Blood Diamonds

1. Blood Diamonds By: Kricel Perez

2. Blood Diamond (Significance and Impact) The significance of this movie is about the Blood diamond industry in Africa. Blood Diamond is a movie where they show the bad conditions where people in Zimbabwe live. This was a movie made base on what happen in 1999 in Sierra Leone. This movie have had great impact in the diamond industries, because of how they show parts of Africa exploiting men, women, and kids that live in villages around the continent. They made them work for hours as slave looking for diamonds. If they did not a certain amount of diamonds or they tried to hide them the soldiers in charge would cut off their hands or feet. “Iunderstand White people want our diamonds, yes. But how can my own people do this to each other?”(Blood diamond 2006) This people who exploit them were genocides, soldier kids and men who were forced to be in the guerrilla with them. They were forced to be separated from their family and friends. They are also forced to kill people who doesn’t obey them and if they didn’t fallow the rules they were the ones killed . People don’t have a future there in their country the only thing have is slavery there is no choice.

3. Blood Diamonds (The movie) Blood Diamond is a movie about the guerrillas happening in Sierra Leone, Africa and how they exploit people in villages from there. This movie takes place during the civil war in the 1900’s. this whole movie is about a family that gets separated by corrupt soldiers. Then they make everybody work like slave with no salary involve. They make people work on diamond mines and exploit them. They make them look for diamonds all day in a river. If they have found diamonds they have to immediately reports it and if not reported the soldiers would just cut off the peoples hand or feet. The village was going through a corrupt moment. They didn’t have helped from anybody. The movie also is about how places around the world buy diamonds illegally from genocides soldiers for a cheaper price.  “Who do you think buys the stones I bring out, dreamy American girls who want a story book wedding and a big shiny rock. It's like the ones they see in the advertisements in your politically correct magazines, so please, don't come here and make judgments on me, alright. I provide a service, the world wants what we have, and they want it cheap. We're in business together, get over yourself, darling (Blood Diamond, 2006).” this movie give a vey strong message to everybody who love diamonds, In every diamond there is someone's life. "People back home wouldn't buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand (Blood Diamond, 2006).”

4. Analysis My interest in the film Blood Diamond started when my junior teacher showed us the movie. She had told us to do a research about the diamond conflict in Africa. By just watching the trailer of the movie I became very interested and moved by all the graphic scenes in the movie. The movie started right away with intense action that grab my attention. In the beginning of the film they showed people living in a village in Sierra Leone. They all had a normal life until the genocides came and capture everyone in the village. They took family apart and killed people. When I saw that seen I just couldn’t stop watching it. I just couldn't stop thinking how lucky I am for having a great family. I couldn’t live with the idea of any family member dying in front of me. There were just to many feelings involve. I think that the main thing that makes the movie more realistic is the job of the actors. They make you feel the pain they are feeling in that moment. These actors really get into their character and do a very phenomenal job. I just can’t imagine how cruel people act with their own kind. After watching the movie it made me realize that diamonds are not just beauty and love, but i=just tears of others and the cost of peoples life. Governments should do something about it and stop these guerrillas. They need to stop buying diamonds illegally from people in Africa. We all need to help our world , not destroy it.

5. Research Diamonds are something beautiful usually represents happiness and classiness. But people don’t know the real truth behind the diamonds. People just buy them at a store and don’t think to themselves where the diamonds come from. Well don’t get fooled by this precious rock. This rock has been through many hands, literally. "People back home wouldn't buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand (Blood Diamond, 2006).” Blood diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are defined by the UN as gems that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action against those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the UN Security Council. They have funded conflicts in Africa that have led to the death and displacement of millions of people. Diamonds have also been used by terrorist groups such as al-Qaida to finance their activities and for money-laundering purposes (Tran, 2010).                 People in Africa are sold or made slaves to work for many militias in their country who make illegal trades with people around the world. The military killed or tortured hundreds of panners after a diamond rush in 2008 that attracted tens of thousands, lured by the prospect of riches (Tran, 2010). People in Africa who usually trade diamonds trade them for money or for weapons. Due to the trades for the diamonds the military use it to fund the civil wars around the African nation. People around the world should take matter into their hands and stop this devastating horror for Africans. More than 70 countries participate in the Kimberley Process, which requires the governments in these countries to ensure that all diamond shipments are exported in secure containers (Hoyt, 2010). People who work for the military are forced to work more than 12 hours a day without any payment. The people who work there suffer from various deceases.       More than 70 countries participate in the Kimberley Process, which requires the governments in these countries to ensure that all diamond shipments are exported in secure containers. Under the scheme all diamonds traded by member countries are certified so that buyers can be sure they are conflict-free.

6. Pictures