Conflict Diamond - Then and Now
Sunday, January 30, 2011 by admin
There has been a lot of attention paid to conflict diamonds in the recent past. While conflict diamonds have been a very big concern to the diamond industry, today 99% of the world’s diamonds are conflict free. The media tends to focus on the negative aspects of the diamond industry and it rarely brings to light some of the good that is occurring today because of diamonds.
The fact is that because conflict diamonds have been virtually eliminated, the opportunity for diamonds to do a lot of good has increased. First, diamonds allow many people around the world access to health care. The revenue from the sale of diamonds has been used to build hospitals, clinics and hospices in areas where these services simply did not exist before. Diamond companies are also proactive in assisting their employees with their health needs. The diamond industry has been a leader in providing access to HIV testing and treatment for their employees.
In Botswana, where diamonds were discovered in 1966, the increase in the number of public schools can be contributed directly to the revenue from the diamond industry. School buildings have been built and access to books and other educational materials has increased. The goal is to increase the literacy rate which will have an impact on the health of Botswana’s economy.
India has long suffered from poor economic conditions in many of its rural areas. In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in the diamond industry. There are now over one million Indians employed in the diamond industry. Nine out of every 10 diamonds in the world are polished in India. Not only has this helped the individual workers, but it has been instrumental in increasing the gross domestic product of India.
Although there was a period of time where diamonds were used to fund conflict, today revenue from diamonds is increasing the quality of life for people around the world.
The fact is that because conflict diamonds have been virtually eliminated, the opportunity for diamonds to do a lot of good has increased. First, diamonds allow many people around the world access to health care. The revenue from the sale of diamonds has been used to build hospitals, clinics and hospices in areas where these services simply did not exist before. Diamond companies are also proactive in assisting their employees with their health needs. The diamond industry has been a leader in providing access to HIV testing and treatment for their employees.
In Botswana, where diamonds were discovered in 1966, the increase in the number of public schools can be contributed directly to the revenue from the diamond industry. School buildings have been built and access to books and other educational materials has increased. The goal is to increase the literacy rate which will have an impact on the health of Botswana’s economy.
India has long suffered from poor economic conditions in many of its rural areas. In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in the diamond industry. There are now over one million Indians employed in the diamond industry. Nine out of every 10 diamonds in the world are polished in India. Not only has this helped the individual workers, but it has been instrumental in increasing the gross domestic product of India.
Although there was a period of time where diamonds were used to fund conflict, today revenue from diamonds is increasing the quality of life for people around the world.
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