The Last Empire: The De Beers Mining Consortium .
HARD TRUTH: ALL DIAMONDS ARE CONFLICT DIAMONDS By Penny Hess, African People's Solidarity Committee Most of us blithely take for granted the resources available to us in our daily lives. We don't give much thought to the brutality and suffering it takes to extract those resources for our use at the expense of the people to whom they belong. To this day, we continue to mindlessly pump gas into our cars without thinking of the deadly violence in the Middle East being waged so that the American people can continue to use all the oil we want. The same holds true for diamonds, the glittering rocks of crystallized carbon worn by millions. Long revered as rare, benign gems symbolizing the ideals of beauty and everlasting love, diamonds are the desired gift for engagements, anniversaries, graduations, or simply as an expression of love. Diamonds are thought to be the makings of heirlooms, something to pass down from generation to generation with ever appreciating value. ...