Abstract
This chapter focuses on one of the hottest issues for the diamond industry: conflict (or ‘blood’) diamonds. The generations-old symbolic significance of a diamond as a stone of love and wealth suddenly began to change into a stone of war, misery, and hatred. Based on a theoretical approach to moral panic, analysed here in this chapter is the process of the criminalisation of a diamond. The role of different NGOs and reaction of governments worldwide and the diamond industry, which resulted in the Kimberley Process are also discussed here. What were the mistakes of Kimberley? And how could the small NGOs amass such spectacular publicity focusing on one small stone?
Diamonds don’t come from conflict countries; they come from the centre of the Earth.
(James E. Shigley)
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Notes
- 1.
Including the War of Independence between 1961 and 1975; Guerra do Mato (War of the Bush) between 1975 and 1991; Guerra das Cidades (War of the Cities) between 1992 and 1994; and civil war between 1995 and 1998.
- 2.
In December 2006 the movie called Blood Diamonds with the actor Leonardo de Caprio caused worries among the diamond traders that the problem would be escalated again after the relatively quiet period since the Kimberley resolution.
- 3.
Ian Smile, quoted in Partnership Africa Canada, Other Facets: News and Views on the International Effort to End Conflict Diamonds, no. 3, October 2001, p. 4.
- 4.
Rough Trade: The Role of Companies and Governments in the Angolan Conflict. Global Witness, December 1998.
- 5.
Global Witness, Medio International, the Netherlands Institute of Southern Africa and the Netherlands Organization for International Development.
- 6.
The Heart of the Matter: Sierra Leone, Diamonds and Human Security, January 2000.
- 7.
The campaign was coordinated by Physicians for Human Rights and included such organisations as Amnesty International, World Visions, Oxfam, and others.
- 8.
The Campaign to Eliminate Conflict Diamonds, February 14, 2001, http://www.phrusa.org/campaigns/sierra_leone/vday_conflict_020701.html.
- 9.
- 10.
These reasons included: (1) You’ve Been Psychologically Conditioned to Want a Diamond, (2) Diamonds Are Priced Well Above Their Value, (3) Diamonds Have No Resale or Investment Value, (4) Diamond Miners Are Disproportionately Exposed to HIV/AIDS, (5) Open-Pit Diamond Mines Pose Environmental Threats, (6) Diamond Mine-Owners Violate Indigenous People’s Rights, (7) Slave Laborers Cut and Polish Diamonds, (8) Conflict Diamonds Fund Civil Wars in Africa, (9) Diamond Wars Are Fought Using Child Warriors, (10) Small Arms Trade Is Intimately Related to Diamond Smuggling. In: Econ-Atrocity Bulletin, 14 February, 2002.
- 11.
AP Newswire, 7 October, 2000.
- 12.
From the letter of Rory More O’Ferrall, De Beers, 5 April 2002.
- 13.
From interview with Managing Director of Israeli Exchange, Ramat Gan, Israel, May, 2005.
- 14.
Alex Yearsley cited in Tamm (2002: 22).
- 15.
Braid, M. and S. Castle, How a Little Band of London Activists Forced the Diamond Trade to Confront The Blood On Its Hands, in The Independent/UK, Tuesday, 25 July, http://www.commondreams.org/headlines/072500-03.htm.
- 16.
DTC Diamond Best Practice Principle, on: http://www.diamondchina.com/DTC-diamond-best-practice-principles.html.
- 17.
- 18.
United Nations, 2002, Conflict Diamonds: Sanctions and War on: http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html.
- 19.
In 2007, 74 countries adopted the Kimberley regulation, with each year new countries joining the list of participants.
- 20.
International Trade Critical Issues Remain in Deterring Conflict Diamond Trade. June 2002.
- 21.
Except of short periods in the mediaeval times, when some Indian rulers declared wars because of diamonds.
- 22.
Idexmagazine, 10 April, 2006, on: http://www.idexonline.com//portal_FullMazalUbracha.asp?id=25496.
- 23.
Rapaport, M., Rapaport Guide to the Kimberley Process, Diamond report, 3 January, 2003.
- 24.
International Trade Critical Issues Remain in Deterring Conflict Diamond Trade. June 2002.
- 25.
Diamond Industry Annual Report, 2004.
- 26.
Rapaport News, 7 December, 2004, on: http://www.diamonds.net.
- 27.
Washington Post, 30 December, 2001.
- 28.
The Observer, 20 October, 2002.
- 29.
Washington Post, 30 December, 2001.
- 30.
Conflict Diamonds. Possibilities for the Identification, Certification and Control of Diamonds. Global Witness, June 2000,Chapter 2, pp. 11–23, http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/conflictdiamonds.htm.
- 31.
William Boyajin, president of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in his testimony before the Subcommittee on Trade Ways and Means Committee, United States House of Representatives, 13 September, 2000, http://www.worlddiamondcouncil.com/boyajiantest.shtml.
- 32.
Conflict Diamonds. Possibilities for the Identification, Certification and Control of Diamonds. Global Witness, June 2000, pp. 21–22, http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/conflictdiamonds.htm.
- 33.
‘Diamond origin “can be determined”’, BBC News, Friday, 25 July, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3096515.stm.
- 34.
De Beers Urges Botswana to End Eviction of Bushmen, 5 December 2005, on: http://www.diamonds.net/news/newsitem.asp?num=13815&type=all&topi=all.
- 35.
A. Yearsley cited in Chaneault, K. Africa/Diamonds and dreams/Botswana worries that stigma of gems’ role in African wars could undermine its progress, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 June, 2001, http://www.aegis.com/news/sc/2001/SC010612.html.
- 36.
Like the one in front of De Beers newly opened retail store in New York on 22 June, 2005 (Rapaport News, on: http://www.diamonds.net).
- 37.
Botswana Publicity Intends to Hurt Development, 12 October 2005 on: http://www.diamonds.net/news/newsitem.asp?num=13444.
- 38.
Newsroom, 14 November, 2006 on: http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullNews.asp?id=26525.
- 39.
Partnership Africa Canada, 2006, Killing Kimberley? Conflict Diamonds and Paper Tigers, The Diamonds and Human Security Project.
- 40.
- 41.
- 42.
- 43.
Global Witness, For a Few Dollars More, 2003, 21–24.
- 44.
Afwaij el Muqawamah el-Libaniyah (AMAL) is a Shi’ite organisation with its headquarters in Lebanon, which was active in the 1970 s. Later it became a rival to Hezbollah.
- 45.
Global Witness, For a Few Dollars More, 2003, 21–24.
- 46.
See, for example, reports of Doug Farah in The Washington Post in the years 2001–2003.
- 47.
Ironically, some of these confidential reports can be found on http://www.douglasfarah.com, for example, the report from the Special Court for Sierra Leone (Passas and Jones, 2006: 16, footnote 13).
- 48.
Leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- 49.
Global Witness, For a Few Dollars More, 2003, 15.
- 50.
Ibid.
- 51.
The Guardian, 30 December, 2002.
- 52.
The trial of Charles Taylor started on 4 June, 2007 in The Hague.
- 53.
Passas, quoted in Los Angeles Times, 30 November, 2004.
- 54.
Rapaport News, 29 April, 2005, on: http://www.diamonds.net.
- 55.
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Siegel, D. (2009). Conflict Diamonds? Not Every Diamond Is a Blood Diamond. In: The Mazzel Ritual. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-95960-3_7
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