Kimberley, Meet Madison
As Rob Bates so eloquently said on the topic, not buying diamonds from Sierra Leone and other countries where alluvial diggers toil in unspeakable poverty, would be “the equivalent of finding a person in intensive care and then attacking them with a baseball bat.” Of course, as we all know, “to not buy would be worse” is hardly a solution: the problem remains and the Kimberley Process, focused on regulation, doesn’t address any of the deeper systemic economic issues. The Diamond Development Initiative, formed by Partnership Africa Canada, the Foundation for Environmental Sustainability and Security, De Beers, the Rapaport Group, the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, and the Communities and Small-Scale Mining Secretariat of the World Bank, is working to improve the lives of small scale miners in the diamond industry. Now a new initiative, The Madison Dialogue, is trying to widen the focus to sustainable and responsible economic development in general, “promoting communication and collaboration among companies, civil society groups and others seeking verified sources of responsible gold, diamonds and other minerals.” (Including The Association for Responsible Mining, Ethical Metalsmiths, Earthworks, and Conservation International.) The Madison Dialogue just launched a website with a report on the DDI. Although the proliferation of jewelry groups and initiatives focused on these issues, (Don’t forget WDC, CIBJO and CRJP and, in the US, JA and JVC) can seem a bit bureaucratic at times, it’s wonderful to see so many in the trade working to build a better, more equitable industry for all.
this news was released about two years ago. i hope the situation become better now. so they can plan a better life for their child.