Human Geography: Diamonds Of War
Human Geography
Diamonds of War
1. According to the film, what percentage of all diamonds are considered illicit?
a. The film says that 20% of all diamonds are considered illicit. They are diamonds that are smuggled out of countries. They are diamonds that have paid for wars, terrorists, weapons, or armies. They can also be diamonds that were used to launder money or hide illegal activity.
2. How many UN troops are currently stationed in Sierra Leone? Why is the number significant?
a. There are 17,000 UN troops stationed in Sierra Leone. It is the largest UN force currently deployed. After a 10 year civil war, peace is very fragile so the UN force has to be there to maintain a stable country.
3. What is the goal of the Kimberley Process? …show more content…
The goal of the Kimberley Process is to stop the trafficking of blood diamonds. They want illicit diamonds to be stopped from entering legitimate markets. The diamond industry sees blood diamonds as a huge mark on their public image and they know that the conflicts over diamonds are ones that they do not want to be associated with. They do not want to be linked to them so they do not want to sell them.
4. Why are diamonds the ideal currency for clandestine transactions all over the globe?
a. The biggest reason that diamonds are ideal currency for shady acts is because they are easy to struggle. They are very high value for a small amount. A handful of diamonds can be worth $100,000 dollars and there is no smell or residue so they are hard to find. Diamonds are also really easy to get in Africa. Dealers do not ask questions and they will deal with anyone. The diamonds can also enter a legit market and get mixed in so they are difficult to trace and they get laundered into the market quickly.
5. Who are the Maraka? Why are they feared?
a. The Maraka are a group of notorious smugglers. They are feared for their magical powers, they can disappear when they get to borders or checkpoints. They are big into bribing police and they are violent people. They are basically big smugglers and they are involved in the diamond trade. Their reputation and myths enhance their image and make them scarier to …show more content…
Antwerp is a city in Belgium and it is incredibly significant because it is where a lot of diamonds are cut and sold. It is basically where diamonds are taken when they are smuggled out of Africa. At Antwerp they can be mixed into other diamonds and they can be cut and sold. Once they are done up, diamonds are hard to trace. Large diamond companies reside in Antwerp and large groups of diamond buyers are here so this is the destination for many illicit diamonds.
7. Why is the mixing of diamonds such a hindrance to anti-smuggling efforts?
a. When a diamond is cleaned and cut, it is virtually impossible to tell the origin. When diamonds are being processed they are all mixed together, they are not separated by area so they all end up similar. Basically the blood diamonds are laundered into the legit market. Once blood diamonds are mixed in it is hard to tell which diamonds are the bad diamonds and corruption or false records lead to large amounts of mixing. The smuggled diamonds end up looking like legit diamonds.
8. What is the best step for preventing the smuggling and sale of conflict diamonds? Should the majority of action be targeted towards source countries or the diamond industry?
Diamonds of War
1. According to the film, what percentage of all diamonds are considered illicit?
a. The film says that 20% of all diamonds are considered illicit. They are diamonds that are smuggled out of countries. They are diamonds that have paid for wars, terrorists, weapons, or armies. They can also be diamonds that were used to launder money or hide illegal activity.
2. How many UN troops are currently stationed in Sierra Leone? Why is the number significant?
a. There are 17,000 UN troops stationed in Sierra Leone. It is the largest UN force currently deployed. After a 10 year civil war, peace is very fragile so the UN force has to be there to maintain a stable country.
3. What is the goal of the Kimberley Process? …show more content…
The goal of the Kimberley Process is to stop the trafficking of blood diamonds. They want illicit diamonds to be stopped from entering legitimate markets. The diamond industry sees blood diamonds as a huge mark on their public image and they know that the conflicts over diamonds are ones that they do not want to be associated with. They do not want to be linked to them so they do not want to sell them.
4. Why are diamonds the ideal currency for clandestine transactions all over the globe?
a. The biggest reason that diamonds are ideal currency for shady acts is because they are easy to struggle. They are very high value for a small amount. A handful of diamonds can be worth $100,000 dollars and there is no smell or residue so they are hard to find. Diamonds are also really easy to get in Africa. Dealers do not ask questions and they will deal with anyone. The diamonds can also enter a legit market and get mixed in so they are difficult to trace and they get laundered into the market quickly.
5. Who are the Maraka? Why are they feared?
a. The Maraka are a group of notorious smugglers. They are feared for their magical powers, they can disappear when they get to borders or checkpoints. They are big into bribing police and they are violent people. They are basically big smugglers and they are involved in the diamond trade. Their reputation and myths enhance their image and make them scarier to …show more content…
Antwerp is a city in Belgium and it is incredibly significant because it is where a lot of diamonds are cut and sold. It is basically where diamonds are taken when they are smuggled out of Africa. At Antwerp they can be mixed into other diamonds and they can be cut and sold. Once they are done up, diamonds are hard to trace. Large diamond companies reside in Antwerp and large groups of diamond buyers are here so this is the destination for many illicit diamonds.
7. Why is the mixing of diamonds such a hindrance to anti-smuggling efforts?
a. When a diamond is cleaned and cut, it is virtually impossible to tell the origin. When diamonds are being processed they are all mixed together, they are not separated by area so they all end up similar. Basically the blood diamonds are laundered into the legit market. Once blood diamonds are mixed in it is hard to tell which diamonds are the bad diamonds and corruption or false records lead to large amounts of mixing. The smuggled diamonds end up looking like legit diamonds.
8. What is the best step for preventing the smuggling and sale of conflict diamonds? Should the majority of action be targeted towards source countries or the diamond industry?