Child diamond mining in war torn Africa - good or bad

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

This is a story about children whose schools have closed because of Covid-19.
After you read it, please vote. But read it first - it is not very long.
Is it good that they go and mine diamonds, or better they sit at home while the school is closed?

Reuters | Breaking International News & Views

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[maryjane04]

I am so torn about my answer to this. Part of me says no it is wrong - it is not safe for children and they should be children instead of working hard in the mines. The other part of me says - well they are currently not doing anything so at least it is better than not doing anything and being of use. But the issue with this is that when schools resume, would they be allowed to go back or would they be forced to continue working to help supplement the family's income?

 

[OcnGypZ]

Why can't they have school outside?

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

no
its a pity with all the weath that these dianonds must bring the govt cannot do better by the children's educational needs

here in NZ,( a western democracy where education is free) some kids with part time jobs worked longer hours durring lock down, and with many a parent made redundant they never want back to school - we did have home based learning here and lockdown was only about 6 weeks but
thousands of kids are missing from school rolls, from poor communities

but here kids would at least be 16

also ive seen it myself working with school kids
once they get a taste for full time money their gap years turns into a dead end job
imangine if your family needed that money rather than for you to save for a car or drink and party it away

so no
no child labour when its hard physical dirty and no doubt not without personal risk
i bet there are no labour laws or health and safety inspectors

id really puts lock down into perspective
western kids complaining they can't go to prom or graduation, mom has to home school and make snacks meanwhile these kid's education just comes to a grinding hault
its tragic
so again no
the more i think about it the more i say no
also blood diamonds are never ok

ive read stories about child labour in clothing factories in parts of Asia that although the child labour is illegal the families need the money so charities set up schools for the young factory workers so they don't completly miss out on education but of course this is about working durring covid when nornal schools are shut

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Why can't they have school outside?

No teachers I imagine OGZ.
Or the government decided that schools would close as happened in almost all nations.
What ever the reason for closing the schools - the question remains.
If the school is closed, would you be happy for a school kid to go work with his brother, or stay at home?

And please people - think not about what would happen in your first world wealthy country.
We are talking dirt floors, no glass in windows, $12 a week pay for hard labor.
Steal a diamond and they shoot you.
Reality check: half the worlds population live on less than $5.50 a day.
And that is before Covid hit!

 

[Karl_K]

I think it is to hazardous for Children, even for adults given the conditions combined with often contaminating the drinking and crop water for miles around.

I dont have a problem with Children helping out say at a family farm or business with in reason.
I worked on a farm starting at around age 8 and did hvac work with my dad around the same time on weekends and during the summer.
I also had lawns I mowed along with ours in the summer.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I think it is to hazardous for Children, even for adults given the conditions combined with often contaminating the drinking and crop water for miles around.

I dont have a problem with Children helping out say at a family farm or business with in reason.
I worked on a farm starting at around age 8 and did hvac work with my dad around the same time on weekends and during the summer.
I also had lawns I mowed along with ours in the summer.

i did think about farm work also because that happens in wealthy countries also
but working along side mum or dad is a lot different to harsh and dangerouse conditions mining blood diamonds

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

I think it is to hazardous for Children, even for adults given the conditions combined with often contaminating the drinking and crop water for miles around.

Sorry Karl - the point about drinking water? Was has that to do with diamonds - or do you mean polution from farming chemical sprays?

 

[Karl_K]

Sorry Karl - the point about drinking water? Was has that to do with diamonds - or do you mean polution from farming chemical sprays?

Water is used in mining and contaminated which then contaminates sources of drinking water.
Even the big legit mines have a cwappy enviremental record..

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Water is used in mining and contaminated which then contaminates sources of drinking water.
Even the big legit mines have a cwappy enviremental record..

Sorry Karl. Geologists hat on now.
Alluvial diamond mining is done with gravity and water. Hard rock mining is done by crushing and wind or water with gravity, plus Xrays.
There are never any chemicals used in diamond mining.

Gold mining - yes - poor people use mercury and cyanide. Very bad.

But nothing comes close to the pollution caused by mining for the stuff in your mobile phone and E vehicles.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

i did think about farm work also because that happens in wealthy countries also
but working along side mum or dad is a lot different to harsh and dangerouse conditions mining blood diamonds

DaisyDiamonds what is your definition of a blood diamond?
And where do you think they come from today?

( I am asking not to teach or preach. I want to know what people think. what you feel. what people believe? Where you learn about things like the environment, about abuse and ethics and such stuff.)

 

[Karl_K]

There used to be several sources for what I would consider legit info on water pollution in diamond mining but it has been drowned out by the mmd peeps on google which would not be acceprtable.in a disscusion.
Will look again tomorrow.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

2

DaisyDiamonds what is your definition of a blood diamond?
And where do you think they come from today?

( I am asking not to teach or preach. I want to know what people think. what you feel. what people believe? Where you learn about things like the environment, about abuse and ethics and such stuff.)

well Garry im here to learn and any thing you shear with us i try to soak it up like a sponge

i guess my interpretation of blood diamond is one that comes from an illegal source where the proceeds go toward illegal activities including funding wars or organized crime rather than one that pays tax to a govt so it can provide things like education and health care to its people

im not at all happy about child labour or no labour laws to protest workers
just because someone lives in the 3rd world and has a vastly different lifestyle to you and me doesn't mean they shouldn't be safe at work
and if that means cheap imports arnt so cheap, then so be it
i think the buck stops with the consumer

now a question for you
where do blood diamonds find their market ?
i know it some counties its illegal to even deal in uncut diamonds
who is buying them and passing them off as legitimate ?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

now a question for you
where do blood diamonds find their market ?
i know it some counties its illegal to even deal in uncut diamonds
who is buying them and passing them off as legitimate ?

The market is they get mixed in by bad people to other parcels of rough from Kimberley compliant countries. Dubai is one such hub.
They get smuggled out because the countries we are talking about are not accepted by the Kimberley Process established that stopped 90% of blood diamonds.
The only good thing is that the smugglers get less for those goods because of the difficulty of making them legit.
The worst part of that is the people working in the rivers are all going to get less because of their corrupt governments and the militia and guerrillas they are constantly fighting each other.

The nations famous (or infamous) for blood diamonds are now shining lights of decency - Angola and Sierra Leonie. They now have hard rock mining, prospectors and taxes being paid. Still more corrupt than we would like,but elections and good stuff beginning to happen.

Can you know if your diamond is legit? I know the people I buy from and they would sell their grandmother to slavery before going outside of known sources: BHP, De Beers, Alrosa, RioTinto, etc