Blood Diamonds – An Extraordinary Man
“I am not afraid to go to jail because it will be an opportunity to do human rights work inside jail.”
The above image and quote is from The Guardian.
The quote is the voice of Rafael Marques de Morais. An award winning and prominent investigative journalist in Angola, who is on trial for his book Blood Diamonds : Corruption and Torture in Angola.
The book is said to contain details of more than 100 killings and over 500 cases of torture in the diamond fields of the Cuango region, crimes committed by Angolian military generals. For all the details see…Global Voices and The Guardian.
Unbelievably he is facing a claim in damages of approximately $1.2 million and nine years of imprisonment! Fiercely courageous, he continues to speak out against human rights abuses.
Conflict diamonds or blood diamonds is the heart breaking aspect of the gem and jewellery industry. Certainly the darkest and bloodiest corner of a glittering, luxury industry !
Blood diamonds are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to fund wars, insurgencies in an inhumane, violent and bloody manner. Despite the Kimberly Process, this issue is still sadly carrying on. See Global Witness, it carries detailed information and images on conflict diamonds.
The news of Rafael Marques de Morais took me back to a time when I was in Africa. I vividly remember the horror I felt watching the news in the safety of our home. The chaos in Sierra Leon during the civil war (from 1991-2001). The frightening armed rebels and the bystanders with arms amputated to prevent them from voting. Tragic.
If you haven’t seen it already, I recommend the 2006 movie Blood Diamond starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly bringing to life some parts of the Sierra Leon struggle in their story.
Diamond funded violence has to come to an end. Respect to all who are fighting against it and those working on solutions to prevent the abuse! My thoughts and prayers are with Rafael Marques de Morais as he begins his trial.
As consumers, lets ask basic questions when purchasing a diamond. Who wants to wear a diamond that carries such a negative story and energy! It’s the responsibility of the jeweller to obtain their stock from reputable and responsible sources. Thank you xx
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