BLOOD DIAMONDS CHILD SOLDIERS Blood diamonds n

BLOOD DIAMONDS CHILD SOLDIERS

Blood diamonds n Gems n Mined in horrific human rights abuses, child labour and environmental destruction n Illegally traded by unscrupulous arms dealers to fund conflicts

n “In America, it’s bling, bling. But out here its bling bang”

“The people back home wouldn’t buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand”

n The US purchases about $9 bn worth of diamonds every year – more than two thirds of the world’s sales

DEMOCRATIC REPULIC OF CONGO(DRC) n Population 57, 549, 000 n Resources – including 26% of the world’s known n n n diamond deposits GNI per capita: US$120 Armed civil conflict since 1996 has claimed the lives of 4 million Corruption rating: 156 of 163 countries 16 million Congolese have critical food needs 80% pop. Have no access to safe drinking water Life expectancy – 43 years Diamonds are traded illegally to perpetuate conflict

n According to the UN the diamonds industry’s trading centres bought up to 125 million worth of diamonds a year from Sierra Leone’s rebels during the 1991 - 2002 conflict.

Blood diamonds n South Africa n Janine Roberts 2006 – report n Diamonds mined – sitting in asbestos – give a lingering death to many n TB(“consumption”) n Silicosis – years of night sweats and chills, violent bloody coughing and spread of infection. Autopsies have revealed virtual sand beds in mineworkers lungs.

Sandy Murray / De. Beers (Koffiefontein) n Sandy worked at De. Beers during the period 1996 - 2005 n At age 28 - part of her lung was removed n “I can no longer pick up and bathe children, I can’t even change the duvet on our bed” n Sandy had received annual chest x-rays and lung capacity tests n (De. Beers did not apparently employ qualifed radiographers)

n De. Beers claims that TB among its workers are solely due to AIDS – opportunistic diseases. n 2004 – 1/3 of all South African mineworkers had active TB at the time of their death. n According to one worker – “Perhaps De. Beers deliberately allows the dust to be thick to stop us from seeing the diamonds and being tempted to steal them. ”

n In Sierra Leone 50, 000 people died and 20, 000 men, women, and children lost limbs to the machetes of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels. In some instances the rebels resorted to amputating lips, noses, ears and feet.

CHILD SOLDIERS

CHILD SOLDIERS n Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of children under n n 18 have been affected by armed conflict. an estimated 300, 000 child soldiers, some as young as 7 are actively fighting in 41 countries 120, 000 of them in Africa Some children are forcibly abducted into government or rebel armies Others join for ideological reasons- “Volunteers” –join under various economic, social and political pressures. (“survival strategy”)

Used as: n Spies n Messengers n Porters n Servants n Lay or clear landmines n Girls are at particular risk of rape and other sexual abuse. n Ref: “Bush wives”/ Sierra Leone

Child soldiers are often: n Abducted n Beaten n Drugged n Brainwashed n Forced to commit terrible atrocities n A life of violence and fear n Robbed of their childhood and innocence n Exposed to terrible dangers n Experience psychological and physical suffering n Take part in the torture killing of captured rebels.

n “he wandered the countryside for months trying to find a safe place, eventually ending up at a small town protected by an army camp. To stay there , he and other refugee children had to work in the camps for the soldiers. ” n “you had to collaborate with the military in order to breathe in that town” n The children were confronted by the army – “you can either join us or you can leave” and leaving meant almost certain death at rebel hands. (DJIBRIL age 13)

THE RESCUE n “traditional demobilization programmes” – combatants n n n were disarmed and demobilized following cease-fires and peace agreements. Once freed the children are taken to transit centres. The next step is to create a rupture with military life – ensure the camps have no military staff Churches , NGOS and local civil associations run many centres Provide essential health and psychological care Basic education and skills training Counselling is vital

Problems from stigmatization: n People fear the former child soldiers n People resent the special support given to the child soldiers

Ultimate Goal: n Help the children become full members of society n n again Help them reintegrate with their communities and be reunified with their families Provide the child with education and an opportunity for an income. Programmes to assist former child soldiers should last at least three years Unless children demobilized from armies are given alternatives to soldiering, they are likely to be recruited again into armed groups.

MALY POWSTANIE(little insurgent) statue in Warsaw, Poland n Reputed to be a fighter who went by the name of ANTEK, who was killed 8 th august. 1944, age 13.

ORGANISATIONS : n Unicef n Amnesty International n International Rescue Committee n Human Rights Watch

What have you learned from the movie “Blood Diamonds”?

The Kimberly Process 2002 n Aims to decrease the number of blood diamonds entering the legitimate diamond supply chain. n The diamond industry has adopted a voluntary system of warranties. But with no independent monitoring body to track the diamonds, the warranties are rarely kept. Consumers are the key to change.