How Diamond Jewellery Enslaves Millions
During the times of civil war in Africa in the 80s and 90s, the militias used to capture people from the villages and put them to the mining work forcibly. In order to fight with the government and instill their fear among the people, they would amputate the weak and selectively take the able-bodied men with them to work in mines.
These enslaved men had no rights, no holidays, bare minimum rest and zero pay. As the awareness about “Blood Diamonds” increased, slavery faded away, but unfortunately, it transformed into exploitative wages.
Even today, the miners toil for extended hours, in inhumane conditions for as low as $1 a day.
The militias are gone, but the current governments are known for exploiting the workers and even forcefully dislocating people from their homes in order to mine more areas. Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond mine has continued to remain in the news for all sorts of wrong reasons.
Stay tuned – More to be updated soon
