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No Conflict Diamonds | Kanye West - ‘Diamonds’

May 19, 2006, 10:52 am

So the hip hop man, mr. “george bush doesn’t like black people”, the sped up mix man, all known as Kanye West … is one funny man to me. And I don’t mean in the sense where it’s remotely intentional, but more the nonsensical, are you kidding me, what is wrong with you kinda sense. Notably, in this particular instance, by the video for his song ‘Diamonds’.

Let’s start with how he came up with the idea. Mr. West didn’t even know about blood, or conflict, diamonds when he first wrote the song. A fellow partaker of foibles, former iconic front man of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip hipped him to it. Which immediately seemed to prompt West, the one man bling purveyor himself, to put together a song that railed against the ills its gain has visited throughout Africa.

Now, let’s first address the fact that the song, doesn’t even actually apply to the situation its video references. And the video itself, is so convaluted and situationally implying, that it doesn’t even make any sense.

So, what exactly was meant to be accomplished by the effort? And why do folks act like he’s deep off its conundrum?

I just don’t get it.

    • —B | no comments
    (posted in the diamond, diamonds, conflict diamonds, conflict diamonds africa category)

    No Conflict Diamonds | What is the Conflict

    May 7, 2006, 10:37 am

    An article I found by Raquel Montague that speaks to the issue of blood, or conflict, diamonds and what you, as a consumer, should do and know about it.

    Back in the year 2000, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict. In taking up this agenda item, the General Assembly formally recognized that the illicit diamond trade plays a significant role in armed conflict, especially in the case of Sierra Leone.

    Conflict diamonds are diamonds that are sold to fund the activities of rebel, military, and terrorist groups. The countries most affected by the illegal diamond trade are Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These are all places where citizens have been terrorized, mutilated, and killed by groups in control of the local diamond trade.

    [Continued …]

    • —B | no comments
    (posted in the diamond, diamonds, conflict diamonds, conflict diamonds africa, sierra leone diamond conflict, what are conflict diamonds, diamond conflict in sierra leone, what is a conflict diamond category)

    No Conflict Diamonds | Tack on my agenda too, old boy

    April 29, 2006, 2:11 pm

    Several weeks ago, I’d written about a movie that’s currently in production, entitled Blood Diamond. The synopsis is based around the horrific civil war in Sierra Leone, circa 1999, revolving primarily around two men’s interwoven lives with ‘blood diamonds,” also known as ‘’conflict diamonds”. Which are the precious stones used to finance rebellions, privateers, and terrorists.

    Bringing us to now, when upon searching for any news on the movie’s release date, I came across a press release from The World Diamond Council relating to the movie. Apparently, a few months ago during the last Annual Meeting of the World Diamond Council, Kago G. Moshashane, the chairman of the Kimberly Process and the deputy permanent secretary fo Botswana’s Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, and Eli Izhakoff, the chairman of the World Diamond Council, sent a jointly composed letter to Edward Zwick, the producer of the Blood Diamond.

    Within it, they requested that the movie “provide accurate and up to date information about the conflict diamond trade in Sierra Leone”, and noted that the period in which the movie is set “predates the implementation of the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme. And thus, without clearly mentioning this fact, the movie could present a distorted picture of reality to the general public.” - From their own website.

    Now, what makes no sense to me about all of that is, how much clearer can the past be from the present, if it isn’t happening anymore? Is the movie now going to be responsible for the lack of education on crisis’ around the world, if they don’t find some way to adjoin the agenda of this company? Not to mention, why is the Kimberly Process Certification Process called a scheme? What is a negative connotation for two hundred Alex?

    I mean, in all the situations of the world, that’s on the agenda of the Council set to end such? And haven’t they heard, even bad press is supposed to be good press. Without even needing to wrest creative control through outside sources, that don’t accurately deal with the situation as it was in that time frame anyways. Or maybe we should just make sure all movies begin with the aftermath of the end. I mean, that wouldn’t not make sense or anything. No. Not at all. Maybe we could even tack on an addendum reminder of that little thing called the first amendment too.

    • —B | no comments
    (posted in the diamond, diamonds, conflict-free diamonds, conflict diamonds, conflict diamonds africa, sierra leone diamond conflict, what are conflict diamonds, diamond conflict in sierra leone, conflict free diamonds, what is a conflict diamond category)

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