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If any dark place on the face of this earth needs illuminating, surely it lies in the minds of those people, who are unware of, or worse still, don't care about the issue of child labor being used to dig Coltan (from columbite and tantalite. How benign does it sound? "The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)". The reality is very, very ugly. Children are not just being used to dig Coltan from the ground. They are also being raped, used as child soldiers, starved, as well as working in slave conditions. Who should take a stand against these conditions? This could be the shortest article in history. I can not think who will intervene on behalf of these children.

The people who would have the best chance of an effective intervention also have the most to lose. Coltan is an essential component in electronics. It is used in capacitors in cell phones, blackberries, iPods etc. In other words, it is used in things that the developed world is now addicted to.

America alone, the world's premier superpower, certainly has the muscle to go in, with or without the other western' countries' backing, and tell the authorities in the DRC that we insist on them eliminating the conditions that these children endure. But that would also mean the price of our beloved high-tech toys would increase. Or would it?

Whilst coltan is found in many mainly African countries, until it came under administration in 2004, the largest producer of this dull black gold was the Sons of Gwalia mining company in Western Australia. The company operated two mines, originally opened as gold mines in the nineteenth century, reopening in the twentieth century as a coltan miner. With the demise of Sons of Gwalia, and the largest deposits said to be in DRC, the exploitation of the children does not look like coming to an end any time soon. Children's hands would not be as efficient as modern machinery at mining the stuff, so if we could get a reputable company or companies to get into mining this stuff with an investment in modern machinery, the price could remain the same or perhaps even drop a little. Some decent company could then circumvent the murderous squads that make the squalid DCR system work.

So, who will take the stand against abusive child labor being used in Congo to dig out Coltan? It starts with "illuminating the dark place with a deep sense of responsibility".

It then requires big companies (you know who you are) to do something truly heroic, and insist on buying their components from companies who can prove that their conductors are made with minerals obtained by decent and humane methods, even if at a slightly higher price. Let us, the consumers, know who you are, and we will buy your product.

Sources:

Pulitzer Center; Wikipedia; Time Magazine.

Learn more about this author, Leo Ginley.
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