“Diamond Life”: Documentary Examines How Diamonds Funded the Civil War in Sierra Leone

We turn now to the issue of conflict diamonds -- also known as blood diamonds. Just last week, two men were arrested in Arizona for smuggling and attempting to sell more than eleven thousand carats of rough diamonds. Federal officials believe that these diamonds were in violation of the Kimberley Process – an international government certification process set up to stop the trade in diamonds that fund conflict in Africa.

Watchdog groups have pointed to these arrests as proof that it is still relatively easy to smuggle diamonds, and that the Kimberley Process is not strong enough. In a minute we’ll talk with Corinna Gilfillan of Global Witness. But first - we go to the documentary “Diamond Life” - produced by Stephen Marshall and Josh Shore of Guerrilla News Network. It was made in 2000 and is about how diamonds funded the civil war in Sierra Leone.

* Excerpt of “Diamond Life”, the documentary produced by Stephen Marshall and Josh Shore of the Guerrilla News Network.

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/14/1646243