Want your diamonds conflict-free? Ask to see their guarantee
To help consumers avoid giving 'blood diamonds' as gifts for Valentine's Day (14 February), Amnesty International and Global Witness have prepared a guide to buying diamonds.
'Blood diamonds', also known as conflict diamonds, are rough diamonds used to purchase guns and so fuel conflicts.
Diamonds are particularly popular as a resource to trade on the black market because they are small, easy to hide and transport, hard to trace, and very profitable.
Blood diamonds have fuelled conflicts which have killed and injured thousands of civilians in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Sierra Leone.
Since 2003, the Kimberley Process has been operating to certify that a diamond has not been purchased from armed groups.
While the Kimberley Process should help prevent the trade in blood diamonds, it needs to be implemented effectively.
Amnesty International – France have developed a postcard campaign to focus attention on this issue. Click here to view the other postcards. |
