Human rights organizations and advocates across the globe were instrumental in the establishment of the Kimberley Process, which works to certify diamonds as ‘conflict free.’ More importantly, these groups have continued to work in monitoring effective implementation of the Kimberley Process standards. However, recent evidence of Zimbabwe’s gross human rights violations in the diamond trade, and the Kimberley Process’ lack of effective response, have left many fearful that the deadly conditions in Zimbabwe’s diamond mines will continue indefinitely. What is the role of consumers in demanding human rights standards for the people who mine their diamonds, pick their produce, or sew their clothes? What can or should be done to enforce the Kimberley Process to respect its own rules? A New York Times article highlights the situation in Zimbabwe, and you can read more from Amnesty International on the history of conflict diamonds and access a guide on how to take action. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

By lesoltis
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 7:37 am and is filed under Economic and Labor Rights, Globalization, lesoltis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.