Conflict neutral
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Conflict Neutral refers to the act of making a donation to charity to offset the harm done by diamonds. See Blood diamond for more information on the issue of conflict diamonds. Conflict Neutral is also a charity (pending) offering certification of a donation of at least 1% of the sale value of a diamond.
[edit] Why Conflict Neutral
Sales of rough diamonds are controlled by the Kimberley Process. This is under the approval of the UN and its purpose is to regulate the trade in Blood diamonds. Unfortunately it is not yet totally successful with Global Witness estimating that between 0.5% and 20% of all diamonds sold as certified conflict-free under the Kimberley Process are still blood diamonds. The value of these diamonds is very high but it is the human cost which is most significant. Blood Diamonds are so called because they are sold to fund wars. However, it is not only the people in conflicts who suffer. Many diamond mines operate in terrible conditions with no running water and a large amount of child labour. Conflict Neutral can never compensate for the millions of lives lost but it can help to provide healthcare and education to return dignity to the lives of people affected.
[edit] The Goals of Conflict Neutral
The Conflict Neutral project has three long term aims.
1. To help those affected by wars funded by diamonds and who work in appalling conditions to mine diamonds. This is in the form of healthcare, education and housing.
2. To strengthen the regulatory framework to reduce the number of diamonds that slip through the net.
3. To support stable non-corrupt government to help African countries to police and develop themselves. This is important if a realistic end to the problems associated with diamonds is ever to be reached.
