Blood Diamonds &Amp; Sierra Leone Essay

Blood Diamonds & Sierra Leone Essay
Blood Diamonds & Sierra Leone It is common to hear about war, terror, death and poverty, it is common knowledge to know their meanings, but
what right does one have to say they know the reality of the words if they have never experienced it themselves, what does it really means to see the
death of someone in a war; to know the terror of not knowing if you are to live to see another sunrise? Most do not know and are ignorant of the fact
situations like this happens all around us; happening now even in different countries. More and more death, destruction and human rights being
violated are happening in Sierra Leone because of its poor economic situation and the civil war which started over control of the blood diamonds; yet,
the problem... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
There were no jobs even if you were educated," a 32 year–old male ex–combatant said (Archibald and Richards 8). So, youths have one choice in what
they do around chiefs and youth leaders, and it is to run away from everything. Though, the choice is a poor decision, and now, instead of a
semi–stable life, they lead a life of fighting and violence. Now, the women of Sierra Leone are kept at the bottom of the social ladder by customary
law (Archibald and Richards 10). To be kept at the bottom because of being a different gender is belittling; barely being counted as a human being
with not even a third of the rights one should have. The population of both youth and women seem to be in a process of characterized as the invention
of human rights 'from below' (Archibald and Richards 2). A Luanda–based British diplomat did say the international community could intervene and
help the youth and women, but it will not (Gordon 1). No one would come to aid these people, to help them through the rough patches in their
society, and, in all, they were left to solve their own problems. Life in Sierra Leone was not close to being at a stable level, it was getting rougher to
live in the country. The people of Sierra Leone were getting treated badly as the economy in the country was lowering. The economy was getting
worse, and, eventually, the children of Sierra Leone had to start working. They started to work in the in the worst place they could, the
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Sierra Leone: From Colonialism to Neocolonialism Essay
Colonialism is a feature of European expansion that took control of territory and people across the world starting in the 16th century. The last wave
of colonialism was in Africa during the late nineteenth century, and these African colonies did not gain independence until the end of World War II.
Decolonization was followed by years of economic, political, and social instability that made living conditions worse for the individuals in society. In
this era of globalization, the economic strength of Western powers has created a new type of imperialism over the developing nations. A growing
inequality gap between rich and poor countries has resulted in lower living standards in areas such as Sub–Saharan Africa, where a majority of the...
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Freetown was one of the first West African colonies of Great Britain, and it is now the capital of Sierra Leone. Like other African nations that had
been colonized, the people of Sierra Leone struggled for independence for almost 300 years. Colonies of Great Britain in West Africa gained
independence between 1956 and 1968. Sierra Leone gained independence in 1961 with the help of chief minister Sir Milton Margai, and his political
party, the Sierra Leone People's Party. In the years that have followed Sierra Leone's independence from Great Britain, the country has remained
underdeveloped, and poverty has lowered the quality of life for Sierra Leoneans. During the decolonization movement, many imagined that their African
colonies would prosper after independence. But in a short period after the colonizers left Africa, hopes of a better life within their nations were
shattered by political, economic, and social instability. In Gerald A Danzer's Atlas Of World History, he explains that the idea of development after
decolonization did not seem impossible until the frailty of political structures within their societies became a reality: According to the visions of the
decolonization movement, political stability and economic development were to proceed hand in hand once independence was achieved. As the
African economies matured, they would shed their colonial character and the resulting benefits would result in improved standards of living.

Sierra Leone Civil War
In the world today, there are over 250,000 child soldiers fighting for their lives (Goodwin).During the Sierra Leonean civil war in 1991–2002, the
United Nations estimated that there were over 7,000 child soldiers being used on both sides (Maclay). The conditions during the war were terrible
and in 2002 over 50,000 people were dead, however nobody came to help and put troops on the ground. There were over 2.5 million citizens in
Sierra Leone forced to leave their homes which is almost half of the entire population. No one came to help because they did not care about the
African citizens living in the 3rd the world country. Other countries did not want to become involved in a war if they were not required too. This idea
is related to Aaronson's... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The RUF left him scared, homeless, afraid and lonely. At thirteen Ishmael was picked up by the government army and hooked on drugs, and
trained to kill. In his novel A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Ishmael Beah describes his experience fighting in the civil war in Sierra
Leone saying, "I close my eyes and wait for death. Even though I am still alive, I feel like each time I accept death, part of me dies. Very soon I will
completely die and all that will be left is an empty body walking with you. It will be quieter than I am" (70). Ishmael is just one of the thousands of
children that lost their childhood to being forced to be a child

Sierra Leone
The country of Sierra Leone was going downhill. They had a war which tore the country into pieces. People was not getting along with each other,
the violence was kaotic, a lot of people was sentenced to jail. There was many innocent lives lives that was taken away. They was in a brutal civil war
that had ended in 2002. In the end, the Britians helped the county to come back together.
Sierra Leone was not a good country at the moment so they tried to make peace with everybody so they created the Lome Peace Accord. The search for
peace in Sierra Leone has been pursued against daunting odds (Bright, 2000). Determined to foster mutual trust and confidence between themselves
(Loma the, 1999). The disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A peace agreement that would bring a halt to the bloodletting war that had eaten into the political, social and economic fabric of the society of Sierra
Leone (Patriotic,2009). Lome was nothing to celebrate about since from the word go was in peril. Both the government and rebels are responsible for
the destruction of Lome. The government signed a document which they knew they cannot stand by. Lome calls for the rebels to be given certain key
positions both ministerial, parastatal and ambassadorial. The lome peace accord only existed for 1

Triangular Slave Trade And Slavery
Slavery was abolished in the year of 1865; however, the maltreatment of African–Americans has not. Similarly, the triangular slave trade mentioned in
Hartman's book is no longer existent, but inhumane conditions still exist amongst the African community. These conditions are recurring motifs that
hip–hop artist try to bring to mainstream audiences. The blood diamond industry began in the 1990s with the rebel group, Revolutionary United Front
(RUF), led by Foday Sankoh, who had claimed they would improve the destitute conditions of the Africans and take better care of them than the African
government. However, they later went against these promises and "seized control of diamond–producing regions in the east and south of Sierra Leone"
(Fofana,

Civil Wars in Western Africa: Nigeria, Sierra Leone
Since the establishment of states and republics, there has always been conflict between groups inhabiting said states, which is a layman's
definition of civil war. The scholarly definition of a Civil war is a war between organized groups within a state. Since the end of WWII, there has
been a total of 122 Civil wars ranging from the Greek Civil war in 1946 to the Syrian civil war that is happening as of today. A civil war is not an
entity seen only in the underdeveloped countries of the world, and superpowers like the United States and Russia have experienced civil wars in
their past. Due to the fact that conflicts do happen in states, there are some criteria's a conflict in a state has to meet to be considered a civil war.
According to Peacekeeping and the peace kept by Professor Page Fortna, she states that for a conflict to be considered a civil war, it must have "a)
caused more than 1,000 battle deaths, b) the war represented a challenge to the sovereignty of an internationally recognized state, c) the war occurred
within the recognized boundary of that state, d) the war involved the state as one of the principal combatants, e) the rebels were able to mount an
organized military opposition to the state and to inflict significant casualties on the state." (Fortna). In addition, since the end of WWII, civil wars
have lasted on average over four years and can bring tremendous economic collapse as seen in Somalia, Uganda, Angola, and more currently Syria.
Since the end of

Blood Diamond Research
Hendina Riyadi
Blood Diamond Research
For thousands of years, diamonds have been highly regarded by everyone from kings and queens to ordinary people. Diamonds are a symbol for
wealth, elegance, love, and power. Centuries ago, they were also a symbol of courage, invincibility and strength. What is less commonly known is
that these stones are also a symbol of terror and death. Conflicts arise from the mining of these gems; many people have died and many are perhaps
still dying because of the mining of these precious stones.
The Discovery of Diamonds
Although the exact date in unclear, the first diamond discovery in Africa was sometime between late 1866 and early 1867. The discovery of these
precious stones began when a 15–year old ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It was the marketing campaign of the De Beers Group that have made diamonds as popular as they are now.
Conflict Diamonds
Conflict diamonds are mined in Sierra Leone, Cote d 'Ivoire, Angola, Congo and Liberia, where unstable governments and various rebel groups are in
constant conflict. Rebels and other armed insurgents mine diamonds and sell them to finance the purchase of weapons and ammunition. Common
people such as farmers, including children, are forced to work in diamond mines and suffer extreme violence. Mass murders are common and those
who fail to obey orders, are caught for petty crimes or are not able to produce enough diamonds are either shot on the spot or have their arms
amputated. The popularity of diamonds has escalated such crimes. It has encouraged the rebels to mine more diamonds to be able to purchase more
arms.
Diamonds are worth a lot of money. That is a fact that cannot be denied. For the most part, the international diamond trade is all above board with
countries trading diamonds all over the world. But, as is usually the case where lots of money is involved, there are those who try to take advantage of
others even in the diamond trade.
What is Conflict Diamonds?
When 'conflict diamonds ' are mentioned, most people think of the film Blood Diamond. The film did succeed in making the problem of conflict
diamonds public, but it also gave people a terribly one–sided view of the problem. One of the biggest problem that diamond

Meeting The Ethical Hallenges Of Leadership, Custom...
Meeting the Ethical hallenges of Leadership, Custom Edition, by CRaig E. Johnson explores a deeper understanding of leaders. Chapter one discusses
the leader 's light or shadow. Chapter 2 discusses stepping out of the shadows. According to Johnson, the chapter introduces the dark side of leadership
as the first step in promoting good or ethical leadership. According to Johnson, leaders cast light when they master ethical challenges of leadership.
Leaders cast shadows when they abuse power, hoard privileges, mismanage information, act inconsistently, misplace or betray loyalties, and fail to
assume responsibilities. An essay titled "Leading from Within," by Parker Palmer, introduces the difference between moral and immoral leaders
which is as sharp as the contrast between light and darkness, between heaven and hell. Craig E Johnson, says ethical leaders brighten the lines of
those around them significantly by building trust, commitment, and satisfaction; by reducing negative behavior; and by individuals and collective
performance. However, according to Craig, leaders "do not even know they are making a choice, let alone how to reflect on the process of
choosing. Kellerman, Harvard Professor, identifies seven types of bad leaders which include those who are incompetent, rigid, intemperate, callous,
corrupt, insular, and evil. I found it INTERESTING how it talks about Foday Sankoh, an example of an evil leader. He started a Civil War in Sierra
Leone, in 1991, and his army

Sierra Leone Research Paper
INTRODUCTION. In early 1991 Sierra Leone had an outbreak of civil war was economically and politically on the edge of collapsing due to the
twenty four years of exploitation and misrule under Siaka Stevens and Joseph Saidu Momoh who was his chosen successor, and had left the country
heavily dependent on foreign aid and loans. The state was divided between the client of the All People's Party regime, a growing number of a bitter
political and business rivals, mismanagement and corruption. The civil war. On the 23 of March 1991, some Sierra Leonean's who had support of
some Liberians and Burkinabes struck Bomaru in Sierra Leone which is in the eastern–most Kailahum District. Another small force of the previously
unknown Revolutionary United Front... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It also continued to reach out to the civil populace and the rebels, primarily through biweekly 'experience–sharing' sessions on various themes of the
agreement. The sessions provided a forum for discussions regarding the implementation of the agreement and issues related to the post–war period in
Sierra Leone. They also provided an opportunity for combatants to ask for forgiveness, while allowing people who had suffered to articulate their
feelings about atrocities and other abuses. Participants included representatives from the RUF, junta military, government agencies, the media,
international and local NGOs, paramount chiefs, politicians and the general

East Timor Compare Contrast Essay
Introduction: Civil wars commonly leave countries socially and politically devastated. As a way to rebuild many countries rely on transitional
justice and a new tribunal system referred to as hybrid courts. We see this first in the case of East Timor and shortly followed by Sierra Leone. Each
case experienced their own successes and shortcomings that led to a difference in overall perception of the court. This leads to the question, in what
ways did the the challenges differ between the hybrid courts of Sierra Leone and East Timor, and how did this affect the perceived success of either
case? Through an analysis of these differences, an understanding of how general perceptions have been constructed, one may gain a more worldwide
view on transitional... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The UN would now be responsible for assisting the East Timor towards its independence. This created the United Nations Transitional Administration in
East Timor (UNTAET). The UNTAET would mandated to exercise "all legislative and executive authority". This included, "the administration of
justice, security, maintenance of law and order, establishment of an effective administration, support of capacity–building for self–government and
assistance in the establishment of conditions for sustainable development." As the violence continues and it becomes more and more clear that a
strictly international approach will not work that you get the emergence of the first "hybrid" court. Domestically as we have seen, does not seem to end
the violence, and the attempt at international intervention did not seem to end the violence. The only option left is to join forces and to work from
both the domestic and international level. This produces the very first hybrid court which uses international resources in conjunction with the resources
and needs of a localized area. More on the structure and analysis

Blood Diamonds
Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone
History of Diamonds:
The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word, "adamas" meaning unconquerable. Fittingly diamonds are made of pure carbon, and diamonds are
the hardest natural substance known to man.[1][1] Diamonds have long been a sign of wealth and fortune. Kings and queens have worn these forms of
concentrated carbon and even more countless millions people over time have lusted after them. These gems can be transparent, truculent white, yellow,
green, blue, or brown. To understand the value of these stones, and ultimately their role in war, it helps to first understand their origins and where they
come form. Diamonds are the most frequently used form capital by the rebels in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Following the discovery of diamonds in Africa the production of diamonds increased tenfold in the next tens years. Diamond Trade and De Beers:
Today, over two thirds of the world's diamonds come from one company, De Beers. The London based company was one the first companies
involved in the mining for diamonds in Africa immediately following their discovery. Cecil Rhodes was attracted to the new prospects of mining in
African and he started his search for diamonds in 1870. Another English immigrant miner named Barney Barnato, Rhodes' rival, also fought to control
the same diamond claims as Rhodes. By 1880, Rhodes had bought out Barnato and had founded De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd. Rhodes envisioned
controlling the whole diamond market. By 1888, he had realized his vision and he had gained monopolistic control over the whole diamond market. He
completed his monopoly with the formation of cartel, the London Diamond Syndicate, who were that biggest diamond merchants of the time. His
syndicate allowed him to perfectly match supply with demand. They provided him with critical information about the diamond market allowing him to
create an artificially controlled supply of diamonds. In return for their assistance, the diamond merchants were guaranteed a certain amount of
diamonds from Rhode's mines. In 1929, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer was elected as the chairman of the board of De Beers. Oppenheimer followed the
model of his predecessor by using the single channel

Sierra Leone Civil War Research Paper
The Sierra Leone Civil War
The continent of Africa has been exposed to countless of years of tragedy including forced slavery and colonialism. One of the most devastating hits
to Africa is the civil war that occurred in Sierra Leone from 1991 to 2002. This country experienced a decade longwar in an endeavor to achieve
economic stability and a democratic political system for Sierra Leoneans. There are many facets that contributed to the warfare that occurred in the
small nation, from the reason why the conflict started, the numerous participants and their affiliations, and cessation as well as the effects thereafter.
On the 23rd of March 1991, the Sierra Leone Civil War begins. Prior to this event, President Joseph Saidu Momoh had just declared the country to have
only one party. The... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The nation has experienced economic collapse and the government reaches rock bottom (www.economist.com). Due to this, the Revolutionary United
Front (RUF) adjudicate to take matters into their own hands. RUF gains control over most of the territory leaving destruction and terror in their
wake. As mentioned above, the economic collapse is a factor to the start of the domestic warfare. However, there are many other roots to the conflict.
Sierra Leone is known for being rich diamonds. Nevertheless, the people of Sierra Leone do not benefit from the treasure. In fact, the government has
benefitted from the profit and shared the gains with business crГЁme de la crГЁme that is close to them (www.sierraleonecivilwar.com). For this
reason, the state of economics declined thus causing low pay rate of teachers and downfall

Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone Essay
Blood Diamonds: The Conflict in Sierra Leone
History of Diamonds:
The name "diamond" comes from the Greek word, "adamas" meaning unconquerable. Fittingly diamonds are made of pure carbon, and diamonds are
the hardest natural substance known to man.[1] Diamonds have long been a sign of wealth and fortune. Kings and queens have worn these forms of
concentrated carbon and even more countless millions people over time have lusted after them. These gems can be transparent, truculent white, yellow,
green, blue, or brown. To understand the value of these stones, and ultimately their role in war, it helps to first understand their origins and where they
come form.
Diamonds are the most frequently used form capital ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The diamonds make their way up the surface captured within liquid hot rock or magma. Once they reach the surface diamonds can be found in
volcanic pipes called kimberlite pipes or in loose mineral deposits called alluvial deposits.
Alluvial deposits are created by diamond pipe erosion and are easily excavated. They require very little financial capital to be invested in the
removal. This is due to the fact that they are often found in riverbeds and along the coast and they do not require highly advanced mining
techniques nor due they require a large amount of human capital. The simplest method of mining alluvial deposits is with a shovel and a pan. With
this method diamonds and soil are shoveled into a hand held pan where they are separated by agitation and shorted by eye. More advanced methods
of mining use large machinery that moves the alluvial in to large shorting pans that send different densities to smaller picking tables followed by a
grease table. Since diamonds are mostly water repellent, they are sorted in alluvial deposits by using grease. While other minerals develop a water
coding and slide of the grease, the water resistant diamonds stick to the grease and are collected.
Mining kimberllite pipe requires a more advanced degree of mining technology and is more expensive. The first step in mining a kimberlite pipe is to
dig the pit. In "open–pit" or "open–cast" mining, the layers of rock are dug up and

Essay on Controversial Kanye West
The controversial artist Kanye West has always attempted to make known what he thinks, no matter if he has to be disrespectful or graphic in his
illustrations of said topic. So it wasn't a real surprise when he chose to focus his energy into reveling to the American public horrors happening that had
a direct connection with the beloved diamond stone. West's 2005 music video "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" shows the corrupted underground
diamond trade in the African country, Sierra Leone. From this groundbreaking video, West showed the devastated lives those who worked on the
mining rivers live. However upon further investigation into the issue of diamond workers in Sierra Leone there emerged the true source of the
situation, a violent ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The narrator end with the line "We are the children of the blood diamonds" with a close up of a child worker, however the child's pupils are heavily
dilated. This is to illustrate the effect that cartoon animators give to characters when they see something bright and shinny, like a diamond. Since all
the children do all day is mine diamonds the pupils of their eyes have permanently become adjusted to that size. The narrator repeats "blood
diamonds" over and over again while a jeweler examines diamonds, however even though the diamonds are blood or conflict diamonds, they do not
look any different than any other diamond mined from another country. It is after all of this that the hook of the song begins, a Shirley Bassey sings
that lines "Diamonds are forever. They won't leave in the night, I've no fear that they might desert me" while West walks around a wealthy–looking
European city, the children crowd around each other in the dark and dusty mines in which they work. From the point of view of the children, these
diamonds are the only thing that is there lives and the only reason why they are living today. It is often said that diamonds are a girls best friend,
however for these children it seems like diamonds are their only friends because they have lost everything else to the rebels; their families, their
childhood and innocence, and their freedom. In another part of the video a man is proposing to a woman and puts

The Reasons Behind The Uk Participation
The Iraq war started on 20 March 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by the United States together with the United Kingdom against the Baath Party of
Saddam Hussein. The overt reason behind the war was accusing Iraq of possessing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and what reinforced the
doubts was "Saddam Hussein 's refusing to co–operate with the United Nations inspectors in their search for his forbidden weapons of mass
destruction at the beginning" . However, even after the fall of Iraq, invaders could not find any such weapons. This led to the repeated questions for
Tony Blair and George Bush to give reasonable justifications for taking their countries to this war. This essay will discuss some of the reasons behind
the UK participation in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Which means that the New Labour wanted Britain to be known for its integrity with which it conducts its foreign relations. Therefore, protection
of human rights became a key role in its foreign policy. This justification was used in Kosovo conflict in 1999, when the UK sent forces to help
the people in Kosovo from the excessive use of force by Serbian security forces . For the same objectives, Blair justified his desire to interfere in
Iraq to release the Iraqi people from the abusing of Saddam and to reinforce "the desire that Britain act as a force for good in the world". Another
reason is regime change in Iraq, as Blair had the intention to displace Saddam Hussein from ruling the country. Even though he did not say this
directly, it was obvious when he said "we should intervene where terror or WMD pose a threat; Iraq is developing WMD; Saddam 's regime
oppresses his own people and has attacked his neighbours" that changing regime would be favorable because Saddam mistreated Iraqis and
therefore he should be stopped, not only because he had WMD. It was not the first time Blair had aimed to intervene for regime change; he had
applied a similar action before against Slobodan Milosevic in the Kosovo crisis and also against Sierra Leone 's rebel leader Foday Sankoh. He had a
successful regime change

Examples Of Ethical Issues In Blood Diamond
The Sierra Leone civil war began in 1991 with the attacks of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), led by former army corporal Foday Sankoh, on
government military and civilian targets. As a response to the corrupt government of President Joseph Saidu Momoh, the RUF quickly turned to acts
of terror and violence with little regard to its apparent political agenda . The RUF is fighting the government for control of the diamond fields so they
can purchase arms for war. They terrorise the local tribes, capturing men to work in the diamond mines and forcing innocent boys to learn to kill for
the RUF cause. The Civil war has claimed over 10,000 lives and forced as many as two million people to flee the conflict zones, producing a long–term
refugee ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The document is under the 1815 Declaration Relative to the Universal Abolition of the Slave Trade. The Universal Declaration was introduced by the
General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948. Driven by the understandings of the previous world wars, the Universal Declaration
was a first, having all the countries agree on a comprehensive statement of indisputable human rights . The Universal Declaration initiates by
identifying that 'the inherent dignity of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.' It declares that
human rights are widespread, letting all of society to know that people must be enjoyed by all individuals, no matter who they are or where they live
.The Universal Declaration contains civil and political rights, like the right to life, liberty, free speech and privacy. It also includes economic, social and
cultural rights, like the right to social security, health and education

Sierra Leone Civil War Research Paper
The Effect of Civil War on the economic developmental of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, a country that lies on the west coast of Africa, faced a gruesome war that occurred from 1991 to 2002. The civil war generated
consequences that the people of Sierra Leone and its economy are paying for. Sierra Leone's economic development and progress after the post–civil
war became an interest to me because Sierra Leone is where my family originated from. I personally can relate to the war and the consequences it
brought upon my family because I was born outside of Sierra Leone during the time of the civil war. The civil war that transpired resulted in the
displacement and relocation of my family. As a result, we were relocated to the United States in 2001. Because of my personal interest in the Sierra
Leone conflict, I would like to investigate the aftermath of the war on the economy and the people.
Background History : The decade long civil war in Sierra Leone was ignited by its diamond resources. The diamonds that were native to this land ...
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In Besteman's ethnographies, South Africa face the challenges of transforming its self after dealing with apartheid. In reality , I had expected more
data on the post–war Sierra Leone , only because it has been a decade since the conflict ended. I believe that my frustration stems from me being
originated from Sierra Leone. I would love for this country to pick up in terms of macroeconomics and microeconomics. But I now understand how
detrimental civil wars are. My study shows one of the few concept discussed in class of African. It represents the most common problem the majority of
African countries are facing , which is their corrupt government. The development for majority of African countries would be more of a constant
growth if the government systems were firm and

Blood Diamonds &Amp; Sierra Leone Essay

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Blood Diamonds &Amp; Sierra Leone Essay