issue surrounding the mainly buried issue of conflict diamonds has never been more poignant.
More than just a film, the blood diamond trade operating in many war-torn African nations engulfs the lives of millions of people in countries including Liberia, Angola and Sierra Leone.
The illicit trade earned its name from its deep roots in civil war where the diamonds acted as currency to finance armies, at its high in the 1990s it accounted for an estimated 15% of total diamond production, according to Partnership Africa Canada.
Despite rigorous campaigns from human rights groups, it is pop culture that has finally brought the issue to the forefront of media attention forming the base of chart-topping songs by the likes of Kanye West, Nas and Lupe Fiasco as well as films Die Another Day and current Leo DiCaprio smash, Blood Diamond.
With the trade nowadays still reckoning for around 1% of all diamond mining, according to the World Diamond Council, the issue is not one that can be solved easily.
Kanye West himself is a supporter of the cause after learning about the plights of thousands of people forced to mine the rocks and die in wars financed by them everyday.
Teamed with hiphop icon Jay-Z, West talks about conflict diamonds using his video to bring the awful realities of those affected to life, scooping him the 2006 Grammy for best rap song.
What Americans know as bling, many Africans know as years of decades of civil war. A startling two-thirds of all diamonds produced throughout the world are sold in America, with a beaming media spotlight on Hollywood’s diamond-encrusted superstars only adding glamour to millions of peoples pain.
In 2002, the United Nations and the World Diamond Council put the Kimberly Process into place, a body created to certify non-conflict diamonds, so far 72 countries have joined the scheme including 14 from Africa. Amnesty International, though, believes it does not go far enough.
They said: “We welcome the Kimberley Process as an important step to dealing with the problem of conflict diamonds. But until the diamond trade is subject to mandatory, impartial monitoring, there is still no effective guarantee that all conflict diamonds will be identified and removed from the market."
Although sanctions cause obvious difficulties for import and export, there are obvious benefits for those who exploit war-torn countries to keep the illegal mining in action.
Canadian aid group, One Sky, believe Amnesty’s ideas for strict implementation of the rules are the way forward.
They said: “Without a system of expert, independent and periodic reviews of all countries, the overall process remains open to abuse."
Thankfully, many countries are finally at peace but while millions of pounds worth of blood diamonds continue to slip through the net, think about what’s been sacrificed the next time you slip that diamond ring onto your finger.
With the release of Hollywood blockbuster, Blood Diamonds and hit rap remix, Diamonds From Sierra Leone, the issue surrounding the mainly buried issue of conflict diamonds has never been more poignant.
More than just a film, the blood diamond trade operating in many war-torn African nations engulfs the lives of millions of people in countries including Liberia, Angola and Sierra Leone.
The illicit trade earned its name from its deep roots in civil war where the diamonds acted as currency to finance armies, at its high in the 1990s it accounted for an estimated 15% of total diamond production, according to Partnership Africa Canada.
Despite rigorous campaigns from human rights groups, it is pop culture that has finally brought the issue to the forefront of media attention forming the base of chart-topping songs by the likes of Kanye West, Nas and Lupe Fiasco as well as films Die Another Day and current Leo DiCaprio smash, Blood Diamond.
With the trade nowadays still reckoning for around 1% of all diamond mining, according to the World Diamond Council, the issue is not one that can be solved easily.
Kanye West himself is a supporter of the cause after learning about the plights of thousands of people forced to mine the rocks and die in wars financed by them everyday.
Teamed with hiphop icon Jay-Z, West talks about conflict diamonds using his video to bring the awful realities of those affected to life, scooping him the 2006 Grammy for best rap song.
What Americans know as bling, many Africans know as years of decades of civil war. A startling two-thirds of all diamonds produced throughout the world are sold in America, with a beaming media spotlight on Hollywood’s diamond-encrusted superstars only adding glamour to millions of peoples pain.
In 2002, the United Nations and the World Diamond Council put the Kimberly Process into place, a body created to certify non-conflict diamonds, so far 72 countries have joined the scheme including 14 from Africa. Amnesty International, though, believes it does not go far enough.
They said: “We welcome the Kimberley Process as an important step to dealing with the problem of conflict diamonds. But until the diamond trade is subject to mandatory, impartial monitoring, there is still no effective guarantee that all conflict diamonds will be identified and removed from the market."
Although sanctions cause obvious difficulties for import and export, there are obvious benefits for those who exploit war-torn countries to keep the illegal mining in action.
Canadian aid group, One Sky, believe Amnesty’s ideas for strict implementation of the rules are the way forward.
They said: “Without a system of expert, independent and periodic reviews of all countries, the overall process remains open to abuse."
Thankfully, many countries are finally at peace but while millions of pounds worth of blood diamonds continue to slip through the net, think about what’s been sacrificed the next time you slip that diamond ring onto your finger.
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