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Blood Diamonds

After watching the movie "Blood Diamond" we will participate in a "threaded discussion" in class. You are required to "post" at least two responses to the questions/prompts I've written on the white boards in class. In preparation for this activity, you may want to examine previous posts on the blog pertaining to the issue of conflict diamonds.


Questions/Prompts:
What is a conflict diamond?
What is the Kimberley Process?
Who is responsible for keeping conflict diamonds off the world market?
Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds?
Now that you are aware of this issue, how are you going to respond?
Previous posts and sites of interest:
http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2007/10/adbusting.html
http://hansengeorge.blogspot.com/2007/09/sierra-leone.html
http://www.humanrightswatch.org/campaigns/crp/facts.htm

Comments

polk us said…
the way people think about dimonds i dont think it will change but some people it will for them because its not right to have black people search for the dimonds there bascialy slaves for the white and i dont think that it right to do that at all
Aagaard_US said…
1. A conflict diamond is a diamond found and processed that originated in an area controlled by violent means by groups like the R.U.F.
2.The Kimberly Process is the process of figuring out where a diamond came from so to be sure not to use any conflict diamonds in consumer products.
3.Jewelry Companies that use diamonds in the products, I would assume.
4.Of course the movie will change the way people think, it's impossible not to be influenced by seeing things like that, but what is harder to tell is if it will have a major effect on people who haven't even seen the movie.
5.I'm not sure, but it is all pretty disturbing, so I would like to do something atleast.
aagard - Last semester some of my Civics students wrote to a number of diamond retailers including Wal-Mart. They asked the retailers if they had a diamond policy and if so, what it was. Most of the kids never received a reply.

I think you would find Wal-Mart's diamond policy interesting. If you have time, you should check it out.

This satisfies a project.

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