Post Info TOPIC: Forum #18: Conflict Diamonds
mre

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Forum #18: Conflict Diamonds
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Background: Conflict diamonds, or blood diamonds, make millions suffer.  As you learn more about this problem around the world, ask yourself why this situation exists and what you can actually do to change it.   Choose three of the following five assignments to complete. 

Assignment #1
:  Before "Blood Diamond" was even released, the World Diamond Council spent millions of dollars on a public relations campaign arguing that conflict diamonds are a problem of the past. The success, and thereby the price, of diamonds depend largely on their reputation, and the World Diamond Council, De Beers, and other industry leaders are worried that consumers who see the film may boycott the diamond industry.  1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery at http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/diamonds.  2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?

Assignment #2
:  Read the NewsHour Extra article Movie Sparks Debate over Diamond Trade.  Answer the following questions: 1) What is a conflict diamond? 2) What is the movie Blood Diamond about? 3) According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today? 4) What actions did the World Diamond Council take before the movie's release? 5) Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most? 6) What is the Kimberley Process? 7) Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is? 8) What does the director of Blood Diamond hope the movie will do?

Assignment #3
:  Using the websites, http://www.child-soldiers.org/, http://www.childsoldiers.org/home/, http://hrw.org/campaigns/crp/index.htm, http://web.amnesty.org/pages/childsoldiers-index-eng, 1) gather 10 facts concerning child soldiers in countries around the world and 2) explain 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 

Assignment #4
:  Read the following articles (the Natural Resource Curse and the Kimberly Process) and answer the questions that are asked at the end of each document. 

Assignment #5
:  View the Kanye West video "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (available for download at http://www.mtv.com/#/music/artist/west_kanye/videos.jhtml) on mute.  Evaluate the message of the images in the video. Read the lyrics to the song (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kanyewest/diamondsfromsierraleoneremix.html)  and evaluate the message of the lyrics. Compare and contrast the message of the video and the message of the lyrics. Also read the lyrics to the song "Shine On 'Em" by Nas (available for download at http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/blooddiamond/shineonem.htm and www.blooddiamondaction.org). How does Nas's message differ from Kanye's? What effect do you think these songs will have on consumers?

Evaluation
: You will be given 30 points for each of the three assignments chosen [90 total points].  Students will also be given 10 more points for providing and answering questions, comments and suggestions on another students post.

-- Edited by mre at 17:57, 2007-05-24

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Catherine

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1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology
It has been portrayed in so many ways that everyone thinks dimonds are something easy and nice to get I never really knew were dimonds came from till i watched the movie Blood dimonds but movies and magazines and music videos they make dimonds seem so easy to get and they look great but in the other side theres people dieing becouse of them and are selfish needs they advertise it like its nothing because were not the ones working to make dimonds what it is today.biggrin 

2)  Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?
I do think it will change some peoples views and perspectives in dimonds the movie really shows and teaches a lot when i watched the movie I didnt want to get anymore dimonds but there are people out there that doesnt care what it takes as long as they get it thats all that matters some people in this world just care about them selfs and looking good they dont know the after look intill there in that same sittuation. But i think that people are still going to buy them for they need not nowing the pain and misery there bringing to others.cry 

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Catherine

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 10 facts concerning child soldiers in countries around the world 
1) Between 1992 and 1996, the period of the worst fighting between the Government forces and the RUF there were about 4,500 children who were forced to fight on both sides.
2)The male children who go through an initiation process there initiation is now used to determine that a child is entering adulthood and can be part of the fighting Kamajors the children fighters tend to be older than 8 years of age.
3)It has also been estimated that their forces in the eastern Kailahun district alone numbered 3,000 child soldiers that they have captured.
4)the children keep the laws governing the conduct of the militia like abstinence from sex, drugs and looting when in combat.
5)The children combatant can not shake a womens hand because there were not allowed to touch a woman.
6)The children are led in armed conflicts because of the economic basis and low income that they will have to allot them.
7)Most children who have been forcefully conscripted into the rebel movement and often led to turn their guns against those upon whose survival their welfare depends have been drugged and abused with cocaine and hard drugs.
8)Most children carried guns bigger than them and felt they had power.
9)Some children were sent as spies to locate ECOMOG positions that fought along side loyal forces of the government and native militia hunters.
10)They brainwash the children to actually think they have control of everything
and they can do what ever they want that they actually see killing as a sport not more as a crime.

 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 
1) We can help donate money to them so they dont need to use the kids to get money.
2) We can adopt the kids that parents were killed so they dont have to go through being captured and brainwashed.
3) We can raise money and help the kids understand why we are doing thins and maybe get them back to caring about there surroundings and what there doing is wrong.biggrin

 




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Catherine

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Compare and contrast the message of the video and the message of the lyrics.
When it comes to Kanye West, his video doesn't match up with his lyrics Because in the video all he's doing is basically reprsenting his record label which is roccafella andthe hand signal he uses is a diamond. They both compare to each other because they both have african peoplein it the song talks about them and the video shows them. The lyrics talk about both then what the video shows.

How does Nas's message diff from Kanye's? What effect do you think these songs will have on consumers?
In Kanye's video it's about keeping his diamonds even though he knows what people are going through to get them. Nas's song is more about the strugle people go through to have these diamonds ( everyone wants heaven but nobody wants dead everyone wants diamonds without the bloodshed) that is Nas's words about the situation going on so Nas's is more about helping the sitation then Kanye is. I think that the comsumers would like Kanye's song more then Nas's song Because his song talks about how people go through the struggle of getting diamonds and in Kanye's song he doesnt explain how they suffer like Nas's song does.

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Jamie Dias

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Assignment # 1
 1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery.


Diamonds in America have been portrayed as something you buy for someone you care about or you buy for yourself because there nice. In magazines you see alot of celebraties wearing diamonds alot of diamonds. Diamonds show wealth because diamonds arent cheap even though there easy to get but noone knows where they came from or what people had to do to get them. In songs you hear hip hop artists talking about diamonds to make them seem like they have money because they have diamonds.


2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?

I think the movie will change some peoples minds but i think that everyone will still continue to buy diamonds there not going to think that the diamonds they bought people had to die for them even thought they probably did have to.In america each year people spend alot of money on diamonds and i dont think just because of a movie people will stop buying them it might change a little of what they think but they will continue to buy them.Although the movie taught me alot of diamonds and how people die in africa because of them  in America noone is going to stop buying them.


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Leslie

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Assignment #3:

1)
     
Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology.
2)       Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?
 
1.      Diamonds have been portrayed as something that will never die and that means more than words. When a man gives a woman a ring he is basically expressing his undying love for her.  Its an expression of love and commitment. Through different forms of entertainment diamonds have been viewed as something that is a way of also showing economic status. The more diamonds you have the more people will think that you are rich and that you are very well off in society. The basic ideology is that depending on what you physically have on depicts and determines what kind of a person you are. That is something that has grown in society as the years have gone by.

2.      There was once an advertising done by the DeBeers company saying that A Diamond is Forever. This advertising changed the way people viewed diamonds. If someone were trying to express a love that they considered to be everlasting they would automatically look to buy a diamond. This movie, though, will definitely make a lot more people think twice before they go and purchase a diamond. But I dont think that it would get to the point that people would stop purchasing diamonds. It was said that only about 3% of the diamonds brought into the United States are actually Conflict Diamonds. So even though many people would not be in agreement with the treatment that so many Africans go through in trying to produce diamonds, since the percentage is so low most people would look over it. The 97% of diamonds being made the legal way would catch the attention of most people. But I do think that places that sell jewelry will be directly affected by this movie and the message that it is trying to bring across. The truth is that even though only 3% of those conflict diamonds actually get to the US, there are still thousands of Africans who are constantly dying even today so that those 3% get to the US. There is a lot more that we dont see. Even though many wont stop purchasing diamonds it is something that will stick with you and will be on your mind when you are purchasing the diamonds, no doubt about it.



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Leslie

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I'm sorry the assignment that i did was #1 not #3.biggrin

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Jamie Dias

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1) gather 10 facts concerning child soldiers in countries around the world



1.The majority of the world's child soldiers are involved in a variety of armed political groups
2. Most child soldiers are aged between 14 and 18.
3. The problem in Africa is that there is up to 100,000 children with some as young as 9 that were invovled in armed conflict in 2004.
4.Children are forcibly recruited into armed groups but alot of the majority of child soldiers are adolescents between 14 and 18 who volunteer to join.
5.Children invovled in armed conflict are frequently killed or injured during combat.
6.The children are ALMOST ALWAYS treated brutally such as beatings and humiliating treatment.They get punished for mistakes
7.Girl soldiers are particularly at risk of rape and sexual harassment and abuse and they could be invovled in combat .
8.In some countries forcible abductions still occur and they take a large number of children
9.Africa has the largest number of child soldiers
10.Over the last 10 years hundreds of thousands of children have fought and died in conflicts around the world 


2) explain 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 
1.  i think one action that can be taken by us now is try to get those child soldiers out of Africa and wherever they are and try to help them.
2.We could give Africa money so that they could tyr to help the kids
3.We could go into africa and KILL all the people that are  kiddnapping these kids and making them child soldiers


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shallyn

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diamonds have been portrayed by making people want them. The saying diamonds are forever making people think that by giving a person a diamond it shows your love and fidelity. Also, Diamonds makes you seem wealthier and every ones desire is too be rich. Celebrities today all are what people say today are shining because of there so called bling.
Most rappers today have large chains around their neck covered in diamonds and that shows the public how rich they are. So if celebrities have them you know that people want them and so once you see them on a cover of a magazine around the neck of a wealthy celebrity , that attracts people. Same thing in movies, songs, and more.

Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?
No I dont think that the movie changed a lot of peoples minds about the jewelry because they really dont care how they got here or where they came from all they care about is that there expensive and that it makes them look and feel wealthier and it improves there celebrity image. And for regular people ,the reasons are very similar because all they care about is that they look good and they feel richer and thats pretty much all that matters. They dont realize how long and what it took to get these diamonds, they just get them from a jewelry store and that were it comes from in our minds were dont think of where it actually came from to people it doesnt really matter.



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Pac-Man Jones

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  1. The use of children as soldiers has been universally condemned as abhorrent and unacceptable
  2. Over the last ten years hundreds of thousands of children have fought and died in conflicts around the world.
  3. Children involved in armed conflict are frequently killed or injured during combat or while carrying out other tasks
  4. They are forced to engage in hazardous activities such as laying mines or explosives, as well as using weapons
  5. Child soldiers are usually forced to live under harsh conditions with insufficient food and little or no access to healthcare.
  6. They are almost always treated brutally, subjected to beatings and humiliating treatment.
  7. Punishments for mistakes or desertion are often very severe.\
  8. Girl soldiers are particularly at risk of rape, sexual harassment and abuse as well as being involved in combat and other tasks.
9.The majority of the world's child soldiers are involved in a variety of armed political groups. These include government-backed paramilitary groups, militias and self-defence units operating in many conflict zones. Others include armed groups opposed to central government rule, groups composed of ethnic religious and other minorities and clan-based or factional groups fighting governments and each other to defend territory and resources.
10. Most child soldiers are aged between 14 and 18, While many enlist "voluntarily" research shows that such adolescents see few alternatives to involvement in armed conflict. Some enlist as a means of survival in war-torn regions after family, social and economic structures collapse or after seeing family members tortured or killed by government forces or armed groups. Others join up because of poverty and lack of work or educational opportunities. Many girls have reported enlisting to escape domestic servitude, violence and sexual abuse

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nessaA

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assignment #2
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1) What is a conflict diamond? Conflict diamonds are gems that are illegally sold to fund civil wars and rebel conflicts.  Money is used to buy arms for civil wars in African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.
2) What is the movie Blood Diamond about? The movei is set in Sierra Leone in the 1990s, when rebels took control and profited from the country's violence.
3) According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today? Yes, human rights groups say the problem of diamond-funded conflicts persists in other African countries, such as Liberia and Cote D'Ivoire. 
4) What actions did the World Diamond Council take before the movie's release?  
They launched a multimillion-dollar public relations compaign in antiception of the movie's release.  The group has taken out full-page ads in major newspapers and launched a Web site describing strides taken to reduce the impact of conflict diamonds, as well as the economic benefits of the diamond trade to African countries.
5) Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most? United States of America purchases the greates amount by 65% and Africa produces the most by 60%
6) What is the Kimberley Process? Where the people selling the diamonds to companys say yes they are legal and legitamate diamonds.
7) Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is? Because smugglers bring diamonds across boarders from countries at war and ther when they smuggle them into a country not in war and sell them through there, they are considered legal.
8) What does the director of Blood Diamond hope the movie will do?
He wants to create in consumers minds conscieousness.  Consumers will think of a purchase of a diamond and think harder about where and how they will buy it.


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Ashley Rego

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RE: Forum #18: Conflict Diamonds
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Assignment # 1
 1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery.

Diamonds have traditionally been protrayed in America culture,magazines,aderterisements,movies,music,and songs because in magazines they flaunt jewerly and diamonds like its easy to come by and afford. Not everybody has the money to buy diamonds like most rappers.In videos rappers rap about jewelery,diamonds, and money. They show off these things because these people got money.


2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop bs uying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?

I think consumers will change their thought about diamonds, and definitely not take them for granted like most wealthy people like rappers. I think people will continue to still buy diamonds regaurdless what they hear because their beautiful. Each year people spend a lot of money on diamonds even though people have died from them.


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Leslie

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Assignment #2:
 
1) What is a conflict diamond? Conflict diamonds, sometimes called Blood Diamonds, are those diamonds that are illegally sold so that rebel groups can get money for weapons.
2) What is the movie Blood Diamond about? The movies main purpose is to show what actually happens to African countries that are taking part in the distribution of diamonds. I think that the movie was made so that people could actually know the stories behind the beautiful gems so many of us wear. It takes abuse and even at times death for those African countries to sell the diamonds that are found.
3) According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today? The problem is still around today. It is found in two African countries Liberia and Cote DIvoire. 
4) What actions did the World Diamond Council take before the movie's release? The World Diamond Council launched a multimillion-dollar campaign before the movie was officially released.
5) Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most? The US purchases the greatest number of diamonds (65%) and African produces the most amount of diamonds (60%).
6) What is the Kimberley Process? The Kimberley Process is basically a written statement that is voluntarily signed by countries that produce diamonds and it states that the diamonds that were produced were not produced in conflicting countries that are currently in war. It is voluntary though so the countries that are in war dont have to sign this paper.
7) Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is? It is really hard to determine how successful it is because it is voluntary and because of the rising struggle with the smuggling of diamonds.
8) What does the director of Blood Diamond hope the movie will do? He just wanted to create consciousness to the minds to all of the viewers of this movie. He states, The purchase of a diamond just has to be an informed one. This proves that he just wants people to be informed of what they could potentially be buying.
 
 


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shallyn

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1)     up to 100,000 children, some as young as nine, were estimated to be involved in armed conflict in  2004, this problem is most critical in Africa.
2)     Children are also used as soldiers in many Asian countries and in some parts of Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.
3)     The majority of the world's child soldiers are involved in a many  of armed political groups. These include government-backed paramilitary groups, militias and self-defence units operating in many conflict zones.
4)     Most child soldiers are aged between 14 and 18.
5)     Many girls have reported enlisting to escape domestic servitude, violence and sexual abuse.
6)     Forcible abductions, sometimes of large numbers of children, continue to occur in some countries.
7)     Girls usually fulfil multiple roles, While they are frequently recruited and used for sexual purposes, they are also involved in other military tasks, including combat, laying explosives, and performing domestic tasks.
8)     Physically vulnerable and easily intimidated, children make obedient soldiers
9)     Some seek escape from poverty or join military forces to avenge family members who have been killed.
 These children are denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, approximately 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.

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shallyn

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shallyn wrote:


1)     up to 100,000 children, some as young as nine, were estimated to be involved in armed conflict in  2004, this problem is most critical in Africa.
2)     Children are also used as soldiers in many Asian countries and in some parts of Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.
3)     The majority of the world's child soldiers are involved in a many  of armed political groups. These include government-backed paramilitary groups, militias and self-defence units operating in many conflict zones.
4)     Most child soldiers are aged between 14 and 18.
5)     Many girls have reported enlisting to escape domestic servitude, violence and sexual abuse.
6)     Forcible abductions, sometimes of large numbers of children, continue to occur in some countries.
7)     Girls usually fulfil multiple roles, While they are frequently recruited and used for sexual purposes, they are also involved in other military tasks, including combat, laying explosives, and performing domestic tasks.
8)     Physically vulnerable and easily intimidated, children make obedient soldiers
9)     Some seek escape from poverty or join military forces to avenge family members who have been killed.
 These children are denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, approximately 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.



10)      These children are denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, approximately 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.


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jamie dias

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Assignment two

1) What is a conflict diamond?
 A conflict diamond are gems that are illegally sold to fund civil wars and rebel conflicts

2) What is the movie Blood Diamond about?
The movie Blood diamond is about when rebels took control and profited from the countrys vast diamond mines.
3) According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today?
Yes they say diamond funded conflicts persists in other african countries such as Liberia and Cote D' Ivoire.
4) What actions did the World Diamond Council take before the movie's release?
Before the movie was released the World Diamond Council launched a multimillion dollar public relations campaign in anticipation of the movies release.They took out full page ads in major newspapers and launched a web site describing strides taken to reduce the impact of conflict diamonds.

5) Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most?
 The country that purchases the greatest amount of diamonds is the United States they purchase two thirds of the worlds diamonds.The contrinent that produces the most is Africa

6) What is the Kimberley Process?
 The Kimberley process  is   something thatrequires diamond shipments to be accompained by certificates stating they were not mined in countries at war.


7) Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is?
Its hard to determine how successfl the kimberley processis because there is still diamond smuggling
8) What does the director of Blood Diamond hope the movie will do?
THe director of blood diamond hopes the movie will help people think about what there doing when buying diamonds and how many peopel die from diamonds in Africa and there supporting warr in africa

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Jaimizzle!

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assignment 2!

Answer the following questions: 1) What is a conflict diamond? 2) What is the movie Blood Diamond about? 3) According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today? 4) What actions did the World Diamond Council take before the movie's release? 5) Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most? 6) What is the Kimberley Process? 7) Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is? 8) What does the director of Blood Diamond hope the movie will do?
 
  1. Conflict diamonds are diamonds that are illegally dug and sold for African countries to get guns and weapons for wars.
  2. The movie Blood Diamonds is about rebels who took control and got all profits of the diamond mines.
  3. According to the World Diamond Council it is still a problem in two African countries.
  4. The actions they took well I didnt see any actions I only seen actions token in the year 2003.
  5. the united states purchases nearly 2/3rds of the worlds diamonds.
  6. its a thing were the diamonds that are shipped have to have a certificate stating they were not mined in countries of war.
  7. its hard to tell how successful the Kimberly process is because diamond smuggling.
  8. What I wanted to create in their minds is consciousness,"it what he says exactly.


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Ashley Rego

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10 FACTS:
 

1.)    an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.

2.)    These young combatants participate in all aspects of contemporary warfare.

3.)    AK-47s and M-16s on the front lines of combat, serve as human mine detectors, participate in suicide missions, carry supplies, and act as spies, messengers or lookouts.

4.)    As society breaks down during conflict, leaving children no access to school, driving them from their homes, or separating them from family members, many children perceive armed groups as their best chance for survival.
5.)    .Since 2001, the participation of child soldiers has been reported in 21 on-going or recent armed conflicts in almost every region of the world.
6.)     Children are most likely to become child soldiers if they are poor, separated from their families, displaced from their homes, living in a combat zone or have limited access to education.

7.)    Many children join armed groups because of economic or social pressure, or because children believe that the group will offer food or security. Others are forcibly recruited, "press-ganged" or abducted by armed groups.

8.)    Both girls and boys are used as child soldiers. In some countries, like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda, a third or more of the child soldiers were reported to be girls. In some conflicts, girls may be raped, or given to military commanders as "wives.
9.)    At any one time, more than 300,000 of these children are actively fighting as soldiers with government armed forces or armed political groups. "

10.)  Often recruited or abducted to join armies, many of these children - some younger than 10 years old - have witnessed or taken part in acts of unbelievable violence, often against their own families or communities.

 
 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 
 

1.)    Raise money so that way children dont have to.

2.)    Keep them away from violence

3.)    Keep their own children protected and aware of their surroundings at all times


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nessaA

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assignment #3
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  1. There just isn't child soldiers in Africa, they are also used as soldiers in some Asian countries, in parts of Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East.
  2. Some child soldiers fight for the government in some countries, but they also fight in rebel groups and religios groups as well.
  3. Most child soldiers enlist between the ages of 14 and 18 while many of them enlist voluntaraly because of conditions that are much worst then being in an army.
  4. Some children are abducted and kidnapped and abused to serve in the wars.  Children as young as nine have been abducted and used in combat.
  5. Many girls have reported enlisting to escape domestic servitude, violence and sexual abuse.
  6. Girl soldiers are frequently subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence as well as being involved in combat and other roles.
  7. An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are seving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.
  8. They weild AK-47s and M-16s on the front lines of combat, serve as human mine detectors, participate in suicide missions, carry supplies, and act as spies, messengers or lookouts.
  9. With new weapons that are lightweight and easy to fire, children are more easily armed.
  10. More thatn half a million children under-18 have been recruited into government armed forces, paramilitaries, civil militia and a wide variety of non-state armed groups in more that 85 countries.





1.) give insentives for them to not use children as soldiers like rewarding them for not using them.
2.) using international community in punishing them by stopping trade and using the things we have that they need against them
3.) by not buying the diamonds they put out there and hurting their way of making billions of dollars.



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shallyn

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RE: Forum #18: Conflict Diamonds
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 assignment # 3) continued

3 actions that could be used by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutiliazed,brainwashed and used soliders anymore the U.S can stop its trade and stop the buying of diamonds in those countries.
We can stop sending them money .We can help the people whove been brainwashed and reunited them with there families and relatives.We can help the children whove been kidnapped and get our troops to search for them and when or if their found we can punish the people who did the abductions.

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Mikey D

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Assignment #2-Conflict diamonds, sometimes referred to as blood diamonds, are gems that are illegally sold to fund civil wars and rebel conflicts. Billions of dollars worth of profit has been used to buy arms for civil wars in African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone.

Blood Diamond," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou, is set in Sierra Leone in the 1990s, when rebels took control and profited from the country's vast diamond mines.
 
Yes, i believe conflict diamonds still exist to this day, and i think they'll continue to be a problem in the future due to it's overwhelming value.

Earlier this year, the industry group the World Diamond Council (WDC) launched a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign in anticipation of the movie's release. The group has taken out full-page ads in major newspapers and launched a Web site describing strides taken to reduce the impact of conflict diamonds, as well as the economic benefits of the diamond trade to African countries.

The United States purchases the most of the diamonds

The Kimberley Process, put in place in 2003, requires diamond shipments to be accompanied by certificates stating they were not mined in countries at war.

The Director of the movie Blood Diamond hopes dto create a visual importance to his viewers of the value of diamonds, and all the chaos that will take place over them.

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ashleydays

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Assignment #5:  View the Kanye West video "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" (available for download at http://www.mtv.com/#/music/artist/west_kanye/videos.jhtml) on mute.  Evaluate the message of the images in the video. Read the lyrics to the song (http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kanyewest/diamondsfromsierraleoneremix.html)  and evaluate the message of the lyrics. Compare and contrast the message of the video and the message of the lyrics. Also read the lyrics to the song "Shine On 'Em" by Nas (available for download at http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/blooddiamond/shineonem.htm and www.blooddiamondaction.org). How does Nas's message differ from Kanye's? What effect do you think these songs will have on consumers?

 the lyrics in the two songs are pretty much about the same thing. in fact, it IS about the samething. the only thing is Nas is focused on only the blood diamonds and that subject .kaynes looses me in his song. he talksa bout like seven things at once. its wastwo confusing and didnt make sence tom e. nas' song made moresence to me.

it hink that it will really effect the other wrappers too.i mean they'llsit down and think about how horrible the blood diamonds are and everything. i also think its gunna be bad for the bussinessof dimonds but honestly its good thatpeople no this.


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jaimie

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Assignment #3:  1) gather 10 facts concerning child soldiers in countries around the world and 2) explain 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 
1.half a million children under 18 have been recruited to be soilders.
2.many of these children - some younger than 10 years old - have witnessed or taken part in acts of unbelievable violence, often against their own families or communities
3.In some areas girls make up less than two percent of the children released from armed groups
4. Stories abound of children who are drugged before being sent out to fight and forced to commit atrocities against their own families as a way to destroy family and communal ties.
5.Girls are frequently used for sexual purposes, commonly assigned to a commander and at times gang-raped.
6.They are sometimes between the ages of 4-14 years old and trained up in the bush and become very dangerous like wild animals.
7. They also use weapons like culasses and knives that they use to amputate and inject the stomachs of pregnant women. They challenge themselves over the pregnant woman's stomach by saying that the unborn baby is a boy or girl so by this, way they slit the stomach of the woman with crude knives and uproot the unborn baby.
8. . If anyone refuses to take their command, they will kill that person., but if the captive kills his mother, he or she is asked to drink the blood. To some bad extent, the body is prepared for them to eat as meat.
9. They like killing innocent civilians while others like to rape pregnant women and highly educated women in the community.
10. These children are given a chemical substance that s their daily food during battle, it makes these children to be more and more dangerous like a bush fire in the harmattan.'
 


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nessaA

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assignment #1
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Diamonds have been portrayed as a symbol of love and fedelity.  Women all around the world want a diamond for when they get married, and women all over the world like to look pretty.  Jewlary is just a way to lavish yourself i guess.  magazines show how pretty they are and they are really pretty and advertizments show a man and woman walking and him proposing with a diamond ring and they say "A diamond is forever" when it is just simply a rock.  and in movies you always see someone wearing at least one diamond and music videos everyone is "BLINGING" and they talk about how iced they are and all that.


I think the movie may have an effect, but i'm not too confident in it making a huge effect because not everyone cares and not everyone is that consceince of what is happeneing.

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J.Hickey

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RE: Forum #18: Conflict Diamonds
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10 facts:
In over twenty countries around the world, children are direct participants in war.
 
200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces.
                       

107 governments have pledged to abide by an international treaty banning the use of children under the age of 18 in direct hostilities.

 

Today in this world there is still children fighting in Congo.

 

The children are demand to engage in dangerous activities such as laying mines or explosives.

 

The children soldiers are in many cases forced to live under harsh conditions with little to no food and not have any healthcare.

 

Girls even have it worse than the boys, girls have to deal with the risk of being raped and sexual harassed.

 

Many of the children soldiers age range between 14 and 18.

 

The commanders give the children drugs which act on there nervous system, cocain, tobacco and alcohol.

 

They forget that education is better than silver and gold.

Three actions:

I would say to stop buying diamonds but thats not realistically because not everyone would stop. To some people diamonds mean the world to them no matter what.

We could enforce laws that say that children cannot be soldiers and they most get their education first then at a current age be voluntarily joined.

We could proved better protect for the children, especially the girls



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jaimie

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assignment 3 continuted
 3 actions are
1. we can try to pull as many children soilders and bring them back to their normal state of mind and get them homes.
2 we can try to capture thier adult leaders and keep these children contained so their able to get to thier normal self again.
3 we could set up a big big (very big) biulding like 13 acres big and bring them thier and help a certian amount at a time  to get them on thier feet and with families show them american customs and successful!.

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donald

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Assignment #1:  Before "Blood Diamond" was even released, the World Diamond Council spent millions of dollars on a public relations campaign arguing that conflict diamonds are a problem of the past. The success, and thereby the price, of diamonds depend largely on their reputation, and the World Diamond Council, De Beers, and other industry leaders are worried that consumers who see the film may boycott the diamond industry.  1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery at http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/diamonds.  2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?

Diamonds have been advertised as being the most thoughtful expensive gift to give someone. Diamonds are protrayed to be the glamorous and show that you have money and the more diamonds you have the more money that represents you have.THe movie changed the way a lot of people thought about diamonds because a lot of celebrities saw that it was crazy how kids were dying getting conflict diamonds they let it be known conflict diamonds are bad dont buy them and we have to try to help the kids from dying getting these diamonds.It should help people to not buy conflict diamonds,cus its wrong. 


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Leslie

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Assignment #3:

1)
     
Gather 10 facts concerning child soldiers in countries around the world and
2)      Explain 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 
 

:10 Facts:

1.      Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka often disregard the rights of children even though children make up almost 40% of the population in those countries. This neglect results in the continuous abuse the children receive in these countries.

2.      The main ways of abuse that are given to the children in these three areas range from bonded labor to even sexual trafficking.

3.      Children are often forced into the work labor because of poverty and lack of necessities in the household they are in. Lack of food is something that is almost common among most of the population living in these areas.

4.      The state often permits sexual trafficking and sexual slavery because of the lack of protection all around these areas.

5.      In Southeast Asia there are about 21.6 million children that are in the labor force between the ages of 5 and 14 and that is because of the massive poverty that goes on in these areas. In Bangladesh almost 7.9 out of 35 million children work, In Nepal 1.6 out of 6.2 million children work, and in Sri Lanka almost 475,000 out of 3.18 million children work. In all of these three countries most of the labor is forced and the children are kept in bondage while they are working.

6.      In Sierra Leone, the worlds worst recording of children soldiers was found. Between 1996 and 1997 in the major war that was going on between the RUF and Government Forces recorded that almost 60% of the 1,000 fighters were children.

7.      The CDF (Civil Defense Forces) leader, Mr. Zangalawya, was once quoted to have said that they couldnt trust adults in those areas because they have violated the rules of ruling the militia and are often killed much quicker by the enemy. This is why they turn to children because most children will listen a lot more and do what they are told.

8.      Most of the children that are forced to join rebel groups are often drugged with cocaine and hard drugs and often abused into doing their jobs. Most of the rebels are children under 14 and who have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol that have been given to them. They are often put on the front line during the conflicts and are given guns that are bigger than them so that they can feel that they have the power.

9.      Over eighty countries around the world use children in combat. The children participating in the war are forced to work with AK-47s and M-16s. Many must participate in suicide missions, on the front line of combat, as spies and to carry supplies that are used in combat.

10.  Many of the children that are either recruited or are abducted into participating in combat are as young as 10 years old. Many children are previously drugged and used in performing very terrible things against their own families as a way of showing commitment to the group. Many of the girls are used for sexual purposes and often gang-raped. There is still no accurate number to determine how many children are really used in combat but the number is extremely high.



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shallyn

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in nas's lyrics he talks more about how people want diamonds and he just focuses more on how we think about our looks and how blood diamons affects us here. but kanyes message he focuses more on the people who are struggling and losing their life to get us these diamonds so . and this affects the consumers because it makes you realize that people are dying just so you can look good with your diamond necklace or ring. and you think about the people more. i dont know about everyone else but it affected me more than i thought.

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Jerome Hardy

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Assignment: 3

1.In over twenty countries around the world, children are direct participants in war.
2.Denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts.
3.These young combatants participate in all aspects of contemporary warfare. They wield AK-47s and M-16s on the front lines of combat, serve as human mine detectors, participate in suicide missions, carry supplies, and act as spies, messengers or lookouts.
4.Physically vulnerable and easily intimidated, children typically make obedient soldiers.
5.Many are abducted or recruited by force, and often compelled to follow orders under threat of death. Others join armed groups out of desperation.
6.As society breaks down during conflict, leaving children no access to school, driving them from their homes, or separating them from family members, many children perceive armed groups as their best chance for survival.
7.Others seek escape from poverty or join military forces to avenge family members who have been killed.
8.Thousands of children were recruited by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) during Nepal's 10-year civil war.
9.Children served on the front lines, received weapons training, and carried out crucial military and logistical support duties for the Maoists.
10.Even after signing a comprehensive peace agreement with the government in November 2006, the Maoists continued to recruit children and refused to release children from their forces.

Assignment 1

1.Diamonds have been portrayed in many different ways. They have been known to be worn as jewelry.  The bigger the diamond the better in every case.  It shows that you have money.  Buying someone a diamond that is big would mean so much than a diamond not as big.
2. When this is advertised on videos some people feel they have to have it.  Kids want to wear what their favorite artists are wearing. Teens want to be noticed with big diamonds.  It's the reason why there is little to no effect with this movie on purchasing diamonds.

Assignment 5

In Kayne West's song he explains what it was like and why diamonds aren't just diamonds.  He showed what they went through in more detail than Nas. He gave a better description.  Nas told the story and if I had not seen the movie I would have no idea what he's talkin about.  That is why I liked Kayne's West's "Diamonds are Forever" over Nas's "Shine on em".

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nathan

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Assignment #1: 

1. Diamonds in American culture have been portrayed in magazines, movies, music videos, and music. The actors and actresses wear diamonds on the movie set. Diamonds are advertised in magazines, they display the newest fashions in diamonds. There are all types of jewlery where diamonds are on. Rings, necklaces, earings, watches, and much more. The most artists that were diamonds are rappers. They show off their jewlery in their music videos. The dancers are also wearing them.

2. Advertising is important because people start to want to have the jewlery that the rappers and actors/actresses wear. I think that the jewlery stores will make a lot of money from making those same exact types of jewlery. I do think that the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds, they will see the movie and see that it is a lot of hard work to make the diamonds and they will not stress about the fasion statements.

Assignment #3
:
10 Facts
1. The children are led in armed conflicts because of the economic basis and low income that they will have to allot them.
2. Most children who have been forcefully conscripted into the rebel movement and often led to turn their guns against those upon whose survival their welfare depends have been drugged and abused with cocaine and hard drugs.
3. Most children carried guns bigger than them and felt they had power.
4. Some children were sent as spies to locate ECOMOG positions that fought along side loyal forces of the government and native militia hunters.
5. They brainwash the children to actually think they have control of everything
and they can do what ever they want that they actually see killing as a sport not more as a crime.
6. Between 1992 and 1996, the period of the worst fighting between the Government forces and the RUF there were about 4,500 children who were forced to fight on both sides.
7. The male children who go through an initiation process there initiation is now used to determine that a child is entering adulthood and can be part of the fighting Kamajors the children fighters tend to be older than 8 years of age.
8. It has also been estimated that their forces in the eastern Kailahun district alone numbered 3,000 child soldiers that they have captured.
9.The children keep the laws governing the conduct of the militia like abstinence from sex, drugs and looting when in combat.
10.The children combatant can not shake a womens hand because there were not allowed to touch a woman.

3 Actions
1. People can adopt the little kids that do not have a family so that they dont run the risk of being killed or captured.
2. We can raise money and help the kids understand why we are doing thins and maybe get them back to caring about there surroundings and what there doing is wrong.

3. We can help donate money to them so they dont need to use the kids to get money.

Assignment #4
:
1. What is the natural resource curse?
Many countries whose economies depend primarily on natural resources such as oil, diamonds, or timber, generally suffer from greater poverty,
2. What are two factors that contribute to the natural resource curse?Generally suffer from greater poverty, score lower on the UN Human Development Index, 3. According to the case study, how has Botswana escaped the effects of the natural resource curse?
Botswana exported $2 billion dollars worth of diamonds, nickel, gold, and other natural resources.
4. Until 1999, Cote DIvoire was renowned for its political and economic stability. What are the factors that led the country to civil war in 2002? Economic disparity, ethnicity, and religion all contributed to escalating tensions in the region. 5. What role did natural resources play in the development of conflict in Cote DIvoire?
How are natural resource revenues currently affecting conflict there?
Cote DIvoire is still plagued by violence and conflict between the Muslim rebels in the North and the Christian government in the South.
Unequal distribution of natural resource wealth has now turned into natural resource exploitation. Both sides are currently exploiting natural resources to fund sustained military campaigns.
6. Assuming peace agreements are negotiated in Cote DIvoire, what measures do you think the government of Cote DIvoire could take to prevent the effects of the natural resource curse in the future?
Government troops have taken control of cocoa producing regions, while rebel forces in the North smuggle diamonds to buy small arms, food, and medical supplies.
What policies should the government adopt to achieve a more even distribution of natural resource wealth for all its citizens?Since the beginning of the civil war, poverty has escalated, access to safe drinking water has decreased, and government services such as education and healthcare have all but disappeared.
 
7. List two ways that the government of Botswana has worked with the diamond industry to assure that the country benefits from diamond revenue.
Because all aspects of the diamond trade, including mining, cutting and polishing, and manufacturing are managed by subsidiaries of Debswana, Botswana retains more of its diamond wealth than other nations that only export rough diamonds.
8. How do you think the international community could help stop the effects of the natural resource curse in Cote DIvoire and other developing countries?As the conflict has escalated, so have human rights abuses. For example, both sides are actively recruiting child soldiers to supplement dwindling military forces.  


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Ashley Rego

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Compare and contrast the message of the video and the message of the lyrics. Also read the lyrics to the song.

In Kayne West and Jay-Z lyrics he states that diamonds are basically everything. He says how all these black people died just for a piece of gold, and how they will always be around. For example, kayne says:
Though it's thousands of miles away
Sierra Leone connect to what we go through today
Over here, its a drug trade, we die from drugs
Over there, they die from what we buy from drugs
The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charmses
I thought my Jesus Piece was so harmless
'til I seen a picture of a shorty armless
And here's the conflict
It's in a black person's soul to rock that gold

How does Nas's message differ from Kanye's?

Nas


What effect do you think these songs will have on consumers?

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julissa

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Forum5:
Nas message is different than Kenyes because I think Nas lyrics is more on the point on the movie blood diamond. I think people will think about buying diamonds now because of the things the little kids go thru just to get a diamond.
 
Forum 1:
I think the movie will change people minds to buy diamonds. I think some people will stop buying diamonds because of the way they get the diamonds

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Ashley Rego

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assignment #5

How does Nas's message differ from Kanye's?
Nas's lyrics differ from Kayne because Nas talks about blood diamonds and the struggles, more specifically. Kayne talks about the value of a diamond and the struggles that occured trying to get a diamond.


What effect do you think these songs will have on consumers?

Hopefully, they will get the picture about the struggles of a diamond in Africa.It will make them think twice. It will make tyhem realize more about the struggles people went through. I know people will continue to buy them, but they will definetily see the value more in diamond, knowing people died for them.

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Sabrina

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Assignment 1.  Diamonds have been portrayed as a rare, expensive piece of jewelry.  In magazines, movies and videos only important, wealthy people wear diamonds.  They represent something exotic, powerful and beautiful.  Diamonds also portray love and success.  I believe the movie has changed the way people feel about diamonds because I dont think people knew what was happening to purchase them.  Until I myself seen the movie I never and thought of where diamonds had come from, now after seeing the movie I will be cautious on how I buy diamonds if I even ever do.  This is just like people who wear fur.  At first it was a big hit and it was represented and portrayed the same way however, after people learned that it was coming from the slaying and sacrificing of animals they stopped.  It is all about what people know.  Now that they know what happens to the animals, there are animal activists and people who do wear real animal fur are usually looked at in a bad light.  So, now that people are more aware of whats happening, they will think twice and maybe even stop purchasing conflict diamonds

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Sabrina

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Assignment 2 

1.      Most of the children are told lies, that there fighting will be temporary and that they will be able to go to school.

2.      An estimated 33,000 children were fighting for armed groups at the heights of Congo 1998-2003 war.

3.      Nearly four years after the official end to the conflict, some 4,000 children still remain active in army bridges, local militia and foreign rebel groups mainly in the volatile east, according to the United Nations

4.      The United Nations accuses five new government army brigades of hiding more than 300 children and sending some into combat, an act human rights campaigners say constitutes a war crime

5.      In some cases child soldiers are grouped together and hidden. But underage fighters are also coached by their commanders to say they are over 18, Van Woudenberg said.

6.      In January, the Hague-based International Criminal Court decided there was enough evidence to put Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga on trial for recruitment and use of child soldiers, making his the first case to go before the new body.

7.      The creation of the five so-called mixed brigades was part of a scheme to integrate thousands of fighters loyal to renegade General Laurent Nkunda and end their near three-year campaign against government forces

8.      The names of 225 of the at least 400 child soldiers that are part of the rebel groups ranks were given to UNICEF by the rebel army last week, on May 17th, and this is just the beginning of the process. 

9.      According to UNICEFs Representative for the country, Mahimbo Mdoe, only 14 per cent of children attend school in the most conflict-ridden zones, and less than 50 per cent are in school nation-wide

On Thursday, UNICEF announced that negotiations have started with rebel armed groups in the northeast of the Central African Republic for child soldiers to be released and returned to their families.

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Sabrina

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Assignment 3.   Kanye Wests song is about wearing the diamonds even though there is a struggle.  Nas talks more about the struggle we go through everyday .  I really dont like Kanye Wests song because of the message he is giving.  I dont agree with him because to me it really seems like he doesnt care about the struggle going on to get the diamonds.  However, I do agree with Nass song because he acknowledges that there is a struggle and lets his listeners know that this has to change.

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Sabrina

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Ashley, I agree with your comments on the differences between the Nas and Kanye songs and messages.  Good Job!!!!



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Pac-Man Jones

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Assignment # 1
 1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery.

Diamonds have traditionally been protrayed in America culture,magazines,aderterisements,movies,music videos as the new fad. All you see on music videos is rqappers wearing a bunch of iced out chains liek there going out of style. An din there songs they will rap about how many diamonds there chain has and how much money they got.

2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop bs uying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?

I think consumers will change their thought about diamonds, and definitely not take them for granted like most wealthy people like rappers. People will never stop buying diamonds for it portrays wealth and power.


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Tiff

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dimonds everyone wants them people usually buy them for someone they care about a girlfriend to a boyfriend a husband to wife and so on dinonds are very popular with artist and singers they always talk about waering dimonds and haveing dimonds on , i think diminds show that u have money thats why alot of people want them also becasue a dinond goes good with everything, dimonds you can buy anywhere but it coast alot of money dimonds make people feel more important higher in class it makes them feel as they fit in as they are somone in a higher postition dimonds have been around for years and they will continue to develope more and more and make more and more money.

  i do not think that the movie will affect all people because dimonds are beatiful they look good with everything either a guy or a girl so now i think some people might look at the situation different but especially rappers and singers they will just see it as what ever they buy what they want what they think is good theu dont care if its bad or good if it showing they have money then they dont care at all but how ever they should not look at it like that but they do, there notting sociey or a movie can do to change that it can  only show a different side to it and sometimes people are not that conviced


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ash daqys

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 1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery at http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/diamonds. 

1) i think that regaurdless every one is gunna want diamonds. there beautiful and some people are so self centered that they dont care about other things like that. only consernsenrs them. if it doesnt concern them they dont care. because of the yyears that we have adverstised diamonds its gunna take years and ears to actually stop people from buying them. blood diamonds will always happend i think . and i think that people go threw it , its sad the only way we can stop it is if the hole world goes aggainst it..w itch probably wont happen.


 
.  2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?

2) answer_i think that even tho this movie is very sad i fdont think that it will stop someone from buying a diamond. one person cannot change hte world. if only one perosn stops buying a diamond it doesnt really matter. another one will who doesnt care about the blooddiamonds.

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mre

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updated - Many of you did not choose 3 of the 5 assignments, but only did one instead.  Rememeber, they are worth 30 points each.

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Valdir

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Assignment 1: Diamonds have traditionally represented everything the rich are, and all the things the poor wish they were; wealthy, luxurious, and affluent. The media might have created this perception, but its the popular American ideology which has ultimately kept the diamond mystique alive. Why do weddings have to be sanctified by these rarities? Why do we blow fifty-six billion dollars a year on these compressed pieces of carbon crystals? It seems as though America has always been captivated by diamonds, and this admiration has only made it easier for the future generations to succumb to slime which is the media and our diamond fascination.   

The movie will probably have an impact on the way consumers view diamonds, but not a profound one. The hold the diamond industry has on the American psyche is far too great for one movie to loosen. The movie is fiction. I think many people will look at it and say to themselves, what a tragic story, but to them thats all it is, a story. Until facts are presented to the masses (like they were in class) and a strong movement for reform is created, Im afraid there wont be very much change.
 
Assignment 2: (1) A conflict diamond is a gem sold to fund civil wars and rebel conflicts. (2) The film Blood Diamond is a graphic depiction of the conflicts blood diamonds cultivate in particularly
West Africa. The movie, set in the Sierra Leone Civil War, sheds light on the conflict diamond issue.  (3) Human rights groups insist that blood diamonds are still an issue today, especially in other African countries such as Liberia and the Cote dIvoire. (4) Before the films release, the World Diamond Council launched numerous campaigns to emphasize the reduced impact of conflict diamonds, as well as to highlight the economic benefits of the diamond trade to African countries. (5) The United States purchases the greatest amount of diamonds, while Africa produces the most. (6) The Kimberley Process is a writ which requires diamond shipments to verify that their mining was not within the limits of a country at war. The process aims to prevent conflict diamonds from entering the mainstream diamond market (7) Its so difficult to measure the effectiveness of the Kimberley Process because of diamond smuggling. (8) The director of Blood Diamond hopes that the film will breed a new generation of diamond buyers, informed and educated minds who will be conscious of the decisions they make concerning diamonds. 
  
Assignment 3: (1) Most child soldiers are adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18, who have joined up "voluntarily" to survive in war-torn regions or to avenge violence inflicted on family members. (2) [Child soldiers] are forced to engage in hazardous activities such as laying mines or explosives, as well as using weapons. They are almost always treated brutally, subjected to beatings and humiliating treatment. Punishments for mistakes or desertion are often very severe. (3) Girl soldiers are particularly at risk of rape, sexual harassment and abuse as well as being involved in combat and other tasks. (4) The problem is most critical in
Africa, where up to 100,000 children, some as young as nine, were estimated to be involved in armed conflict in mid 2004. Children are also used as soldiers in various Asian countries and in parts of Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. (5) The majority of the world's child soldiers are involved in a variety of armed political groups. These include government-backed paramilitary groups, militias and self-defense units operating in many conflict zones. Others include armed groups opposed to central government rule, groups composed of ethnic religious and other minorities and clan-based or factional groups fighting governments and each other to defend territory and resources. (6) Demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) programs specifically aimed at child soldiers have been established in many countries, both during and after armed conflict and have assisted former child soldiers to acquire new skills and return to their communities. However, the programs lack funds and adequate resources. Sustained long-term investment is needed if they are to be effective. (7) Despite growing recognition of girls' involvement in armed conflict, girls are often deliberately or inadvertently excluded from DDR programs. Girl soldiers are frequently subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence as well as being involved in combat and other roles. In some cases they are stigmatized by their home communities when they return. DDR programs should be sensitively constructed and designed to respond to the needs of girl soldiers. (8) Family and peer pressure to join up for ideological or political reasons or to honor family tradition may also be motivating factors. Girl soldiers have reported joining up to escape domestic servitude or enforced marriage or get away from domestic violence, exploitation and abuse. (9) An estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts. These young combatants participate in all aspects of contemporary warfare. They wield AK-47s and M-16s on the front lines of combat, serve as human mine detectors, participate in suicide missions, carry supplies, and act as spies, messengers or lookouts. (10) Over the last ten years hundreds of thousands of children have fought and died in conflicts around the world.
 
One thing we can do to prevent the evil being done is to raise awareness. We the people have the power to spread the horrors of the issue, and eventually make it a big enough of a deal until our representatives have to get something done. More drastically, the American people can boycott the purchasing of diamonds, especially those directly stemming from conflict zones. Not only would this sever the need for child soldiers (in some instances), it would cripple the organizations that use the child labor and profit from the sale of blood diamonds. Lastly, I think American military interference, along the same lines as Somalia in the early 90s, would help. These children need liberation, and if we, and other members of the international community are in a position to do this we should.
          


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Valdir

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shallyn wrote:

 assignment # 3) continued

3 actions that could be used by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutiliazed,brainwashed and used soliders anymore the U.S can stop its trade and stop the buying of diamonds in those countries.
We can stop sending them money .We can help the people whove been brainwashed and reunited them with there families and relatives.We can help the children whove been kidnapped and get our troops to search for them and when or if their found we can punish the people who did the abductions.



To whom are we going to stop sending money?



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Kate Snell!

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Assignment #1: Before "Blood Diamond" was even released, the World Diamond Council spent millions of dollars on a public relations campaign arguing that conflict diamonds are a problem of the past. The success, and thereby the price, of diamonds depend largely on their reputation, and the World Diamond Council, De Beers, and other industry leaders are worried that consumers who see the film may boycott the diamond industry. 1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery at http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/diamonds. 2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not? 1. In American culture, diamonds have been portrayed as a symbol of wealth, beauty, love, and fame. Basically, if you have a diamond, then you obviously have money to spare or having a diamond will make you look more attractive. -Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds?Well, although I have only seen about 20 minutes or so of the movie, I already think differently about diamonds. Now I will ask if they are blood diamonds or not. I would never want to purchase something that was the reason for peoples deaths. I dont support murder, slavery, or any type of abuse. -Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not? I dont think it will stop people from buying jewelry, I think it will make people want to purchase diamonds that arent conflict diamonds. People will realize that this kind of cruelty actually happens, so then they will ask questions at the jewelry stores.
Assignment #2: Read the NewsHour Extra article
Movie Sparks Debate over Diamond Trade. Answer the following questions: 1) What is a conflict diamond? 2) What is the movie Blood Diamond about? 3) According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today? 4) What actions did the World Diamond Council take before the movie's release? 5) Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most? 6) What is the Kimberley Process? 7) Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is? 8) What does the director of Blood Diamond hope the movie will do? 1. What is a conflict diamond? A conflict diamond is a diamond that is sold illegally in order to support civil wars and rebel conflicts. 2. What is the movie Blood Diamond about?Blood Diamond is about the rebel conflict in Sierra Leone is the 90s. It shows how the rebels took control of the country and used the people as slaves to dig for diamonds. It also shows graphic images of the cruelty that went on, such as mutilations, amputations, child soldiers, and violence.3. According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today?Yes. In other African countries, such as Liberia, people are becoming the victims of the rebels need of blood diamonds. 4. What actions did the World Diamond Council take before the movies release?They used the media in order to raise awareness of the movie and to let audiences know that conflict diamonds are a thing of the past in order to keep diamond sales as consistent as they were in the past. 5. Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most?The U.S alone purchases over 65% of the worlds diamonds. The continent that produces the most would be Africa with about 60%. The United States purchases more diamonds that are even produced in Africa. 6. What is the Kimberley Process?Its a process of showing that a diamond is an official diamond and not a conflict diamond. Its a completely voluntary process. 7. Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is?Companies could lie and just say that their diamonds are not conflict diamonds. There is no way to really tell. 8. What does the director of Blood Diamond hope the movie will do?He just wanted people to be informed about the diamond industry. He wants consumers to be aware of the issues with blood diamonds; hes not necessarily trying to make people never buy diamonds.
Assignment #3: Using the websites,
http://www.child-soldiers.org/, http://www.childsoldiers.org/home/, http://hrw.org/campaigns/crp/index.htm, http://web.amnesty.org/pages/childsoldiers-index-eng, 1) gather 10 facts concerning child soldiers in countries around the world and 2) explain 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 10 Facts: 1. 107 governments have pledged to abide by an international treaty banning the use of children under the age of 18 in direct hostilities. 2. Hundreds of children are hidden in the ranks of the Congos military force. During their war (1998-2003), over 33,000 children were fighting for armed groups for the Congos army. 3. The minimum age of recruitment in Sierra Leone is 18. Until recently, their recruitment was an all-voluntary process. 4. Between 1992-1996, an estimated 4,500 children were forced to fight during one of the R.U.F. s worst fights. 5. The Civil Defense Forces, made up of tribal fighting groups in South, East and North Africa, have male children in their army that go through the initiation process, which determines whether or not that child is entering adulthood and can take part in the fighting. These child fighters are about 8 years old and up. 6. The Civil Defense Forces stated these kids are very brave on the frontline and they keep the laws governing the conduct of militia like abstinence from sex, drugs and looting when in combat. 7. C.D.F. leader Mr. Zangalaywah uses children soldiers as a military strategy. They also use them because of the economic basis and the low income that they will have to pay them. 8. Most of these children are drugged and abused with cocaine and other hard drugs, they are usually under the age of 14. 9. A lot of the child fighters say that they would also become soldiers as adults because they like to feel power. One child stated "I am 14 and a rebel killer. I don't want to be demobilized, because the rebels know I kill them mercilessly". 10. One chief of a child-fighter army said he would want nothing more than to take the children off of the frontline, but he lacks the means to. 3 Actions to Take: 1. We can definitely use the media to create awareness. Placing articles in papers, specials on T.V and reports on the radio will grab attention of people. Having pictures spread around to people around the world will show them exactly what is going on. Pictures have powerful meanings. 2. We could send some kind of force in there. If we cant use words to convince them to stop using children as soldiers, we can force them to. 3. We could have famous people be activists. They are role models, so they can make a huge impact on people.

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J.Hickey

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What is a conflict diamond?
A conflict diamond is a gem that is illegally sold to fund civil wars and rebel conflict.
What is the movie blood diamond about?
The movie is about the rebels who took control in the 1990s in Sierra Leone.
According to human rights groups, are conflict diamonds still a problem today?
According to human rights groups, conflict diamonds are still a problem in this world today. Its just that not a lot of people are aware of it.
What actions did the world diamond council take before the movies release?
Before the movie can out the council launched a multimillion-dollar public relations campaign in anticipation of the release of the movie.
Which country purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and which continent produces the most?
The Central African Republic purchases the greatest amount of diamonds and Africa is the continent that produces the most.
What is the Kimberley Process?
The Kimberley Process requires diamond shipment to be accompanied by certificates stating they were not mined in countries at war.
Why is it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process is?
People who end up smuggling diamonds anyway make it hard to determine how successful the Kimberley Process really is.
What does the director of blood diamond hope the movie will do?
The director of Blood Diamond hopes to make more people aware on this issue. Also to let people know that this is a huge problem that needs to be dealt with.

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J.Hickey

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Jamie Dias wrote:

Assignment # 1
 1) Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos and popular ideology by viewing the gallery.


Diamonds in America have been portrayed as something you buy for someone you care about or you buy for yourself because there nice. In magazines you see alot of celebraties wearing diamonds alot of diamonds. Diamonds show wealth because diamonds arent cheap even though there easy to get but noone knows where they came from or what people had to do to get them. In songs you hear hip hop artists talking about diamonds to make them seem like they have money because they have diamonds.


2) Consider how advertising affects consumer purchasing decisions and answer the following question: Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?

I think the movie will change some peoples minds but i think that everyone will still continue to buy diamonds there not going to think that the diamonds they bought people had to die for them even thought they probably did have to.In america each year people spend alot of money on diamonds and i dont think just because of a movie people will stop buying them it might change a little of what they think but they will continue to buy them.Although the movie taught me alot of diamonds and how people die in africa because of them  in America noone is going to stop buying them.




Great job Jamie, I agree, it will change some peoples mind but there are always people in the world that don't care and buy diamonds anyway just because they can.



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J.Hickey

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Brainstorm how diamonds have traditionally been portrayed in American culture in magazines, advertisements, movies, songs, music videos
 
 
Diamonds are portrayed as a sign of social status in American culture. Diamonds in magazines are usually worn by the rich crowd and are the cool thing to have if you have money. Advertisements for diamonds are usually shown as a man giving it to a woman, being in love. In songs that always talk about their diamond chain and what not and in videos they usually flash these diamonds.
 
 
Do you think the movie will change the way consumers think about diamonds? Will it make some people stop buying diamond jewelry? Why or why not?
 
I believe that the movie will change some peoples ways on buying diamonds but not all. It may not stop those people with a higher social status from buying them because they are rich and they get what they want. Some people may think twice before considering a diamond but if you want a diamond then know matter what your still gonna try your hardest to purchase it.


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donald

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1) gather 10 facts concerning child soldiers in countries around the world and 2) explain 3 actions that can be taken by us now to help stop children from being kidnapped, brutalized, brainwashed and used as soldiers anymore. 

10 FACTS
child soilders are used for combat,to lay mines,to be guards,scouts,spies,porters,crooks,and most child soldiers are between 14 and 18,girl soilders are subjected to rape, children as young as nine have been abducted and used in combatl, kids are still being abducted in large amounts today.
3 actions
Some actions that can be taken by the U.S. to stop children from being abused and being taken advantage of is to go in and stop the mining of blood diamonds. The U.S. can also stop buying blood diamonds because we buy most of them.The U.S. can also help children in africa by killing all the dictators who make the kids work hard and as slaves.

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donald

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 How does Nas's message differ from Kanye's? What effect do you think these songs will have on consumers?

Nas's message was everyone wants to have diamonds but do you really think about it when your buying them. Nas's rap was more real more graphic Kanye west's song was more expressing how the diamonds are wrong and we need to stop buying blood diamonds but both songs are saying the samething. The message should tell consumers that they should stop buying diamonds all together think about it before you buy them.

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