National Day of Action


National Day of Action on Conflict Diamonds
September 18, 2004
Nationwide

To many, diamonds symbolize love, happiness or wealth. However, for people around the globe, they mean conflict, misery and poverty. In some African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, profits from the unregulated diamond trade are used to fund armed conflicts. As a result, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed or tortured and millions have been displaced.


Congo Refugees Refugees from the Republic of Congo (© Sebastião Salgado)


BACKGROUND: The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is a voluntary system that imposes extensive requirements on participants to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from conflict diamonds. To support this scheme, the diamond industry, including the diamond retail sector, has agreed to a system of self-regulation to keep conflict diamonds out of the legitimate diamond trade.

Retail shops such as your local jewelers, department stores, and big discount chains are the public face of the industry and have a special responsibility to provide customers with guarantees that their products are conflict free. So are they keeping their promises? To find out, Amnesty International is organizing a National Day of Action on Saturday, September 18, 2004, when student and local groups around the country will fan out in their communities and survey local diamond shops. Time is of the essence - the World Diamond Congress in New York in October and at the Kimberley Process plenary meeting in Montreal are both happening in October, and we need to be armed with the facts.

GEARING UP: If your group wants to get involved, contact us soon to request an organizing kit including an official survey, a sample press release for local media, posters, postcards and background information. If you are an individual interested in participating, contact us to find out if there is a local group in your area who is planning to act. We'll hook you up with other activists so that you can optimize your efforts. In addition to the survey, you can make a difference by tabling in local shopping centers, educating consumers and getting the word out.

Contact the Amnesty International's Corporate Action Network at corpaction@aiusa.org or 212-633-4288. You can also check our website, for more information.