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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 6 page paper discusses conflict diamonds, what they are, how they are used to finance wars, and the impact of these diamonds on the Africans themselves. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVConDia.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
taken in death and suffering, are long-standing. This paper examines some of the issues surrounding conflict diamonds, including what they are, how they are used to finance wars, and the
impact of these diamonds on the Africans themselves. Defining Conflict Diamonds and Controlling Them Conflict diamonds are "diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate
and internationally recognized governments" (Campino). These diamonds are "used to fund military action in opposition to those governments or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council" (Campino). They
are, in fact, used to pay for illegal wars. Legitimate diamonds can be distinguished from conflict diamonds by the fact that the former are accompanied by a "Certificate of
Origin" that certifies they were mined in government-controlled areas (Campino). However, measures such as this have drawn heavy criticism from opponents of the conflict diamond trade, who say they are
ineffective (Silverstein). In 2000, the diamond industry "was rocked by a wave of bad publicity concerning conflict diamonds" (Silverstein). This "bad publicity" included reports from several United Nations organizations as
well as Congressional hearings and media coverage (Silverstein). One of the most damaging reports was a "Prime-Time Live segment that included dramatic footage from Sierra Leone, where rebels known as
the Revolutionary United Front-best known for cutting off the limbs of civilians who oppose it-fund themselves primarily through diamond sales" (Silverstein). In response to this and other abuses, human rights
organizations such as Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights, among others, "threatened to launch a consumer boycott until the industry changed its buying practices so as to insure that
conflict diamonds are eliminated from international markets" (Silverstein). Fearful of consumer backlash, industry leaders such as Lazare Kaplan International and De Beers "vowed to take action" (Silverstein). Conflict diamonds
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