Blood diamonds by greg campbell is the eyeopening story revealing the. Civil war in sierra leone and the role of blood diamonds. First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded. The book blood diamonds written by greg campbell is a great book that really opens up your eyes to see what has been happening in sierra leone in the 90s and 2000s. Conflict diamonds remain a problem in 2018 miadonna.
The diamond mines have been the source of corruption and personal gain by government personnel since the 1930s. Both men are african, but their histories as different as any can be, until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond that. The name diamond comes from the greek word, adamas meaning unconquerable. Tracing the deadly path of the worlds most precious stones. If you are asking whether the film is a sort of documentary, the answer is no.
Three specific conflictsin angola, the democratic republic of the congo, and sierra leonedirected world attention to the destructive role of diamonds, though the. Blood diamonds greg campbell published by basic books. The road to kosovo was a finalist for the colorado nonfiction book of the year for 1999. Awardwinning journalist greg campbell traces the deadly trail of these diamonds, many of which are brought to the world market by fanatical enemies. In extreme cases, diamond mining can cause entire ecosystems to collapse. These awful facts about blood diamonds will make your. Greg campbells book set in sierra leone is an indepth study of the history of diamond mining and the part it plays in fuelling civil wars in africa especially in angola and the democratic republic of congo and in particular the one that ravaged sierra leone for over a decade. But behind the sparkle of the diamond lies a murkier story, in which rebel armies in angola, sierra leone and the congo turned to diamonds to finance their wars. Awardwinning journalist greg campbell traces the deadly trail of these diamonds. The commercial exploitation of sierra leonean diamonds began in the early 1930s, in the kono district in the east of the country. Diamonds that are illegally mined in a region in africa, which is facing a situation of prolonged rebellion, military unrest or guerrilla activities are called blood diamonds as the primary purpose of their mining is to fund such activities in order to procure arms and ammunition. Despite serious environmental risks, effective regulation and proper planning can minimize diamond minings environmental impact.
Blood diamonds audiobook, written by greg campbell. Blood diamonds really shone light onto the issue bringing more awareness to it, just like the move did aswell. Tracing the deadly path of the worlds most precious. Diamond miners in the kono district of eastern sierra leone have left behind thousands of abandoned mining pits. A goosebump giving, heart wrenching book about the dangerous diamond trade in sierra. Archer returns to sierra leone, locates vandy, and offers to help him find his family if he will help recover the diamond. Everything you need to know about blood diamonds world. Soon it is learned that the cases are connected, leading ben and danielle all over the world chasing down leads. The major focus of the ruf and afrc campaign was to take control of the countrys diamond mines. How the diamond trade is enslaving millions of africans.
But if you are asking whether director edward zwick drew on actual events to inspire his film, the answer is yes. Diamonds are a multibillion dollar business involving some of the worlds largest mining companies, a million and a half artisanal diggers, more than a million cutters and polishers and a huge retail jewellery sector. In sierra leone, a glimpse of a fair trade diamond future. We do not know why the government took the action it did, but it is possible that sierra leones diamond traders made their voices heard. Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990s sierra leone, blood diamond is the story of danny archer an ex mercenary from zimbabwe and solomon vandy a mende fisherman. The canadian arctic is a very fragile ecosystem, but it is heavily regulated to protect the surroundings. The sorry role the diamond has played in the history of sierra leone, stunningly told by journalist campbell the road to kosovo, 1999. At one point, he takes the readers focus to a city in sierra leone. Us national arrested on sierra leone blood diamond charges. Sierra leone is a vacuum of violence, poverty, warlords and misery, a tiny corner of western africa where the wheels have fallen completely off, writes campbell, its politics as raw and unrelenting as the natural environment.
The sierra leonean diamond funded the most notorious, brutal, animalistic and cynical rebel groups ever to have been known in the history of mankind and warfare. The conflict in sierra leone essay 3259 words 14 pages. The ambassador addresses the trade in diplomatic passports in order to make money with blood diamonds. The movie blood diamond traces the path of a large pink diamond found in sierra leone in the 1990s by a fisherman working as a slave in a rebelcontrolled. Experts claim that the illegal sale of blood diamonds has produced billions of dollars to fund civil wars and other conflicts in various african nations, including sierra leone where conflict ended in 2002, angola, liberia, ivory coast and the democratic republic of congo drc. The government of sierra leone intervened to halt the export of the diamonds. Most of the time, the people behind these civil wars and rebellions oppose legitimate governments and desire. In 2001, campbell traveled to sierra leone to conduct research for his next book about blood diamonds. These blood diamonds are smuggled out of west africa and sold to legitimate diamond merchants in london, antwerp, and new york, often with the complicity of the international diamond industry. The trade in blood diamonds was the focal point of the trial, which demonstrated how natural resource exploitation can serve to fund armed conflict and lead to the abuse of human rights.
First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of sierra leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. Angolan journalist settles defamation case over blood diamonds book. Blood diamonds won the colorado nonfiction book of the year award in 2002. Leone is blood diamonds, greg campbell had the experience of a. The story is interesting fiction, but it is based upon facts.
The movie blood diamond traces the path of a large pink diamond found in sierra leone in the 1990s by a fisherman working as a slave in a rebelcontrolled diamond mine. That diamond changed and ended many lives, and the story of that stone carries a strong social message. Tracing the deadly path of the worlds most precious stones, was published by basic in 2002 and then released an updated version in 2012. Diamonds that come from conflict areas like those from sierra leone aptly called blood diamonds accounts for about five per cent of global output. The official facebook page for blood diamond it will cost you everything. While danielle is following a courier of blood diamonds from sierra leone to israel, ben is arresting a russian delivering arms to palestine. Diamond miners have rerouted rivers and constructed dams to expose riverbeds for mining, with disastrous effects on fish and wildlife. Is blood diamond 2006 movie a true story based on the. In the movie blood diamond, the characters choices and actions are limited by outside events such as the diamond trade, the fight for independence, the corruption of the government in sierra leone, the decisions of the united nations, and the complexities of international politics. Conflict diamond, hot diamond, blood diamond, war diamond, converted diamond.
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