The fight to keep diamonds conflict free has apparently been effective. Due to the Kimberley Process, the once 4% of diamonds being used to fund conflicts is now down to less than 1%, and this was reported in 2004. Now, 99% of internationally traded diamonds are conflict free. The Kimberley Process was established in 2003, with the goal of preventing rebels from using diamond revenue to fund their wars. Adopting its name from the African state in South Africa in which the original meeting was held to begin this scheme, the Kimberley Process is designed to certify the origin of diamonds of conflict free sources. They do this by “…rough diamonds are sealed in tamper-resistant containers and accompanied by forgery resistant, conflict free certificates with unique serial numbers each time they cross an international border. This was enshrined into national law in the participants”. Countries become apart of this process under 3 conditions:
1. That any diamond originating from the country does not finance a rebel group or other entity seeking to overthrow a UN-recognized government.
2. That every diamond export be accompanied by a Kimberley Process certificate proving
3. That no diamond is imported from, or exported to, a non-member of the scheme.
I wanted to see what the Hip Hop world had done in response to what was going on with the Kimberley Process. So I went to prohiphop.com and found that Hip Hop trendsetter Russell Simmons had his hand in the pot as well. I found that there was a lot Russell Simmons was doing, and there was a lot of information to be sorted out. Simmons had a press conference on December 6, 2006 to “reveal the results of his fact- finding Africa mission”, however I found that others disagreed with his efforts.
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