Global Studies

Blood Diamond Essay

Description:
Essay.

Student: Professor: Group:

Fernando Gutierrez Tavares. Aaron Cavazos. 1er. Semestre de Preparatoria.

Fernando Gutierrez Tavares Global Studies 1 Semester

Introduction

Blood diamonds are a great problem for countries because they are mainly used to coast the budget for internal struggles such as civil wars, and revolutions. The country that is affected the most by this is Sierra Leone, the richest country in diamond terms. In Sierra Leone there was a dictator so the people started a rebellion to take the dictator down, and their principal income comes from enslaving people into the mines for diamond extraction.

Body Blood diamonds should not be sold or bought. Another name for a blood diamond is conflict diamond. A blood diamond isnt a diamond made out of blood. Its a diamond mined in a war zone and sold (usually clandestinely) in order to finance an insurgent or invading armys war efforts. What the blood means in blood diamond is that people are being killed over diamonds. When you buy a diamond how do you know that youre not helping people get killed? You can look at the Certificate of Origin to know if its a blood diamond. Some diamond companies sell blood diamonds without knowing or the companies are just too greedy and dont care if the diamonds were bought at the expense of another person's life.

The blood diamond industry hurts and/or kills people. From the wars the diamonds are powering, about 4.55 million people have died. One example is in Sierra Leone the RUF (Revolutionary United Front) invaded the country and tried to overthrow the government by selling diamonds to diamond brokers to power the war. From that war innocent people got their limbs amputated by the RUF, or got killed by the RUF, or had to mine for diamonds. Also, the people that were forced to mine for diamonds had no breaks, no days off. If they were too tired to work, they were killed.

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Fernando Gutierrez Tavares Global Studies 1 Semester

The sale of blood diamonds powers war. Well a blood diamond is just that, a diamond sold to finance an insurgent or invading armys war efforts. Here are some examples: 1.Sierra Leone was invaded by the RUF in 1991 and wanted to overthrow the government and diamonds were used to power the war between the RUF and the government of Sierra Leone. 2. In Angola there was a civil war between National Union for the total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the government of Angola. Diamonds were sold by UNITA to power the war. Those are just 2 examples.

The profit from the sale of blood diamonds corrupts governments. In 1983- 2003 Liberia was in a civil war. The civil war was about the control over Liberias resources, which were mostly diamonds. The Liberian President Charles G. Taylor was supporting the RUF insurgency into Sierra Leone by buying weapons and other illegal items for them. He was supporting the RUF to get diamonds. In 2003 he resigned as the president because he was accused of supporting the RUF insurgency in Sierra Leone. He was forced to exile into Nigeria; and is now under arrest. Once diamonds are found, a country usually starts a civil war because everyone wants the diamonds and they just want the diamonds all to themselves so people become greedy for diamonds. In the civil wars there are usually child soldiers. This means children in the country get abducted, are brainwashed, and converted into soldiers. Conclusion So if you know all of this about diamonds please check that the diamond youre buying or wearing is not a blood diamond? Make sure that it is NOT a blood diamond by asking to see a Certificate of Origin.

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