Stop the trade of conflict diamonds

Watch a short video spot on conflict diamonds

Five years ago, World Vision and other humanitarian organizations urged diamond wholesalers and retailers to stop the sale of so-called "conflict diamonds" — stones mined illegally and sold to fuel wars in Africa. Five years later, despite legislation and promises of oversight by the diamond industry and U.S. government, diamond companies still don’t do enough to prevent the stones from being used to purchase weapons, fuel wars and create havoc in countries where most people live on less than $1 a day.

“Diamonds are a $60 billion a year business, and even if only one percent of the retail market includes gems that fuel conflicts in African nations, that's $600 million worth of cheap assault rifles and rocket launchers killing thousands of people every year," says Rory Anderson, World Vision’s senior policy advisor for Africa and an expert on the illegal diamond trade. "It's unconscionable."

World Vision's response

World Vision is not calling for a diamond boycott; rather we ask consumers to pressure the industry where they will feel it most: at the jewelry store and in Congress.

"The legitimate diamond industry in countries like South Africa, Botswana and Namibia provides livelihoods and vital public services," said Anderson.

Fourteen-year-old Adaman Kamara lost both her hands to rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war, which was funded, in part, by conflict diamonds in the 1990s. Although that war is over, diamonds continue to fund conflicts in Africa; the diamond industry and governments must do more to protect the legitimate diamond trade.

"We don’t want to hurt their efforts in the process of stopping the illicit trade elsewhere." Before buying diamonds, consumers should ask retailers about their policies on "blood diamonds" and whether they can certify their diamonds are not funding conflict. If such certification cannot be presented, inquire about other retailers who can. "We want to remind the public, especially during the holiday season, to ask their jeweler about the '5 C's' in diamond buying — color, carat, cut, clarity and conflict," she says. "We also urge people to contact their members of Congress and ask why more is not being done to prevent the import of blood diamonds." Americans buy two-thirds of the diamonds on the global market, and according to a 2004 study by Amnesty International and Global Witness, 58 percent of diamond retailers in the U.S. and U.K. had no policy on conflict diamonds.

More about conflict diamonds

Get involved

• Ask jewelers about their policies on conflict diamonds and for clarification about whether their diamonds are mined and sold legitimately.
• Pray that the diamond industry and governments do more to protect the legitimate diamond trade and bring to a halt the horrific practice of "conflict diamonds."
• Contact Congress. Ask our U.S. government leaders to better enforce the diamond trade law so that conflict diamonds do not continue to fund wars in African countries, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo.