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The Destructive Power of Diamonds
Modern advancements in technology and travel have made the world a dramatically smaller place. A person can travel to almost any region throughout the world. Gone are the days of horse and buggy, taking weeks and even months to cross the country. You can literally put your “little one” on the school bus, catch a flight to London for a business meeting and be home for dinner. The same jet-set speed has affected trade. Countries can “shop around” for a more favorable market to export their goods. As a result great prosperity has come to those countries that produce rare goods, and consumers have benefited from increased international access purchasing goods at much lower price. However these vast opportunities come at a high price. Unethical groups take advantage of the different modes of travel to traffic drugs, weapons, and even people. The United Nations “watch-dog” tactics have been unsuccessful at stopping the illegal trafficking of goods. Conflict diamonds, despite recently implemented UN regulations, such as the Kimberly Process, continue to provide funding for rebel groups.
The diamond, one of the most valuable native minerals on the market, has brought fortune and power for many countries. Diamonds are formed when magma from the mantle naturally rushes to the surface in what is referred to as a Kimberlite outlet and is dispersed to the surrounding area. Ironically, most of these pipes have been located in Africa, home to some of the poorest regions on the planet. In perfect conditions, these eruptions produce large amounts of diamonds. There is a misconception among the public that because of the high cost of diamonds they must be rare. However diamonds are actually quite abundant. Large diamond companies simply keep most of the rough diamonds off the market (Bill Brummel Blood Diamonds).
A conflict diamond is no different from a normal diamond on the surface but the background of it is...