Conflict Diamonds


Take Action during the Holiday Season

The holidays are just around the corner, and if past years are any indication, lots of money will be spent buying diamonds as a symbol of love and devotion. But buyer beware – some diamonds could be tied to armed conflict and other human rights abuses!

How can people shopping for diamonds be sure the diamond they want to purchase is conflict-free? They can use the new buyer's guide, prepared by Amnesty International and Global Witness. The guide explains what conflict diamonds are and provides consumers with all the right questions to ask the next time they are out buying a diamond.

We need your help getting this guide into the hands of potential diamond buyers across the country! Valentine's Day is a great time to plan a public awareness raising event in your community or at your school. The holidays are a great time to plan a public awareness raising event in your community or at your school. Use the guide to educate people about this important issue and what they can do to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds. Of course, we hope you will continue to use this new guide throughout the year.

Download the guide or contact the Corporate Action Network at corpaction@aiusa.org to place an order. Be sure to indicate how many you would like and provide a mailing address.

Action Ideas
  • Tabling: You and your Amnesty group can raise awareness by having a tabling event at your local college or shopping mall. You can use the information from our website and from Global Witness, our partner organization, to inform people about the issue. We also have a limited supply of conflict diamond posters to call attention to the cause – contact us to request one.
  • Speaking Events/Teach-ins, etc: Don't underestimate the power of telling it like it is. Host it yourself, or contact us for help finding a local CAN Member or Coordinator to speak.
  • Film Screenings: You can screen a film (for free or as a fundraiser) to call attention to the issue. To date, there are two major films* relating to the conflict diamond industry. The James Bond film Die Another Day has mass appeal, while WGH film Bling: Consequences and Repercussions discusses largely the South African diamond industry from a hip-hop perspective. It's as easy as renting a copy from your local video store. At the screening, make a few remarks about conflict diamonds prior to the film, and afterward host a discussion and plan a local strategy for distributing the buyers' guides.
  • Street Theater: If your group likes to get creative, you could put together a short skit that would make the issue hit home, while distributing the guide and/or other flyers based on our information.

If you have any questions or need support of any kind, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Contact corpaction@aiusa.org.

*Amnesty International does not officially endorse either film – we're just letting you know that they're out there and may come in handy for the upcoming action.