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Changes in Demand: Child Labor, Mass Media, and Consumer Response
| Conflict Diamonds & The UN |
Source: Chuckp3.com 1
Increasingly, we are seeing a public response to conflict diamonds. This is because the public is becoming increasingly aware and active on issues of conflict diamonds, child labor, and violence in Africa. This is facilitated, in part, by popular media such as the recent release of "Blood Diamond" in December of 2006. This growing awareness has led to a surge in blood diamond campaigns, and changes in demand by consumers regarding the origins of their diamonds.
Child Labor
Source: Geografi 3
Child labor is rampart among various diamond industries. This is certainly the case in many African countries, but is even more common among certain Asian countries. Take India, for example. According to a report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) released in 1997, over 20,000 children are working in diamond processing in India. India is the world's biggest diamond and gemstone cutting center, and part of its growth in this industry can be directly attributed to the exploitation of cheap child labor. The average age of these children is 12 years old. Many children work to polishing diamonds for up to 16 hours a day, and often suffer from damaged finger tips and blisters, as well as more general problems of exhaustion, malnutrition, headaches, and malaria. The Indian government is reportedlyworking on initiatives with the International Labor Organization to abolish child labor, including giving support to a number of schools for ex-child laborers.2
Information about child labor in the mining industry in many African countries is vague and difficult to substantiate. The only thing that is clear is that the exploitation of child labor in the diamond industry is starting to come under the public radar. In August 2003, BBC News released a report about children working in Sierra Leone diamond mines. According to the BBC, thousands of children between the ages of seven and sixteen work in the diamond mines in Koidu, located in the east side of the country. While some of them work with the consent of their parents to support their families, many are orphans or street children that are practically forced to work. All of them work under strenuous and slave-like conditions.4
Public Consciousness and Consumer-Driven Industry Change
Source: Amnesty USA 5
Increasingly, consumers are becoming more aware and active about conflict diamonds and child labor. This awareness is facilitated by human rights groups like Amnesty International, and mass media like the new film “Blood Diamond.” Over the last few years, there has been a growing consumer awareness in the U.S. and Europe about the link between diamond consumption and African conflict. Campaigns against blood diamonds have arisen from NGO’s like Global Witness, among others. The growing controversy about the origins serves as a potential threat to the industry. Hence, many diamond producers and retailers are taking it upon themselves to alleviate these growing concerns. Ambassador Robert Fowler of Canada recently proclaimed, “the diamond industry must take the lead in demonstrating publicly tat its products are conflict-free. To do otherwise would be to court commercial catastrophe."6
Source: Africa People's Solidarity Committee 7
One of the problems with diamonds is that it is often hard to ascertain their origins. However, there is a growing trend of using a “chain of custody” system that provides a detailed record of each diamond’s source and each part of the supply chain. Under such a system, consumers can be confident that they are purchasing conflict-free diamonds. Some government institutions are implementing these chains of custody systems. Thus far, however, this has been problematic. According to the Conflict Free Diamond Council, there is currently only one program that meets all of its standards. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) in Canada has instituted a Diamond Certification Program that includes a chain of custody system, though participation in the program is completely voluntary.8 These chain of custodies, while voluntary, are becoming increasingly valuable (if not necessary) as more consumers clamor for them.
Indeed, the power to change lies in the consumers. More and more, consumers are beginning to ask for documentation and a certificate of conflict-free authentication. Therefore, diamond producers and retailers are increasingly offering these. The hope among human rights groups is that this will help eradicate conflict diamond trades abroad. Thus far, it seems that changes in consumer demand have accomplished more than government institutions, and as public consciousness continues to grow, we believe there will be more hope for the eradication of conflict diamonds.