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Interfaith Statement on Conflict Diamonds





Media Contact
Amy Parodi
253.815.2386 (o) 253.709.3190 (c)

May 2002

As faith communities concerned about peace and justice for all God’s people, we, the undersigned, want to express our concern over the trade in conflict diamonds—gems that are used to fund warfare and civilian atrocities—and we want to collectively show solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering in Sierra Leone as a result of a decade-long civil war where rebels seek to control diamond resources. In particular, the brutal tactics of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), who routinely practice mutilation of innocent civilians, notably amputation of limbs and other body parts; forced recruitment of child soldiers, and abduction of women to be soldiers’ “wives,” are all tactics intended to maintain their wicked reign over resources. This cannot and should not be tolerated by any member of the international community, least of all by those who believe all people are God’s creation.

The war in Sierra Leone is not about political liberation or religious freedom—it is a war about conflict diamonds, where greed, warfare and civilian terror have become a cover for controlling and smuggling diamond resources. As Muctar Jalloh, a victim of the Sierra Leone conflict explains, the bloodshed in his country “is simply a war over control of diamonds. Little pieces of rock that people around the world like to wear on their fingers and hang from their ears. As you can see, because of these rocks I no longer have an ear or five of my fingers.” The RUF controls two-thirds of Sierra Leone, including the lucrative diamond-mining regions in the north. The sale of these illicit gems to the diamond industry—often routed through other countries such as Liberia—then supplies a constant stream of funding for the rebels’ arms purchases, which in turn leads to the continuation of war, further displacement of the civilian population, and general instability in the West African region. Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and many surrounding African countries also have similar experiences of human suffering as result of the trade in conflict diamonds.

While the worldwide diamond industry has made encouraging strides toward establishing an international diamond certification system that seeks to ensure that conflict diamonds are kept out of the retail market, the pace of reform is slow. Delays in enacting an international system leave millions of people at the mercy of atrocious human rights abusers such as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

In response to this situation, we, the undersigned faith communities in the U.S., are joining together in support of clean diamond legislation, including the Clean Diamonds Act, which would prohibit the direct or indirect importation of any and all diamonds and diamond jewelry without a global certification system in place. By taking leadership, the U.S. can send a message that the trade in conflict diamonds is morally egregious and will not be tolerated. Moral authority under these circumstances is not an option; it is an imperative. The longer it takes to enact an international certification system, the more hardship is inflicted on innocent people in Sierra Leone, Angola, and the Congo, and the more risk of harm to the legitimate diamond-producing nations of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. It has been written: “Do not profit by the blood of your neighbor…you shall not hate your kinsman in your heart. Reprove your neighbor but incur no guilt because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:16-18). Across our faith traditions, we teach all to love others and speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. We stand ready to commit what we can to this fight against the use of conflict diamonds which inflict pain and suffering on the innocent.

Signatories of the Interfaith Statement on Conflict Diamonds as of October 19, 2001:
  • Rev. Dr. Earl Palmer, Senior Pastor, University Presbyterian Church, Seattle, WA
  • James C. Dobson, Ph. D., President, Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO
  • Dr. Phil Eaton, President, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
  • Richard Stearns, President, World Vision US, Federal Way, WA
  • Gordon Aeschliman, President, Target Earth, Villanova, PA
  • Rev. Laurence C. Zirschky, Pastor of Spiritual Formation, Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, Gig Harbor, WA
  • Gary A. Haugen, President and CEO, International Justice Mission, Washington, DC
  • Dr. John Crosby, Senior Pastor, Christ Presbyterian Church of Medina, MN
  • Leighton Ford, President, Leighton Ford Ministries, Charlotte, NC
  • Paul Kennel, President, World Concern,
  • Seattle, WA
  • Dr. William L. Flanagan, Mission Pastor,
  • St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, CA
  • Bart Campolo, President, Mission Year, Philadelphia PA
  • Richard J. Mouw, President and Professor of Christian Philosophy, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena CA
  • Tony Campolo, Professor of Sociology, Eastern College, St. Davids, PA
  • Rev. Dr. M. Craig Barnes, Senior Pastor, National Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC
  • Ronald J. Sider, President, Evangelicals for Social Action, Wynnewood, PA
  • Millard Fuller, Founder and President, Habitat for Humanity, Americus, GA
  • Peter Vander Meulen, Coordinator, Office of Social Justice and Hunger Action, Christian Reformed Church of America, Grad Rapids, MI
  • Paul Kortenhoven, Director, Christian Reformed Church Mission to Sierra Leone, Christian Reformed Church of America, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Kay M. Shively, Special Assignment and Recruitment Specialist for Global Missions of the Church of God, Anderson, IN
  • Dr. Peter Borgdorff, Executive Director of Ministries, Christian Reformed Church of America, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Dr. Steve Hayner, Senior Associate Pastor, High Point Church, Madison, WI
  • David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World, Washington, DC
  • Rev. Doug Calhoun, Pastor, Church of Christ Oak Brook, Oak Brook, IL
  • Rev. Gary Dilley, Director of Global Ministries, Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington, IN
  • Debra Braaksma, Africa Office Mission Services Unit, Reformed Church of America, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Ken Hackett, President, Catholic Relief Services (relief and development arm of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops), Baltimore, MD
  • Rev. Dr. Michael Curry, Director of Outreach Ministries, Church of God, Anderson, IN
  • Dr. Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland - A Church Distributed, Orlando, FL
  • Pastor Augustine E. Davies, Pastor of Global Ministries, Northland - A Church Distributed, Orlando, FL
  • Laura Powers, Global Ministries Pastoral Assistant, Northland, A Church Distributed, Orlando, FL
  • Clive Calver, President, World Relief, Baltimore, MD
  • Rev. Dr. Leon Spencer, Director, Washington Office on Africa, Washington, DC
  • Cantor Scott E. Colbert, Executive Vice-President, American Conference of Cantors, Atlanta, GA
  • Rabbi Paul Menitoff, Executive Vice-President, Central Conference of American Rabbis, New York, NY
  • Rabbi Lane Steinger, Director, Midwest Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, St. Louis, MO
  • Rabbi Susan B. Stone, Temple Beth Shalom, Hudson, OH
  • Rabbi Norman T. Roman, Temple Kol Ami, West Bloomfield, MI
  • Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, Director, Pennsylvania Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Philadelphia, PA
  • Rabbi Jody Cohen, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • Rabbi Melinda Mersack, Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, Shaker Heights, OH
  • Rabbi Elliott Kleinman, Director, Northeast Lakes Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Cleveland, OH
  • Rabbi Karyn Kedar, Director, Great Lakes Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Northbrook, IL
  • Rabbi David Fine, Pacific Northwest Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Seattle, WA
  • Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld, Temple Beth Zion, Buffalo, NY
  • Rabbi Randi Musnitsky, Associate Rabbi, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Washington Township, NJ
  • Rabbi David Wolfman, Regional Director, Northeast Council of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Needham, MA
  • Rabbi Marc Israel, Director of Congregational Relations, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, DC
  • Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Council, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Washington, DC
  • Eileen B. Weiss, Co-founder, Jews Against Genocide, New York, NY
  • Roney A. Heinz, International Director, Canaan Christians Fund, Aberdeen, WA
  • Rev. Richard P. Roy, M. Afr., Assistant Provincial, Missionaries of Africa
  • Rev. Daniel Hoffman, Africa Office, Global Ministries, United Church of Christ/Disciples of Christ, Indianapolis, IN
  • Rev. Rich Cizik, Vice-President, National Association of Evangelicals, Glendora, CA
  • Rev. Herbert Daughtry, National Presiding Minister of the House of the Lord Church and the Church on the Mound, Brooklyn, NY
  • Kathy Thornton, RSM, National Coordinator, NETWORK Washington, DC
  • Kathryn Wolford, President, Lutheran World Relief, Baltimore, MD
  • Larry J. Goodwin, Executive Director, Africa Faith & Justice Network, Washington DC
  • Stephen G. Price, Office of Justice and Peace, Society of African Missions, Tenafly, NJ
  • Rev. Ian B. Straker, member, New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church
  • Rev. Scott Summerville, Pastor, Asbury United Methodist Church, Tuckahoe, NY
  • Bishop Elias G. Galván, President, Council of Bishops and Seattle Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Seattle, WA
  • Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr., Denver Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Denver, CO
  • Bishop Susan Wole Hassinger, Boston Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Boston, MA
  • Bishop John L. Hopkins, Minnesota Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Minneapolis, MN
  • Bishop William W. Hutchinson, Louisiana Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge, LA
  • Bishop S. Clifton Ives, West Virginia Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Charleston, WV
  • Bishop Alfred Johnson, New Jersey Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Pennington, NJ
  • Bishop Hae-Jong Kim, Pittsburgh Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Bishop Linda Lee, Michigan Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Okemos, MI
  • Bishop Ernest S. Lyght, New York Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, White Plains, NY
  • Bishop Joel N. Martinez, San Antonio Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, San Antonio, TX
  • Bishop Felton Edwin May, Washington DC Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Washington, DC
  • Bishop Susan Morrison, Albany Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Albany, NY
  • Bishop Albert Frederick Mutti, Kansas Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Topeka, KS
  • Bishop Edward W. Paup, Portland Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Portland, OR
  • Bishop Joe E. Pennel, Jr., Richmond Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Richmond, VA
  • Bishop Sharon Z. Rader, Wisconsin Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Sun Prairie, WI
  • Bishop Beverly J. Shamana, San Francisco Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, San Francisco, CA
  • Bishop B. Michael Watson, South Georgia Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Macon, GA
  • Bishop Peter D. Weaver, Philadelphia Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Philadelphia, PA
  • Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church
  • Bishop Timothy W. Whitaker, Florida Episcopal Area, United Methodist Church, Lakeland, FL



END

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, World Vision serves alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

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