The Problem Of Conflict Mineral

Each individual is either directly or indirectly involved in the production of conflict minerals. For those directly involved in the production of conflict minerals, this includes enslaved children and the author of A Long Way Gone. As previously stated in the Child Soldiers PowerPoint, the conflict heightened in Sierra Leone on the account of these minerals (Dolhinow). The author of A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah, survived the conflict and experienced the uneasiness of a soldier. Additionally, Baindu described her experience stating that the rebels “forced” the children “to work in diamond pits (George, 2009).” These narratives directly relate to the issue of conflict minerals and child soldiers. Citizens of several countries, including the

By definition, strife precious stones are jewels that begin from mines that are under the control of revolutionary gatherings that are battling against their nation's legislature. Sierra Leone, a little nation on the west bank of Africa, (in this paragraph you need to elaborate a little bit more) has throughout the previous ten years been under the fear of an ever display common war. This war is being battled between a radical gathering known as the Revolutionary United Front and Sierra Leone's available government. The RUF took control of some of Sierra Leones wealthiest diamond mines in the mid-nineties centuries. They now utilize the benefits they make from these precious stones to purchase weapons for their armed force, made up for the

struggling to overcome its dark history. Even after the post war was over, excess numbers of landmines are yet to professionally remove. These landmines are still scattered in deep forests of Cambodia, serving as dangerous remnants of war and resulting in an alarmingly high number of disabled people. Due to the weak and sometimes ineffective government, several illegal activities such as children sex trade continue to operate within Cambodia's borders (Yale University, 2003).

Have they ever posed the question; where is all of this coming from? It begins in the Republic of Congo, where the mineral coltan is quarried. Coltan, used commonly in smart phones and computers, is in high demand, demand so high, it can lead to the death of hundreds of citizens that are being forced to mine it. As the CBC news article “Coltan; A New Blood Mineral” apprises its reader, numerous more community’s lives will be permanently altered by the mining of coltan. “Potential mines are also being explored in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greenland, Mozambique, the United States, Finland, Afghanistan, Venezuela and Colombia.” (CBC) it is claimed. This can only mean countless more residents may be forced out of their homes, or to work in atrocious, inhumane conditions mining for the North American obsession. Though Sylvie, from Blue Gold, is a fictional character, the conflicts that she faces on an unvarying basis are a reality for innumerable African people at any given moment. However, with the nickname ‘blood mineral’, it is insinuated that coltan is the culprit, though this is not the case. As Sylvie bluntly puts it, “‘Coltan is just a rock. [...] It’s the fighters who hurt people” (Stewart 163), something the people in the Congo may forget. It is the simple truth that coltan mining is inevitable. The

Other areas of Africa such as, Sierra Leone, have been involved in human rights violations since 1991 when the civil war erupted. According to Human Rights Watch, over 50,000 people have been killed to date, with over one million people having been displaced (afrol.com). This also stems from rebel groups such as RUF, Revoluntionary United Front, stating that the various governments are dishonest and do not manage the diamond and minerals in the country like they should.

The issues regarding the arms trade discussed in Sowing Weapons of War include the free market in arms, moral responsibility, policies for curbing the trade, and the banning of landmines. Regarding the free market in arms, the Unites States’ activity in the trade has increased dramatically since the Cold War and this increase has led to an increase in lives lost in third world countries due to violence. As a supplier of war weapons, the United States has a moral responsibility to ensure that they follow the process for a legitimate trade. The trade is legitimate if it promotes legitimate defense or follows the principle of sufficiency. However, even though there are instances where the trade can be justified, measures should be taken to curb the trade. Strict controls in the United States as well as internationally can curb the trade; as well as finding nonmilitary ways to protect jobs. Landmines claim the lives of civilians every week; measures need to be take internationally to reduce the number of landmines hidden across the world. In conclusion, weapons of war take the lives of several people everyday, but it does not have to remain this way as there are many steps that the country and the world can take to put an end to the illegitimate

Human blood is shed on almost every diamond mined in Africa, bought from Africa, or traded out of Africa. In the beginning of Aryn Baker’s article “Dirty Diamonds” in TIME magazine, Baker presents a man conflicted with his decision to buy an engagement ring, because he does not want “. . . a symbol of our union to also be associated with chaos and controversy and pain.” (Baker 64). This man in the example, Max Rodriguez, undoubtedly knew of the backbreaking work that children are subjected to, to provide for their families or to raise money to receive an education. Baker argues that the diamond industry in Africa hinders the development of children, nations, and that this problem may be too large to control as she appeals to logic, evoking

In developing countries such as Sierra Leone and Sudan, there are many types of violence, propaganda, and corruption used to create this vulnerability, which leads to vicious cycles of displacement and war. The corruption that is present in these governments is rather significant and the fear that is instilled into civilians by the military or militia causes a power imbalance. Furthermore, the abuse of drugs and alcohol is caused by the lack of education in many of these developing countries. Civilians are persuaded to join these organizations with the use of drugs such and cocaine and crack. The lack of availability of education and awareness of the effects of such drugs puts civilians in a vulnerable position. Being born in certain developing countries comes with everlasting conflict, which commonly leads to vulnerable environments and further displacement. Most of the time these conflicts arise over natural resources, religion or contrasting political views. The current action being taken by foreign aid has had a very minor impact. New Statesman writer Dinaw Mengestu discusses African literature comparing past to present, “Growing up in the United States, I was acutely aware of how everything I saw and heard about my native Ethiopia was being translated...We died by the millions, and with the exception of a handful of thoughtful accounts by western journalists, little was said and done from the outside, and even less was uttered out loud from within” (Mengestu, 2007). This further reflects the issue of not being recognized on a global scale and being misinterpreted by the rest of society. In order to protect these civilians from the corruption, violence and propaganda, there is a need for further action. Firstly, this issue needs to be recognized and humanized by foreign governments. The amount of awareness needs to drastically increase in order for civilians and foreign

The film tries to uncover what the effects of the development of the Bisha mine are towards human rights. Using allegations that the government has supplied forced labor and used profits to fund their own military and other terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab. Yet Nevsun is to blame for partnering with a dictator in a country that has been referred to as the “North Korea of Africa”. Accusations of forced labor have come from several miners who were formerly part of the military. These men were apparently released from duty but forced to either work or die, from fear of torture or death they continued to work day and night. Nevsun argues that reports such as these cannot be backed up because no one from the inside of the mine have made such statements, yet the Eritrean government will not allow the United Nations or the fifth estate into the country to confirm.

Colombia’s civil war between the government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has spanned more than 50 years and caused the death of more than 220,000 people; the disappearance of over 25,000; and, the displacement of almost 6 million. Both government and rebel forces are guilty of significant human rights violations, including kidnapping, rape, torture, maiming, hijacking, and assassination. The result is a bitterly divided nation, tired from war, and searching for a solution. In order to peacefully and permanently end the conflict, the Colombian government and the FARC need to develop a system that comprehensively investigates the crimes committed during the war and pushes the country towards eventual reconciliation and

With the emergence of technology, conflict minerals have become a growing and pressing issue in the 21st Century. Conflict minerals are those that fuel civil wars, specifically in Central Africa. There are very few regulations placed on conflict minerals and they are an integral part of most of the supply chains for technology companies. In 2011 the United States of America issued the Dodd-Frank Act, which regulates the use of conflict minerals to a certain degree. The problem, however, lies in the effectiveness and the real world consequences of the Dodd-Frank Act, thus alternative solutions must be explored in order to regulate the current and future use of conflict minerals.

Due to these Blood Diamonds, Sierra Leone has faced many social and economic costs. One diamond is capable of causing a civil war. That’s all, a fight over diamond control took many lives. During this civil war, rebels came and committed disgusting crimes including murder,

Paul Jefferson, an early humanitarian deminer once said: “a landmine is the perfect soldier: Ever courageous, never sleeps, never misses” (Khamis par. 1). Jefferson’s quote can be interpreted in two ways: that a landmine is a great weapon and all countries should use it, or that a landmine is too dangerous for one’s own good. For years, landmines have been affordable, yet dangerous killers that countries use to defend their borders in war. But as wars end, countries often forget about their rural parts and the destruction left from war, leaving citizens in the danger from landmines. The immoral and unethical use of landmines in West Africa will continue to create an impoverished and uneconomic society for thousands of innocent people due to

I am a Mineralogist and my job is to study minerals. A mineral is classified as a natural, inorganic substance. I use many tools when I am at work and one of the tools that I use is called a microscope. I use a microscope to analyze the shape, surface markings and other physical properties as well. A day as a mineralogist would probably start with a bus ride to a particular destination. Then after i get to the destination i go to an underground mining area and i find minerals. When i find minerals i observe them using my microscope to identify what the mineral is. When i observe minerals, I observe them in a laboratory. To be a mineralogist it is helpful to have a Bachelor of Science degree because mineralogy is all science!

Policymic wrote an article where they bring light to the situation by saying “Uganda Veterans Development Limited (UVDL) was involved in this scandal and procured employment where women were raped, beaten, and tortured by their employers.” (Chan). The service companies like the UVDL are continuing to abuse their employees because Museveni has given them no fear of repercussion from the Ugandan government. If human rights into Uganda is going to improve, purging these companies from Uganda is going to need to be the first step. Uganda has also illegally entered the Congo on the hunt for natural resources. Uganda invaded into the Congo and was responsible for killing hundreds of people and the extraction of wealth and resources from the Congo, and therefore, the Congolese people. Numerous human rights groups have noted that Ugandan forces “have blatantly exploited Congolese wealth for their own benefit and that of their superiors at home."(Nampewo). The conflict in Uganda has begun to spread to neighboring countries, such as the Congo creating more conflict just to be able to economically support itself. The more Museveni causes Uganda to suffer, the more he tries to take from. In the near future, Uganda will be extremely unstable financially and politically. Several countries, such as Denmark, Norway, and the Netherlands, have been imposing trade embargos with Uganda because of its corruption, and other