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BLOOD DIAMOND

Diamonds are forever, but to what cost? Are you aware that there are thousands of slaves working in diamond mines everyday? These same "slaves" have been kidnapped from their local villages only to find themselves working in diamond fields for sixteen hours a day. Did you know that hundreds of thousands of children ranging in age from eight to eighteen are soldiers in Africa right now?

When I first viewed the clips for Blood Diamond, I was convinced that it was an awesome and powerful movie. However, it wasn't until I really dug deep that I realized the heartrending humanity brought to light by the film. I commend director Edward Zwick and screenwriter Charles Leavitt for capturing a powerfully, intense movie that draws worldwide awareness on the humanity and exploitation of natural resources.

Blood Diamond, which opened nationwide on December 8, 2006, was set against the background of Civil War and discord that devoured Sierra Leone in the 1990s. Solomon Vandy, who is played by Academy Award nominee Djimon Honsou, is a fisherman who is taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond fields. He finds and hides a rare pink diamond at the risk of losing his life if discovered. Knowing that this exquisite diamond can save his family from life as refugees and rescue his son from the fate as a child soldier, Solomon remains silent about the location of the diamond. Archer, who is played by Academy Award nominee Leonardo Decaprio, is a diamond smuggler who has made a living of trading diamonds for arms. He learns of the hidden stone while in prison and knows it will provide him with a ticket out of Africa and the cycle of violence and corruption in which he has taken part in. Maddy Bowen; played by Academy Award Winner Jennifer Connelly, is an American journalist who is in Sierra Leone to uncover the truths behind conflict diamonds and exposing diamond industry leaders who have chosen their profits over principles. The three come together and engage on a dangerous expedition through rebel territory. Although their circumstances are very much different, their fates are joined in a common endeavor to recover a rare pink diamond.

Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa bordered by Guinea and Liberia. During a Civil War that began in 1991 by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), one third of the population was killed or displaced. The area suffers from domestic official corruption.

RUF was a rebel army that fought a revolt that lasted from 1991 until 2002. The rebel group was led by Foday Sankoh and they were known for tremendous cruelty during this period of struggle. It made extensive use of child soldiers and kidnapped thousands of boys and girls; forcing them to serve as soldiers or as prostitutes. Sankoh was eventually captured and charged with multiple war crimes and later died in 2003.

So, what has this movie brought to light? For me, it has opened my eyes to things I often turn a blind eye to. After researching this movie, I found myself grasping knowledge of a world well beyond my own. A world often left in the dark. Knowing that many natural resources are often produced, grown, gathered, cleaned, and mined by slaves and those whose lives are endangered on a daily basis is beyond comprehension. To know that a world such as this is in existence is even sometimes bewildering. If you would like to learn more about conflict diamonds and many of the natural resources impacted, I would encourage you to visit the United Nations' website or google a search with the words "conflict diamonds". There are many resources available, we just have to make the effort for change.

Learn more about this author, Melissa Schenk.
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