FROM THE CORPORATE ACTION NETWORK (CAN)
AND THE DRC COUNTRY ACTION PROGRAM (DRC CAP)
The movie “Blood Diamond” depicts a period in Sierra Leone’s recent history when the use of child
soldiers was endemic. While the conflict has ended in Sierra Leone, neighboring Côte d’Ivoire is still
plagued by armed conflict where children from Liberia as well as Côte d’Ivoire have been recruited by
government armed forces and rebel armed groups. And in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Diamonds and other minerals are still actively mined by rebel groups to buy arms.
Several governments with records of recruiting child soldiers have initiated or participated in
Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs for children, but many of these
programs have encountered significant challenges, including funding and management problems. For
example, despite a DDR program in DRC designed to assist 30,000 child soldiers, only 19,000 children
were believed to have been disarmed by June 2006. In fact, a majority of the 11,000 children that
didn’t benefit from the program are girl soldiers, who are often misidentified as “dependents” of adult
fighters. Meanwhile child soldiers are still being recruited – and re-recruited – including some who
were only recently demobilized and reunited with their families in the DRC.
Level 1 – Write letters to Condoleezza Rice and Henry Paulson to strengthen
enforcement of the Clean Diamonds Trade Act
Gather signatures on the attached sample letter and send it to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice,
and copy Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson to demand better enforcement of the Clean
Diamond Trade Act. You can also encourage jewelers in your area to sign the letter as well – they
have a vested interest in making sure diamond laws work!
Level 2 – Survey Jewelers in your Area
Send a message to the jewelers in your area that you want them to take conflict diamonds seriously.
You can use the four questions on the fact sheet to undertake your own investigation about what
jewelers are doing about this problem, or use our handy survey form attached below. Take notes
about the response you receive, and if you don’t get satisfactory answers, contact your local media
and let them know. Send only one activist per retailer. Find online survey forms and report your
findings at: www.amnestyusa.org/countries/drc
Level 3 – Educate & Inspire – See the film while it’s still playing in your area
In December, the new action film, Blood Diamond was released, and Amnesty International is
promoting the film to raise awareness about conflict diamonds and the Kimberley Process. Visit
www.blooddiamondaction.org to learn more. You can get involved by organizing groups to attend the
film, then meet up afterward to discuss the issue and take action. Use the comprehensive curriculum
and discussion guide available at http://s3.amazonaws.com/3b59dcdf1c4552f8d85a16a4808a3b38-
default/BloodDiamondCurriculumGuideFinal.pdf
Level 4 – Educate Consumers
In the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, many people will be out shopping for a gift that
demonstrates their love and devotion – often that gift is a diamond. You can help arm shoppers with
the right questions to ask to ensure their purchases are conflict-free. Print off copies of the attached
fact sheet, which includes 4 questions consumers should ask before purchasing a diamond, and
download our buyers guide at http://www.amnestyusa.org/diamonds/BuyersGuide.
