The major use of diamonds is not for jewellry but industry.

Mind, I'd agree with most everything else.

Brooke Lee: Interresting, thought-provoking post. I see the African poor is Brad Pitt's latest crusade. I wonder - I just wonder - if he and Angelina Jolie finally do that "hook-up thing" formally - will he give here a 6 caret pink diamond like the ill-fated Bennifer match?

I agree with you (and, apparently, Brad, as well). Diamonds are De Beers best friend. The cynicism of the mass media is, indeed, schizophrenic on this issue. We see them publicize the horrors that are Africa's when Brad and Angelina give them a photo-op. Otherwise, it's off to take pictures on the red carpet.

Maybe if they shut down the diamond mines, someone in Europe, Asia or the Americas would actually care about the African people.

But, I doubt it. Racism lives.

Cheers,

Ron

Disclaimer: I know nothing about this.

Brooke, if you were in charge of the world and were able to stop the demand for diamonds what would those people working in the diamond mines do for a living?

How can their plight be improved?

Again Maurice gets right to the heart of the matter - a bad job is better than no job at all - especially if you're in Africa.

Dave

What did you mean by "the diamond mines will happily take the kids for free"? Take them where? Daycare? School? Seems to me if they're willing to educate employees kids free, that's not a bad deal? I don't know any employers here in the states do that.

they may be materially poor, but they are rich in spirit (sarcasm)

Are you going to tell me you wouldn't do the same if you had the dough? Self-righteousness is such an easy gig when you're poor.

These companies are more 'slavers' than 'companies'. Blood diamonds look good, don't they?

The kids could do better, not worse, to be away from these depredators, of course, until diamond lust dies.

Nice PR trick, not going to fly too far.

Maurice writes: Brooke, if you were in charge of the world and were able to stop the demand for diamonds what would those people working in the diamond mines do for a living?

Reply: I, like you, claim little expertise in this area of African economics but I will offer this in reply. I suspect the problem that the world might see with the diamond industry is that it is run much like the coal mines were in the 1800s in Appalachia. The workers start there in childhood and never are "free" of the debt they run up in the mines' stores, housing, etc. It becomes a one-way trap.

Now, as to the bigger question of "what else they could be doing," I think the answer would be not necessarily what ELSE they could be doing but, perhaps, they could be doing the same thing under possibly better circumstances.

I certainly don't want to sound like a socialist, because I am not. I just think, in my insufficient, superficial knowlegde of the situation that the problem lies in the conditions under which they work, not the job, itself.

Cheers,

Ron

Brooke, if you were in charge of the world and were able to stop the demand for diamonds what would those people working in the diamond mines do for a living?

How 'bout grow their own food?

And maybe they'd have more time to work on the infrastructures and domestic institutions necessary to raise their standard of living.

Or, if nothing else, they'd die back to a population level their economy could sustain; but at least they wouldn't spend generation after generation on a treadmill trying to reach the miserable, rotted carrot dangled in front of them.

Maurice: You definitely don't want me in charge; I'm a tyrant and would most likely kill off a continent or two inna fit of rage.

I'm just the local bitcher, it's everyone else's job to work out the details.

I've never been to Africa either, but my Father has. He belongs to a church that provides missionary work over in Uganda, and they're starting to branch into neighboring countries. Yes they do preach about the Lord; however the education remains fairly secular. They've built an adult education center where trades can be learned and applied to their daily life; thus giving men and women a chance to support their families.

Since they're not Oprah, Brad Pitt, or Angelina Jolie their faces aren't plastered all over the news, and yet somehow one small church out of California has supported and succeeded in bettering these people's lives.

Oh and Henry, I'm not poor. Let's give it up for the upper middle classmen; high five!

But if it makes ya feel any better our lil Turbotax went on Red Alert when it learned we had given more than $10,000 away.