...How does the diamond industry promote responsible trading practices? To promote the trading of diamonds from legitimate sources and to ensure that consumers can be confident in their diamond jewellery purchases, governments, NGOs and the international diamond industry have worked together to implement a ‘certificate of origin’ system, known as the Kimberley Process: The Kimberley Process is a certification system that prevents diamonds from an area of conflict entering the legitimate diamond supply chain. The Kimberley Process ensures that only rough diamonds accompanied by a government-issued certificate can be imported and exported, providing an assurance that the diamonds are from conflict free sources. Under this United Nations mandated system, only countries that are part of the Kimberley Process can import or export rough diamonds. Today, 74 countries are members of the Kimberley Process, ensuring that more than 99% of diamonds are from conflict free sources. Anyone who imports or exports rough diamonds between these countries without a Kimberley Process certificate is breaking the law. In addition to the Kimberley Process, the System of Warranties was developed by the World Diamond Council (WDC) to extend the Kimberley Process conflict free assurance to polished diamonds and provide a means by which consumers can be assured their diamonds are from conflict free sources. Its principal element is a declaration on the invoice accompanying every transaction (apart from the...
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...From Dirt to Distribution: The Diamond Purchasing Process and its Flaws Gregory Greenberg SCM 302 Sullivan University Fall 2013 Abstract: The diamond industry has often time been at the center of controversy due to the way that diamonds are excavated, refined and purchased. The term “blood diamond” is often applied to those stones which are mined in area’s of Africa that suffer from civil war due almost entirely to bloodshed over diamond mine rights. In response the diamond industry enacted the Kimberley Process in 2003. This process basically now requires all major diamond distributers to purchase diamonds from legitimate channels. This paper will discuss the process beginning at diamond excavation all the way to final distribution and the serious ethical issues and controversies that are hidden inside. From Dirt to Distribution: The Diamond Purchasing Process and its Flaws In order to understand the process and appreciate the work and time that goes into diamond distribution it is best to start right off with a visual aid. The following is a step-by-step process from taking a diamond from dirt to distribution (Oriana, 2012): ORIANA DIAMONDS (SURAT) PRODUCTION AND TECHNOLOGY ↓ Rough purchases Worldwide ↓ Oriana Diamonds Surat polish factory ↓ Weight Check and Sorting Varieties Head Loupe, Loupe, Lights, Scale ↓ Sorting by purity and shape Head Loupe, Loupe , Light, Sieves ↓ Separating each stone in individual packets ↓ Blocking 4 Auto Blocking machines...
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...Mgmt. 328 Conflict Diamond Case Study Raw diamonds are making their way from deadly jungles to hands and necks all around the world. It is unfortunate that these resources from third world countries are being exploited for the sake of vanity. Diamonds are not just a symbol of love anymore but are also becoming a symbol of mutilated body parts and crisis. While lives are being taken and children are being exploited, there are fortunes being made by transnational corporations. All the while these poor African people working in the mines under horrendous conditions are only getting paid maybe a dollar a day. As long as there is wealth to be made this crisis may never come to an end. So, a question arises as to who are the key players and how can they help stop conflict diamonds or even worse, how are they contributing. There may very well be those that are trying to help stop conflict diamonds such as the World Diamond Council, United Nations and possibly others such as reporters just like we see in the movie ‘Blood Diamond.’ However, it is almost clear that all other stakeholders are only contributing. For example, Multinational Enterprises it seems only care about the huge profits they make and perhaps look the other way in order to have middle men working to smuggle these diamonds and pass customs. These MNEs’ have the most power in this situation and will continue to make large profits if nothing is done now. Consumers also contribute to conflict diamonds due to the...
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...Diamond Ethics Blood Diamonds, also referred to as conflict diamonds, are diamonds that derive from areas controlled by forces or sections opposed to lawful and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in resistance to those governments, or in breach of the decisions of the Security Council. These radicals sell these diamonds, and the money is used to acquire weapons or to fund their military actions, and used to bribe foreign officials. Blood Diamonds are often created through the involuntary strained labor of men, women and children. They are also stolen during delivery or stolen by attacking the mining operations of lawful manufacturers. These assaults can be on the extent of a large military operation. The stones are then smuggled into the international diamond trade and sold as legitimate gems. These diamonds are often the main source of funding for the radicals, however, weapons businesses, smugglers and dishonest diamond traders enable their actions. Vast amounts of money are at stake and kickbacks, intimidation, torment, and murder are methods of maneuver. This is why the term "blood diamonds" is used. That diamond tainted and terminated many lives and the report of that stone bears a strong ethical significance. Angola Angola gained independence from Portugal on November 11, 1975. Although independent, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), and...
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...Conflict Diamonds What are conflict diamonds? What groups benefited from the TRADE in conflict diamonds? What groups where hurt by it? -Conflict diamonds are gemstones that are mined or stolen by rebels fighting internationally recognized governments. -The groups that were benefited from the TRADE in conflict diamonds were the combatants, including the Revolutionary United Front. -The groups that were hurt by it were diamond COMPANIES, such as De Beers. What three sectors were concerned with the problem of conflict diamonds? What was the interest of each, and in what ways did their interests converge? -The three sectors that were concerned with the problem of conflict diamonds were the rebels, the diamond COMPANIES, and human rights organizations, including the United Nations. -The interest of the rebels WAS TO MAKE MONEY. The interest of the diamond COMPANIES was to keep their image pure. The interest of the human rights organizations was to keep people safe. Their interests converged in that they developed the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme. Do you believe that any of these three sectors could have addressed the problem of conflict diamonds unilaterally? Why or why not? -I don’t think that any of these three sectors could have addressed the problem of conflict diamonds unilaterally because they would never see eye to eye. -However, the human rights organizations and the diamond companies could work together to solve the problem. Do you believe Kimberley...
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...helps to validate the “resource curse.” Blood Diamonds When thinking about diamonds, many people automatically think of love and happiness due to engagement rings and wedding bands and the commercials that continuously play on television. This is certainly not the case, and many people are missing this fact from this 81.4 billion dollar industry (Baker). Diamonds, especially in the Congo or Sierra Leone, are a symbol of conflict and war, and unhappiness. The United Nations defines conflict diamonds as diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and international recognized governments, and used to fund military action in opposition to the governments (Armstrong). Conflict diamonds are more commonly known as blood diamonds...
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...A selection of rough diamonds from Voorspoed Mine ACTION ETHICS Protecting THE INTEGRITY OF DIAMONDS 33 ETHICS OUR COMMITMENT TO MEETING THE highest ethical standards IS FOUNDED ON OUR aspiration TO LIVE UP TO THE unique qualities OF DIAMONDS. THE BEHAVIOUR OF OUR EMPLOYEES, THE ROBUSTNESS OF OUR COMPLIANCE SYSTEMS and our commitment to transparency maintain stakeholder confidence in our business and play a key role in upholding ‘diamond equity’. De Beers aims to meet or exceed all applicable statutory requirements, as well as international standards on ethical issues ranging from conflict diamonds to anti-corruption. We also work with our business partners to embed ethical standards throughout the diamond value chain. 34 Report to Society 2010 Ethics The ethical provenance of diamonds is an important element of both their financial and emotional value – what we call ‘diamond equity’. To ensure that the journey from mine to finger meets the highest ethical standards, we have a mandatory, third party assured, code of ethical business conduct – the Best Practice Principles Assurance Programme (BPPs) – that applies not only to our own operations, but also to our Sightholders, contractors and suppliers. HIGHLIGHTS • All diamonds sold by De Beers are 100% conflict free. Compliance with the Kimberley Process and System of Warranties for 2010 was verified by Société Générale de Surveillance (p38) To support ethical standards more broadly we work with sectoral initiatives...
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...1. What are conflict diamonds? What groups benefited from the trade in conflict diamonds? What groups were hurt by it? As defined in the case study, conflict diamonds are gemstones that are mined or stolen by rebels fighting internationally recognized governments. Any of the anti-government/rebel forces/guerrilla troops/or other nonconformist groups within the areas of question or which could fall into this category or situation. The case study points out two groups who benefited the most under this circumstance; the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) (specific to the Sierra Leone region in West Africa) and the UNITA rebels (specific to the Angola region). These rebels inflicted physical pain on the villages which they took over in order to harvest and sell the diamonds. In their efforts to strong-arm villages, they terrorized men, women, and children by amputating their bodies. The mutilation count in the Sierra Leone region was estimated to be somewhere in the 20,000 count. Not only was immediate physical pain inflicted by these rebel organizations, but the money from diamond sales in these regions went to funding their anti-government and civil wars. This produced a continuous circle of effects. 2. What three sectors were concerned with the problem of conflict diamonds? What was the interest of each, and in what way did their interests converge? The (1-Business Sector) diamond industry, (2-Government Sector) the United Nations, several governments (no doubt those producing...
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...this situation has on the relationship between countries. There is an increasing need for world order in the global community due to growing conflict both within and between nations and regions. The increased trade between countries has stimulated the growth of many world order issues such as the access to resources, the inequality in a nation’s distribution of income, crimes against humanity and the growing awareness of human rights globally have also led to an increased need for world order. The importance of world order in promoting peace and harmony can be seen in the dramatic growth and development of international law over the past 60 years. The international responses currently in place include are mainly enforced by the United Nations (UN) and are aimed at the maintenance of world order in the international community. There is an increasing need for World Order in contemporary society than ever before as a high level of interdependence between countries has resulted from the push for globalisation and free trade. This interaction between countries has instigated greater conflict in the world in the form of terrorism, civil unrest and conflict for access to the world’s shrinking resources. Access to resources has been a major source of conflict due to the world’s increasing consumption. An example of such as conflict is the chaos occurring in the Persian Gulf from 1980 over the access to oil reserves. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves after...
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...Conflict Diamonds and the Kimberly Process What this case is about was that ion the 2000’s, a common concern emerged among members of the diamond industry, the United Nations, several governments and Human Rights campaigners who all wished to end the trade in Conflict Diamonds which were gemstones that were being mined or stolen by rebels fighting internationally recognized governments. To end this, they embarked an unusual collaboration called the Kimberly Process. The Kimberly Process was a scheme for tracking diamonds all the way from the mine to the jewelry shop, so that consumers could be assured that the gems they were buying were conflict free. 1. Conflict Diamonds are diamonds that are illegally traded to fund conflicts. In recent times, conflicts in some of the poorest parts of Africa have often focused on rebels controlling their country’s natural resources and assets, for example, oil, wood, minerals and also diamonds. They are diamonds that had originated from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments. Conflict diamonds came to the attention of the world media during the extremely brutal conflict in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. The groups that were benefited from the trade in conflict diamonds were the combatants, including the Revolutionary United Front. Diamonds played a key role in obtaining funds to provide these...
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...business, the diamond industry has taken pains to evade questions about its connections with Israel’s human rights abuses — and so far has escaped scrutiny from watchdog organizations. Representatives for 75 countries affiliated to the United Nations-based Kimberley Process Certification Scheme meeting in Kinshasa this week failed to reach agreement on the export of blood-stained diamonds from Zimbabwe. The elephant in the room was Israel’s burgeoning diamond exports which evade the human rights strictures imposed on Zimbabwe’s diamond exports. A “letter of the month” that I authored and which was published in the April edition of Retail Jeweller magazine exposes these double standards in the Kimberley Process regulations that facilitate the trade in blood-stained diamonds from Israel and Zimbabwe (Letters, Retail Jeweller Magazine, April 2011). The letter caused “consternation” to some in the diamond industry and resulted in the withdrawal of the magazine from a major jewellery trade fair in Switzerland (“Gems editor sorry for ‘blood diamond’ boycott letter,” The Jewish Chronicle, 7 April 2011). The letter drew the wrath of vested interests and leaders of the Israeli diamond industry. Their response via the Letters page in the May edition of the magazine demonstrated the sensitivity of the global diamond industry to any exposure of the links between Israeli diamonds and Israeli war crimes. Three letters, signed by six prominent members of the global diamond industry...
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...DeBeers “A Diamond is Forever” Prepared April 16, 2012 For decades, De Beers has been the preeminent name in diamonds. Thanks to a stockpile of the world's rough diamond supply, indelible marketing schemes and even negotiations with foreign governments for their diamonds, De Beers has been the most important name in one of the world's most lucrative businesses for almost a century. This paper will review the billion dollar rise and fall of a monopoly that has crushed competitors and cash-strapped governments since the 1800s. Diamonds became a symbol of love thanks to De Beers, which is fitting, since De Beers became what it is today because of a love story: the love of money. In the beginning, the diamond trade took place mostly in India and Brazil. With the discovery of diamonds in South Africa, the trade simultaneously took off and became much less profitable. Up until the mid-1800s, diamonds were a rarity and could be seen only on the hand of a monarch. But the diamond rush that began in South Africa in the second half of the 19th century flooded the market with diamonds, killing demand. It would take some ingenious plotting and advertising to keep the diamond's reputation as intrinsically valuable and desirable, which is where De Beers comes in (Goldschein, 2011). Company History and Overview De Beers got its start when English-born businessman Cecil Rhodes, broke into the diamond business in South Africa by renting water pumps to miners before buying diamond fields...
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...Antitrust September 17, 2009 Tonight’s Agenda Role Call Review of Last Week, Current Events Antitrust Case Study: DeBeers Wrap Up Review of Last Week “People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and division, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” -- Adam Smith “Perfectly Competitive Market” Consumers well-served. Receive goods at lowest price possible. Society able to choose among competing good with maximum efficiency. Firms that do not produce what consumers want at a fair price are quickly eliminated. Highly restrictive model applying stringent standards. Antitrust Perfect competition model is essentially static. Real world markets are extremely dynamic. Perfect competition model is unsuitable as a benchmark. Antitrust Laws Promote a competitive economy by prohibiting actions that restrain, or are likely to restrain, competition and by restricting the forms of market structure that are allowable. Limit the activities of firms that have legally obtained monopoly power. Intended to provide a general statutory framework to give the Justice Department, the FTC, and the courts wide discretion in interpreting and applying them. The Development of Antitrust Laws Trust was a device for pyramiding control over several operating companies. The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890)...
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...adverse effect of diamonds on the people of Africa. It also addresses the real price of diamonds which it believes to be the lives of millions of Africans. Additionally, it examines the response from the United Nations and question if enough is being done to crack done on the sale of blood diamonds. The famous phrase “Diamonds are Forever” is known to most people all over the world. What most people do not know is where most of these diamonds are coming from and how they came to become perfect gestures of love and romance. Looking at a clear cut diamond ring, it is hard to imagine the possibility of thousands of innocent people being murdered, tortured, and forced to mine for these stones; unfortunately that is the case in Africa. Diamonds in West Africa have been used for the last 30 years to fund rebel groups and their desire to take control of their nations by violence and intimidation. In such conflicted regions of the world, diamonds lose their connotation of beauty and elegance and are stained with blood. In this paper, I will discuss the many ways in which “conflict diamond” has brought nothing but poverty, suffering and war to the West African people. I will further explain what world organizations such as the United Nation have done in order to counteract the adverse effects of the conflict diamond on the African community, and the extent to which such efforts have been successful. Conflict diamonds are diamonds illegally traded to fund conflict in war-torn...
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...of “Blood Diamond,” an exceptionally thriller starring a most excellent Leonardo DiCaprio, want you to know there may be blood on your hands, specifically your wedding finger. The story involves so-called conflict diamonds, illicitly mined stones that have been used to finance some of the most vicious wars in Africa. If films were judged solely by their good intentions, this one would be best in show. Instead, gilded in money and dripping with sanctimony, confused and mindlessly contradictory, the film is a textbook example of how easily commercialism can trump do-goodism, particularly in Hollywood. The 2006 movie (Blood Diamond) was recently seen by me, this is an American political war thriller film produced and directed by Edward Zwick, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimon Hounsou. The title refers to blood diamonds, which are diamonds mined in African war zones and sold to finance conflicts, and thereby profit warlords and diamond companies across the world. During Sierra Leone Civil War in 1996–2001, the film shows a country torn apart by the struggle between government soldiers and rebels. It also portrays many of the atrocities of that war, including the rebels' amputation of people's hands to discourage them from voting in upcoming elections. The film's ending, in which a conference is held concerning blood diamonds, is in reference to an actual meeting that took place in Kimberley, South Africa in 2000 and led to the Kimberley Process Certification...
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