United We Shall Stand

On December 1, 2000, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, collectively, a resolution on the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict, breaking the link between the illegal transaction of rough diamonds and armed conflict. In taking up this agenda item, the General Assembly recognized that conflict diamonds are a crucial factor in extending brutal wars in parts of Africa, and highlighted that legitimate diamonds contribute to wealth and development elsewhere on the continent. In Angola and Sierra Leone, conflict diamonds continue to fund the rebel groups, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), both of which are acting in breaking of the international community's objectives of restoring peace in the two countries (http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html).

The tragic conflicts in Angola and Sierra Leone, caused by illegal diamond smuggling, have already led to action by the Security Council. Under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, targeted sanctions have been applied against UNITA in Angola and the Sierra Leone rebels, including a ban on their main source of funding illegal diamonds. Diamond sanctions have also been applied against Liberia but are not yet in effect. The United Nations also sent a peacekeeping army of 75,000 troops to end the conflict. The United Nations also established Human rights Laws that protected the native people of Sierra Leone, Angola, and Liberia. The United Nations actions on stopping the conflict diamond trade system however, fell under much criticism. Human Rights Watch, for example criticized the United Nations on this peace deal because it would abuse the rebels rights as well(http://www.un.org/peace/africa/Diamond.html).

Although peace agreements have been established, Human Rights Watch reported that abuses were still continuing towards the end of 1999. Some Sierra Leone rebels suggested that they would reject the United Nations peacekeeping forces if they were certified to use force in order to disarm different sections of Africa.

Since then, the United Nations tried to disarm the rebels near different conflict diamond areas that they controlled. The rebels began to attack and additional UN troops were needed for. For a long time, a number of United Nation peacekeepers were also held by rebels, but then released.
The United Nations is asking more countries to get involved in this process to end this conflict once and for all. If each country contributes to bring and end to this conflict, then maybe Sierra Leone, Angola, and other parts of Africa will finally receive peace.

Blood Diamond: The Movie

The movie “Blood Diamond” is the best movie of 2007. It is the perfect visual example of what happens in Sierra Leone and how people are mistreated for diamonds. I recommend everyone to see the movie. This movie changed my view on what is important in life. Most people worry about material things. However, I see now that people should be grateful to be alive. During the holidays everyone rushes to the jewelry stores to buy diamonds for their loved ones. The people in Sierra Leone rush to other countries to save their lives. A lot of people do not like to see these kinds of movies because they say its not normal. However, this movie helps educate people by showing them how life is at other parts of the world. This is a brief overview of the movie.

Set against the backdrop of civil war and chaos in 1990’s Sierra Leone, Blood Diamond is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a South African mercenary, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman. 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 can transform their lives.

Solomon's family is stripped from him and his son is captured by the rebels and brainwashed. While in prison for smuggling, Archer learns that Solomon, who was taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields, has found and hidden a fascinating rough stone. With the help of Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an American journalist whose idea of the conflict diamond system is tempered by a deepening connection with Archer, the two men embark on a path through rebel territory, a journey that could save Solomon’s family and give Archer the second the diamond that would make him rich.

This is a must see movie. While watching this movie, put yourself in the shoes of these native people. This will help appreciate what you have much more. This movie mad me more humble and grateful for what I have here in the United States. Hopefully, this movie will encourage more people to make a difference and support the United Nations to end diamond trading. Go see it!!!!!

Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones by: Greg Campbell

This is a book written by Greg Campbell about blood diamonds in Africa. The diamonds of Sierra Leone have supported one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. These "blood diamonds" are smuggled out of West Africa and sold to legal diamond merchants in London, Antwerp, and New York, often with the involvement of the international diamond industry. Eventually, these very diamonds find their way into the rings and necklaces of brides all over the world.

”Blood Diamonds” is the fascinating story of how diamond smuggling works and how the rebel war has effectively destroyed Sierra Leone and its people. Greg Campbell traces the deadly trail of these diamonds and the consequences felt far beyond the poor and war-ridden country of Sierra Leone. This book helps people understand how significant this system is. The conflict diamond system has caused many people to loose their homes, families, and most of their lives.

This book is very useful to those people who are not aware of the mistreatment in Africa. Hopefully this book will encourage people to help the United Nations stop the diamond trade.

While we sit and enjoy wearing diamond necklaces and earrings, there are people who are unable to enjoy life and are still being stripped of their freedom. There are children who have grown older and have no idea where their parents are. There have been innocent people killed and forced into slavery. All these tragedies have occurred for no other purpose but to satisfy greedy individuals. I hope that more people will become educated about the conflict diamond industry. Furthermore, I hope that diamond consumers support the United Nations in preventing these tragedies from happening in the future.

The Kimberley Process

The Kimberley Process is a joint government, international diamond industry scheme to stop the flow of conflict diamonds which are used by rebel organizations to finance wars against legitimate governments. The trade in these illegal stones has contributed to disturbing conflicts in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone.

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme is innovative, voluntary system that forces wide requirements on participants to certify that the shipments of rough diamonds are free from conflict diamonds. The Kimberley Process is composed of 52 participants. Kimberley Process Participants account for approximately 99.8% of the global production of rough diamonds. 52 governments approved and adopted the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which was established in August 2003.

Countries that participate must pass legislation to enforce the Kimberley Process. They must also set up control systems for the import and export of rough diamonds. Participants are only allowed to trade rough diamonds with other participants. The purpose is to prevent blood diamonds from entering the Kimberley Process system. The Kimberley Process governments and observers meet once a year to discuss the scheme.

Although the Kimberley Process has been established, blood diamonds still exist. Although the scheme makes it more difficult for diamonds from rebel controlled areas to reach international markets, there are still significant weaknesses in the scheme that undermine its effectiveness and allow the trade in blood diamonds to continue. A United Nations Group of Experts in Cote d'Ivoire has recently found that poor controls are allowing significant volumes of blood diamonds to enter the trade through Ghana, where they are being certified as conflict free stones. Hopefully this more countries will support this system and stop conflict diamonds from being trade throughout the world (http://www.globalwitness.org/pages/en/the_kimberley_process.html).

Stop the Violence

In the movie "Bowling for Columbine", Micheal Moore describes how issuing guns is bad for American citizens. The documentary shows how easy it is for Americans to posses guns in the country. For instance, in the state of Michigan, some banks issue rifles to people who join their bank. Teenagers who hunt are also getting easy access to guns by buying them from local stores. Stores such as K-Mart and Wal-Mart issue guns to people who hunt. Micheal Moore also talks about the National Rifle Association (NRA) and how Charlton Heston encourages Americans to get guns.

Micheal Moore also feels that America is sending the wrong message by issuing the second amendment stating that Americans have the right to bear arms. Micheal Moore also states that violence in America will go down if America would stop making violent movies. The governments in other countries have a control on what movies are shown to the public. For instance, in Canada a lot of movies are not allowed to be shown because they have too much violence in them. Micheal Moore makes an attempt to prove his point by going to Canada to visit residence. Micheal Moore shows that in Canada, most residence leave their doors unlocked or wide open during the day. Unlike Americans, who leave their doors locked most of the day.

The documentary also goes into the tragic event that happened in Columbine High School. Micheal Moore states that if the teenagers did not have easy access to guns and armor in K-Mart then maybe the Columbine shoootings could have been prevented.

Micheal Moore's purpose of this film is to get the American people to see that the NRA and Charlton Heston are affecting the American society. Micheal Moore wants to out and end to the easy access to guns and hopefully bring American to peace. I think that if the American government can get control over the easy access of guns, then maybe there will be less violence that happens in America.

The Patriot Act

The website www.lifeandliberty.gov is a site that talks about the purpose of the Patriot Act. This website is a good for visitors who want to learn about the bill. The Patriot Act is a an act that allows the U.S. government to spy on the U.S. citizens personal life by tapping phoone lines across the country. The website also gives statements from President George W. Bush and Attorney Alberto R. Gonzales. Both Gonzales and President Bush defend the Patriot Act. They both state that the Patriot Act protects the american people from terrorist attacks. This act was immediately established after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Alberto R. Gonzales stated,"On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists inspired by hatred murdered nearly 3,000 innocent Americans. In response Congress overwhelmingly passed the USA Patriot Act. Now, before it adjourns for the year, Congress must act again to reauthorize this critical piece of legislation. Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations are at work: Their stated goal is to kill Americans, cripple our economy and demoralize our people.The bill to be considered this week is a good one. It equips law enforcement with the tools needed to fight terrorists, and it also includes new civil liberties protections. Members of Congress should put aside the rhetoric and focus on the facts surrounding this vital legislation".

President Bush stated,"I applaud the Senate for voting to renew the Patriot Act and overcoming the partisan attempts to block its passage. The terrorists have not lost the will or the ability to attack us. The Patriot Act is vital to the war on terror and defending our citizens against a ruthless enemy. This bill will allow our law enforcement officials to continue to use the same tools against terrorists that are already used against drug dealers and other criminals, while safeguarding the civil liberties of the American people."

Hopefully this bill will bring peace to America and protect our American people from being attacked again by terrorist.

Meaningless Speeches

Speeches are given to inform a group of people about an important issue or a position that the speaker stands for. The speech is also suppose to be communicated effectively and the word choice should make sense. However, if the main focus of the speech is false information then there is no purpose of speaking. If your wondering what I am talking about, lets look at President Georg W. Bush's speech on the weapons of mass destruction.

In this speech the President talks about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Although this topic is suppose to be one of the reasons we are at war, its funny how these weapons are yet to be discovered. President Bush also uses words that are unnecessary in his speech. For instance, in this part of his speech he states: " Many Americans have raised legitimate questions: about the nature of the threat; about the urgency of action -- why be concerned now; about the link between Iraq developing weapons of terror, and the wider war on terror. These are all issues we've discussed broadly and fully within my administration. And tonight, I want to share those discussions with you".

First of all, I think that President Bush should have been certain that there were weapons of mass desruction in Iraq. Second, it is unclear to me what President Bush meant by the "nature" of the threat. I also do not understand what a "wider" war is. I honestly think that some people do a little bit too much when they communicate with their audience. What is wrong with just saying, "the threat of terror" or "the war on terror". I think if speakers or writers use words like these than they should back them up with a definition or a sentence to explain what they mean. I hope that by reading this, people would just directly write what they mean instead of trying to sound very educated. Maybe the "wider" world can change the "nature" of writing.

Save Darfur

The conflict in Darfur began in July of 2003. The conflict is in the Darfur region of western Sudan, mainly between the Janjaweed, a militia group recruited from the tribes of the Abbala Rizeigat (Bedouin Arabs), and the non-Baggara people (mostly land-tilling tribes) of the region. The Sudanese government, while denying that it supports the Janjaweed, has provided money and has participated in joint attacks with the group, targeting the Fur ethnic groups in Darfur. The conflict began in July of 2003.

Unlike in the Second Sudanese Civil War, which was fought between the primarily Muslim north and Christian south, in Darfur most of the residents are Muslim, as are the Janjaweed. After fighting worsened in the summer of 2006, on August 31, 2006, the United Nations Security Council approved Resolution 1706 which called for a new 17,300-troop UN peacekeeping force to enter Sudan and help the native people. The Sudan government strongly disliked the resolution and said that it would see the UN forces in the region as foreign invaders. The next day, the Sudanese military launched an attack in the region.

This war is still occurring in Darfur today. The United Nations estimates that the conflict has left 450,000 people dead from violence and disease. The United Nations has also informed the world of this horrific event. The United Nations has developed a program for people in different countries to help the native people in Darfur. “Save Darfur” is the program that people can join to send money and food to the native people who have been wounded and made homeless. I encourage every one to go to www.savedarfur.org and help the native people survive. This membership does not cost money, but can help save lives. Join Now!!!!!

Child Labor

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has estimated that 218 million children between the ages of five and seventeen work in developing countries. Of these, 122.3 million children work in the Asia-Pacific region, 49.3 million work in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 5.7 million work in Latin America and the Caribbean. Most working children in rural areas are found in agriculture; many children work as domestics; urban children work in trade and services, with fewer in manufacturing and construction.

Child labor ranges from four-year-olds tied to rug looms to keep them from running away, to seventeen-year-olds helping out on the family farm. A child's work can be a positive experience in a child's growing up. This depends largely on the age of the child, the conditions in which the child works, and whether work prevents the child from going to school (http://hrw.org/children/labor.htm).

Some of these children are beaten and forced into slavery. As slaves these children would serve a government official or an owner of a piece of land. The children work on land to produce food for the owners to make profit. Some children are denied the right to leave the workplace and go home to their families. Some children risk their lives working in factories. This has caused children to have diseases and suffer major injuries due to the dangerous tools and machinery. Today, children in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America suffer from this cruel treatment. The United Nations has established Children’s Rights Laws to prevent children from being abused. Unfortunately, there are still children dieing and receiving no education due to terrible working conditions. More people can get involved by supporting Children’s Rights Laws and by reporting any signs of child labor to the United Nations. Hopefully, this would help children live a better life.

Child Abuse

In 2003, there was a group of journalist that traveled to Uganda to uncover a tragic story. They discovered that in Northern Uganda, children have been captured from there families and used as slaves and soldiers. Some children were even killed during a war that has been in affect for over 20 years. Many children over the age of ten have been forced to live in concentration camps. These children suffer from diseases, starvation, and nighttime attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The leader of the LRA is Joseph Kony.

Alice Lakwena was the person who started the Lord's Resistance Army. Alice Lakwena led here followers in a bloody battle against the Northern Ugandan government. The rebellion failed as the Northern Ugandan government over powered the LRA with machine guns and heavy artillery. Joseph Kony was one of the LRA soldiers who survived the bloody battle. Kony later developed a stronger LRA and began another rebellion. Kony's prime victims are children from the ages of 5 to 12. these children are old enough to use guns and are small enough to sneak in homes and capture other children. As the children are captured, the rebels would bring the children in the forest to train them for war against the government. The rebels would also introduce the children to drugs and sex. The drugs were used to get the children high before combat. The boy soldiers are mostly used for combat, while the girls are used for sex. The United Nations has known about this problem but continue to ignore it (www.invisiblechildren.com)

The children of Northern Uganda have been beaten , raped, and killed in the concentration camps they reside in. In Northern Uganda, there are groups of children called Night commuters that walked hundreds of miles each day to prevent getting abducted by the LRA. Although the United Nations has made plans to bring the civil war to an end, there are still children dieing. Hopefully, the United Nations will pay more attention to this tragedy and the children of Northern Uganda can live in peace.

Child Soldiers in the African Civil War.

During the civil war in Africa, native children were kidnapped and turned into soldiers. These children were not only trained to kill, but were also brainwashed. Robbed of their childhood, these children were brainwashed to think that the country was going to be destroyed by the government. The rebels taught the children how to use guns and drugs. These children often went into battle high on drugs. Child soldiers would also create their own organization to win wars against the government. The reason why children were chosen to be soldiers is because children are easy to intimidate. Therefore, children would be forced to obey their new "masters". Children were also chosen over adults because they were cheaper to take care. Most of the children ate small amounts of food. However most children would use drugs to satisfy their starvation. These children soldiers resided in countries such as; Angola, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, which were significant locations for conflict diamonds.

In some countries, governments participating in the African civil war also used children to defend their purpose. The military provided certain guns to children to use for combat. AK47's were the most common gun a child soldier would use for combat. The AK47's were light enough for child soldiers to carry and were automatic weapons. Child soldiers that fought for the rebels would also use AK47's for battle.

Approximately 300,000 children under 18 currently participate in dozens of armed conflicts. Thousands more either face recruitment or are members of armed forces not currently at war (http://www.fpif.org/briefs/vol4/v4n27child.html). These children have difficulty rejoining their families and communities. These child soldiers are feared because they have the skill to kill any human being no matter what age. After escaping the war, some former child soldiers are still brainwashed. There are special projects in Mozambique, Angola, and Somalia helping former child soldiers recover from the war (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/childrensrights/childrenofconflict/soldier.shtml).

The links shown on this blog give useful information about child soldiers. These websites provide links as well as pictures of child soldiers in the African civil war. These websites also provide visitors with links to the Mozambique and Angola projects to help former child soldiers. Hopefully by looking at these websites visitors will make an effort to make a difference.

The Essay the teacher didn't Get

There is one aspect of my education that I dislike and that is when teachers refused to be more interactive with students. During my first semester at Auburn University, I have sat in classes where a few college professors refused to move around classes or use some kind of humor in their lectures to make learning more interesting. Instead, these professors sat right behind their podiums or desks and taught class. This not only makes learning uncomfortable for students, its also pretty boring. I mean who would want to listen to some boring professor that sits behind his or her desk and teach out of the book. I apologize if I offended anyone but goodness its ok to laugh sometimes! When students sit in these classrooms there already nervous about their performance in the class. A professor that interacts with students makes it comfortable for the students to participate in class. I think the teaching method of the prfessor is a reflection of their personality. A good teacher should understand how frightening it is for some students to enter the college environment. Therefore, making the classroom a fun learning environment could not only make learning easier but make teaching easier as well. Interaction with students could also give teachers the ability to learn from the students. So lets make teacing fun! Please.

Blogging is Good!!

I think that blogging is a very useful tool in spreading information to the public. Blogging helps researchers go more into depth on a particular subject. For instance, a politician who no one knows anything about can post a blog on the internet about his or her backkground and let people know what he or she stands for. Some people can post blogs to show others what type of personality they have, or just let people know more information about a topic not dealing with politics. Most people seem to be too busy to stop and watch the television to see what is going on in the world. Blogging can help those people read a topic on the internet at there jobs to prevent any altercations with their busy schedule. Blogging is very helpful to everyone.

Unworthy Jewelry

There has been times throughout history when society participates in a cycle that encourages conflict to occur. Conflict Diamonds have caused people to enslave and slaughter other people for wealth. As we purchase these diamonds, we think at times these diamonds would show our loved ones how much we love them. Some use these diamonds as a way to make themselves look rich. However, if people of the world sit back and do research on how many people died from these diamonds, maybe they would not purchase them. Ask yourself, Is purchasing a diamond worth having life taken or a limb from a human body removed.
My name is Jolyon O.C. Greene and I attend Auburn University. This blog is posted to encourage consumers to stop purchasing diamonds. It maybe confusing because not all diamonds are conflict diamonds. However, most of the diamonds that are brought into America have caused lives to be destroyed. Would you like to have your arm cut off or your life taken just so another human could make themselves look rich? I encourage everyone to read this blog and hopefully learn something from it. That way maybe you can spread the word and save a life.