Living Better, Healthier and Greener = More Blingy Ears too!

by Admin on June 23rd, 2010

 

First, a hearty thank you to everyone who entered to win these awesome conflict-free diamond earrings (worth $275) from our friends at Whiteflash. We wish we could give prizes to all of you, but alas, there can only be one winner today (and 5 runner-up winners!). It is our hope that the content we put together for you each day will serve as a meaningful consolation. But please stay tuned as tomorrow we’ll be unveiling a new giveaway from Whiteflash.

So, drum roll please…

The 1st place winner of the Whiteflash Giveaway who wins these diamond earrings is Katherine Michelle!

Katherine’s winning entry: “I believe that living better, healthier, and greener brings a higher level of self-fulfillment. Living healthier means eating right, exercising, more energy, and a longer life. Living a green lifestyle means drinking cleaner water, breathing cleaner air, minimizing waste, reducing energy output, and more green in my wallet. Ultimately being green means taking care of my planet just at it is taking care of me.”

Our 5 Runners-Up Winners who will win t-shirts and calendars from Whiteflash:

Kadence Englehardt - “I believe that living greener, healthier, and better are all intermixed. It just means that we need to be making every choice one that not only understands the consequences for us, but what happens to the environment in which we live. Ecosystems are intangibly connected: we still don’t know how far the ripples of choices of bygone eras have gone. Everyday offers us a chance to understand that connections of our one and only Earth.”

Alicia McDonald - “I choose to live healthier, better, and greener because life isn’t an isolated incident, it’s a communal effort. What I do today doesn’t just affect me and my own life but rather the lives of people I encounter, lives of people I don’t know, lives of animals, and the quality of the environment. Imagine if everyone made one positive choice daily to live better, healthier and greener. Lives would change, the world could change.”

Annabella Asvik - “Being a fashion producer, the amount of unethical fabrics (fur!) and jewelry killed me last fashion week. I thought if I started making ethical fashion choices, and showcased how glamorous being green can be, I could inspire change. I’d be excited to wear these earrings and show that diamonds can also be an eco girl’s best friend and that by choosing right, it’s not just the diamond’s that’s forever, the planet should be forever too.”

Sara Gallmann – “To me, living better, healthier and greener means staying mindful and in the moment – keeping my heart open, breathing fully, remaining thoughtful in word and deed, taking only what is necessary, finding ways to give back and be of service, being a responsible steward of the planet, eating organic whenever possible, eating consciously, moving and exercising my body and mind, being kind, thoughtful and grateful, live lovingly, re-use, recycle, explore, celebrate and live and love fully!”

Monique Marco - “Living better, healthier, and greener is about the big picture; not just me. It’s family, community, society and how I can be of service and make a positive impact and inspire. So I aim to touch, move and excite others to live healthfully; I know how fabulous it feels and appreciate how much joy, and passion it gives me. I teach yoga, have a clean diet and live strive to live with grace and abundance.”

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts on what living better, healthier and greener means to you!

-The Whiteflash.com Team

Announcing the winners of the Green Love Diamond Giveaway

by Admin on June 23rd, 2010

Green Love: It’s All About Peace of Mind

This holiday season Whiteflash began an initiative to educate consumers about conflict diamonds and how to purchase socially conscious gifts for your loved ones this holiday. Whiteflash.com introduces “Green Love” this holiday season. As an online e-tailor we know that it is all about your peace of mind and your wallet. Two lucky winners received a Mini Dreams of Africa pendant and a Dreams of Africa ® earrings made with Whiteflash A Cut Above ® melee diamonds and here is what they had to say!

Grand Prize winner of the Mini-Dreams of Africa® Diamond Pendant in 18 Carat Gold set with 20 Whiteflash A Cut Above ® Diamond Melee (0.30ctw; Color: F/G, Clarity: VS). Approximate Retail Value (”ARV”) is $1,400 goes to Molly! Here is what Molly had to say…“I received the Dreams of Africa pendant today and it is absolutely beautiful! I can’t believe that I won the Dreams Love Giveaway! I will treasure this gorgeous piece of jewelry always! My husband said it looks just fabulous on me and that it really suits me. Thank you so much and Thank You Whiteflash.com! Have a great day!”

Our First Prize Winner Safiya has won a pair of Dreams of Africa® Diamonds for Life Diamond Earrings in 18 Carat Gold set with 6 Whiteflash ACA Diamond Melee (0.15ctw). ARV is $300.

“The diamond earrings are absolutely stunning.   Thank you so much to everyone at Whiteflash for such a generous giveaway.  I am planning on wearing these earrings for my wedding in May.  I never thought that I would get to wear real diamonds on my wedding day.  They are going to be just perfect with my dress. Thank you again!” 

Thank you to all of our fans who entered our giveaway!

-The Whiteflash.com Team

NGOs Warn It Is Becoming Difficult to Justify KP

by Admin on June 23rd, 2010

 

The nongovernmental arm of the Kimberley Process (KP) warned that its participation in the scheme is falling into question over the Zimbabwe issue.

“It’s getting more and more difficult to explain the crisis in Zimbabwe’s diamond sector. It’s very hard to explain decisions that are made behind closed doors,” Annie Dunnebacke, a campaigner for the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Global Witness, told Rapaport News at the KP intercessional meeting in Tel Aviv on Monday. “We’re not in a rush to leave the KP, but we might have to.”

Dunnebacke’s comments come as Zimbabwe’s membership in the KP is being debated and as human rights groups have intensified calls to exert more scrutiny on the country’s Marange diamond mine. Earlier in June, KP monitor to Marange, Abbey Chikane, said he would recommend that Marange stones be cleared for export with KP certificates as they have “met the scheme’s minimum requirements.”
In an interview with Rapaport News to be published Wednesday, Chikane explained that his mandate was not to deal with human rights issues at Marange, but to ensure that output from the mine met international standards set out by the KP.

In the run up to the Tel Aviv meeting, non-government organizations (NGOs) Global Witness, Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), and Human Rights Watch each published separate reports calling for Zimbabwe’s suspension citing ongoing human rights abuses surrounding the mine. Their frustrations have deepened with the ongoing detention of Farai Maguwu, director of the Centre for Research and Development (CRD) in Zimbabwe.

The groups did not say what the consequences would be if their expectations regarding Zimbabwe were not met. Chikane said he was concerned that if the NGOs withdrew from the scheme it might spell the end of the KP.

Strong Proponent of KP

In her speech to the meeting, Dunnebacke stressed that civil society has always been a strong proponent of the KP.

“In our daily work we do a lot more communicating about the KP, why we think it’s important, why we maintain our commitment to it and invest so much in building it,” she said. “We have always been at the forefront of efforts to explain why the KP matters so much.”

“In recent months it has become more and more challenging to justify to the world why we still support it,” Dunnebacke added.

While the Zimbabwe issue has taken center stage at the meeting, many are hoping it won’t dominate the agenda.

“My personal hope is that the meeting won’t be overshadowed by Zimbabwe, that some focus can put on all the good things being done in KP,” said one senior KP delegate who requested to remain anonymous.

Israel’s Goals

Israel’s KP chairman Boaz Hirsch noted the work outside the Zimbabwe issue that his office has undertaken since assuming the chairmanship in January. He explained that Israel is focused on three core issues through its year at the KP helm. These include creating an annual roadmap that will build on KP enforcement capacities; to enable stronger administrative capabilities through the creation of an office for administration and support; and the formation of a working group on trade facilitation.

However, Hirsch noted that much of this week’s meeting would be dedicated to the implementation of the KP’s joint work plan for Zimbabwe.

“In this regard, difficult decisions await us that will affect the international diamond community in all its various facets,” he said. “The KP standards must and will be upheld. At the same time, consideration will be given to the uniqueness and special needs of each participant, and efforts will not be spared in order to find the ways and means to accommodate it.”

Zimbabwe Denies Diamond Campaigner Bail

by Admin on June 23rd, 2010

A Zimbabwe court has denied bail to Farai Maguwu, the head of a local nongovernment organization (NGO) focused on monitoring abuses around the Marange diamond fields, despite pressure from global human rights groups to free him.

Maguwu was arrested in early June and charged with providing false information to Kimberley Process (KP) monitor Abbey Chikane during Chikane’s recent visit to Zimbabwe. Following their scheduled meeting, police raided the offices of the Centre for Research and Development (CRD), confiscating Maguwu’s computer, work documents and car and forcing him into hiding. He subsequently turned himself in.

Chikane met with Maguwu as part of his research to assess Zimbabwe’s compliance with the KP’s minimum standards at the Marange mine. Maguwu allegedly presented Chikane with documents “stolen” from the authorities  and outlining human rights abuses at Marange. Chikane has said that he was concerned the documents may incriminate him if found in his possession.

Sources familiar with the case told Rapaport News that a bail hearing was held Monday afternoon and that Maguwu’s case was turned down, which means he remains in custody.

Calls to release Maguwu have intensified in the past week as the KP opened its intercessional meeting in Tel Aviv on Monday, where Zimbabwe’s controversial participation in the scheme is being debated. Members of the civil society branch of the KP wore “Free Farai” t-shirts at the opening day, while others, including Israel’s KP chairman, Boaz Hirsch, referred to Maguwu in their addresses to the meeting.

“The arrest of Farai Maguwu created negative emotions and high tensions that threaten to divert us from the road toward an applicable solution, which will affect the international diamond community in all its various facets,” Hirsch said.

Maguwu became a prominent figure at the KP plenary meeting in November in Swakopmund, Namibia when he challenged the participation of the Zimbabwean government in the scheme. As the head of an NGO based in the Marange area, he has been vocal in monitoring the situation at the Marange mine. In May, he issued a report claiming that approximately 2,000 carats of diamonds were being smuggled each day by workers at the mine.

One Zimbabwe activist, who requested anonymity, said he suspects the authorities have deliberately detained Maguwu to prevent him from attending the Tel Aviv meeting, while World Diamond Federation (WDC) president Eli Izhakoff said Maguwu’s detention was an uncalled for and unjust attempt by the country’s government to suppress criticism.

Both Izhakoff and Global Witness campaigner Annie Dunneback called for Maguwu’s immediate and unconditional release.

“If one-third of the KP can’t do its job properly, the KP can’t work,” Dunneback said.

Human Rights Watch Calls on Kimberley Process to Halt Zimbabwe Loose Diamond Trade

by Admin on June 23rd, 2010

 

Rona Peligal, acting director for Africa at Human Rights Watch (Tel Aviv) — The government of Zimbabwe has broken its promises under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) work plan to improve abusive practices in its diamond fields and should formally be suspended from the Kimberley Process (KP), Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a 16-page report released today.

Participants in the KP — governments, the diamond industry and civil society groups that seek to eradicate the trade in blood diamonds — are meeting from June 21 to June 23, 2010 in Israel, which chairs the group this year. The ongoing human rights violations in and around Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond fields should be at the top of their agenda, HRW said.

“The Kimberley Process risks total irrelevance if it ignores these ongoing abuses,” said Rona Peligal, the acting director for Africa at HRW. “If the Kimberley Process can’t take real action on an issue like Zimbabwe, then what is it good for?”

HRW has received new reports that soldiers in Marange are engaging in forced labor, torture, beatings and harassment. HRW documented rampant killings and other abuses in Marange last year. Despite these ongoing abuses, Abbey Chikane, the South African monitor appointed by the KP to investigate conditions in the area, has recommended allowing diamond sales from Marange to resume.

As Zimbabwe recovers from a man-made humanitarian crisis, diamond revenues could provide the country with resources for improved education, health and nutrition, among other basic needs. In its research, HRW found that there is so little proper regulation of diamond mining that vast sums are leaving the country unaccounted for. The country’s finance minister, Tendai Biti, said in March that no revenue from Marange diamonds had yet reached state coffers. With an intensified military presence, diamond smuggling may actually have increased, benefiting only an elite few in the party of President Robert Mugabe,  the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), and its allies.

At its plenary meeting in November 2009 in Swakopmund, Namibia, KP members, rather than suspend Zimbabwe, called for the country to adhere to a work plan that Zimbabwe itself had proposed. The plan commits the country to a phased withdrawal of the armed forces from the diamond fields (but without specific time lines), directs police to provide security for the area and provides for a monitor, agreed upon by both Zimbabwe and the KP, to examine and certify that all shipments of diamonds from Marange meet KP standards.

Since November, the Zimbabwe government has allocated a small portion of the Marange diamond fields to two private firms with close links to high-ranking members of the armed forces and ZANU-PF. Large parts of the Marange area remain under direct military control.

Chikane has made two visits to Zimbabwe. His latest visit, in May, was marked by controversy. While he was there, Zimbabwean intelligence officials raided the Mutare office of a leading civil society organization, the Centre for Research and Development (CRD), two days after the group’s leader, Farai Maguwu, met with Chikane and discussed confidential information about the Zimbabwean armed forces’ continued presence in Marange.

Police beat up, arrested and detained members of Maguwu’s family. Facing threats to himself and his family, Maguwu felt forced to turn himself into the police. He is in jail, though he was not charged within the legally required 48 hours, and his family is in hiding, as are staff members of his organization. Chikane said that some of his notes were seized from his bags by intelligence agents, but he has neither called for an investigation nor publicly condemned the jailing of Maguwu.

“If Zimbabwe is jailing activists for writing about abuses connected to diamond mining, then it is hardly meeting the minimum standards for Kimberley Process membership,” Peligal said. “In addition, the chaos — and allegations — surrounding Chikane’s visit and his approach call into question the credibility, professionalism and integrity of his work.”

Chikane’s preliminary report, issued on March 21, following a visit that month, focused largely on the narrow technical aspects of diamond mining and played down the abuses in Marange. Although killings by Zimbabwean state agents are fewer in the area compared with the height of military repression in October 2008, local residents told HRW that there are new abuses and that they live in fear of the army.

As one community leader told HRW, “Soldiers routinely force us to mine for diamonds; if anyone refuses, they are tortured. Life in Marange is hell.”

HRW has repeatedly called on KP members to demand an end to human rights violations and smuggling in Marange and to insist on transparency and accountability within Zimbabwe’s diamond industry. The organization has also urged the global group to recognize human rights issues explicitly as a fundamental element of its mandate and raison d’être.

A member of the Parliament Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy, who was barred from visiting the area despite having the official responsibility to do so, told HRW, “Our natural resources in Marange are being looted on a massive scale daily. And yet government turns a blind eye and pretends all is well and wishes for the KPCS and the world to believe all is well in Marange.”

World Diamond Council Calls on KP to Strengthen Administration

by Admin on June 23rd, 2010

 

The following is the address delivered by Eli Izhakoff,  the president of the World Diamond Council (WDC), to the participants of the 2010 Intersessional Meeting of the Kimberley Process (KP) that is being held in Tel Aviv, Israel, June 21, 2010.

Mr. chairman, delegates, distinguished guests:

It is my pleasure to be able to address you here in Israel at this important meeting of the Kimberley Process. At the outset, I would like to thank our Israeli hosts for organizing this event. In particular, I would like to congratulate the new KP chairman, Mr. Boaz Hirsch.

Yesterday, as a prelude to this Intersessional Meeting, a group of us — including representatives of government, industry and the NGO community — met to consider the manner in which the Kimberley Process should evolve, so that it continues to meet the challenges thrown up at it more than ten years after the conflict diamond crisis first raised its ugly head. The role that will be played in this regard by the KP chairman will be critical. Since he has assumed the KP post, I have been impressed not only by Boaz’s rapid mastery of what clearly is a complicated subject, but also at his open mind and his readiness to consider and implement change.

To bring about change, we require decisive but deliberate leadership, where the goal is to amend what is necessary, without undermining those qualities and elements that have brought us success in the past. Boaz, I am confident, is cognizant of this and I believe that under his chairmanship, the KP will be ready to meet the challenge.

Before I fully address the issue of change and evolution, let me first comment on what clearly has been the most pressing issue of the past year and that is the situation in Zimbabwe.

Our goal as human beings is to ensure that the citizens of Zimbabwe are able to go about their lives without their basic rights being violated. It is for this reason that the World Diamond Council (WDC) raised its voice to demonstrate against the recent detention by the Zimbabwe authorities of nongovernmental activists. This clearly was an uncalled for and patently unjust attempt by the country’s government to suppress criticism. Such actions need to be condemned clearly and without equivocation.

We call today for the immediate and unconditional release of Farai Maguwu.

The World Diamond Council issued its statement as an organization that is concerned both about what is happening in Zimbabwe and with the provision of basic human rights in diamond producing countries. The Kimberley Process will continue to pay dividends if we keep our eyes on the ball and in the case of Zimbabwe, that means monitoring carefully what is happening in Marange. We will not rest until this diamond-producing area is operating for the benefit of all the country’s citizens.

There are those who feel that the Kimberley Process is not fulfilling its mission or possibly that its mission is not properly defined. I will say this: I do not for one moment suggest that the KP is above criticism, nor that the KP cannot be improved. Indeed, I believe that there is much to be done and I will elaborate about that in just a moment. However, we should never overlook what has been achieved, nor should we underestimate how much skill was required to create this delicate coalition involving government, business and civil society, which, in the space of just a few years, managed to cut the percentage of conflict diamonds in the market to just a mere fraction of what it once was.

Yesterday, we discussed the evolution of the Kimberley Process and the choice of the word “evolution” was deliberate. Beings evolve in nature because of environmental changes and when they do, they maintain those elements that ensure their stability, while eliminating or changing other elements that were ineffective or detrimental to their survival.

The same must be true of the Kimberley Process.

I received this week a very comprehensive working paper that had been put together by my good friend Ian Smillie. On a personal note, I am so delighted that Ian has chosen to remain involved in this subject to which he has already made such a very significant contribution.

In his paper, Ian makes a number of proposals. Several involve issues that we at the World Diamond Council have been raising for the past couple of years at least.

These are our recommendations:

First, it is imperative that the administration of the KP be strengthened and this requires the establishment of a professional staff that will manage its day-to-day affairs. The current system, by which KP is managed on a part-time basis by, admittedly, a very talented and committed group of individuals, does not properly serve a mechanism on which so many people depend. Furthermore, because the KP chair is transferred annually from country to country, it is important that a professional administration be maintained. Like a government whose civil service keeps the wheels turning even when the elected leadership changes, so should the Kimberley Process operate.

Second, we should look at amending the current decision-making process, which, at present, requires absolute consensus for a resolution to pass. We understand that the consensus requirement has played a role in maintaining the KP coalition, but it also has created a situation in which a single participant has the power to block progress, without even having to declare the reason for doing so. The Kimberley Process should consider methods of amending its system of voting so that, on the one hand, it can act more decisively and, on the other hand, still maintain the greatest degree of harmony among participants. In the past, there have been suggestions about a super-majority, such as a two-thirds or 75 percent rule. This could provide a viable solution.

Third, the KP should reform its rules on the publication of internal reports, with the goal being full transparency of all its actions and conclusions. I would note that at the Kimberley Process panel discussion that took place at the JCK Show in Las Vegas at the beginning of this month, criticism was voiced about a decision to close the Intersessional Meeting to the press.

I do not suggest that we have anything to hide, but with a closed-door policy, we do give the impression that we are concealing something. I appreciate that there may be instances in which matters are best handled discreetly, but the general approach should be one of openness. I would point out that all meetings of the World Diamond Council, including the upcoming one in St. Petersburg, are open to the press. Not only do we not keep the media outside, but we invite them in to follow our proceedings.

Fourth, we urge our constituents — and here I refer to the diamond industry leadership and the members of the various diamond centers around the world — to vigorously enforce the chain of warranties, which is an integral part of the Kimberley Process. In this respect, we call for the involvement of key industry bodies, like the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, the International Diamond Manufacturers Association and CIBJO, as well as the governments in the various countries, to oversee this effort.

In summary, we call on all participants to support the Kimberley Process so that it continues to fulfill successfully its most precious mission. At the same time, we urge a careful review of the KP system, so that it is properly equipped to meet the challenges thrown up at it seven years after it was first implemented. We also emphasize that, whatever amendments are introduced to the KP system, they be evolutionary. Our environment has changed and so should the KP, but whatever is introduced should serve to strengthen the alliance between government, business and civil society that provided the Kimberley Process with its strength right from the very beginning.

Martin Rapaport Begins Three-Day Protest Fast Outside Kimberley Process Meeting

by Admin on June 23rd, 2010

 

 

Martin Rapaport, Chairman of the Rapaport Group, has begun a three-day fast outside the Kimberley Process (KP) meetings. The water-only fast began at sundown on Sunday, June 20 and will continue until sundown on Wednesday, June 24, following the close of the KP meetings in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Rapaport is fasting to protest the issuing of Kimberley Process Certificates for blood diamonds and to draw attention to the fact that it is unethical for the diamond and jewelry trade to rely upon the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) or System of Warranties to ensure that diamonds are not involved in severe human rights violations, such as murder, mutilation, rape and forced servitude.
 
Martin Rapaport’s statement:
 
“The Kimberley Process (KP) is aiding and abetting severe human rights violations as it certifies, legalizes and legitimizes blood diamonds. Corrupt governments have turned the KP on its head. Instead of eliminating human rights violations, the KP is legitimizing them.
 
“The diamond trade and consumers cannot trust the Kimberley Process, its system of warranties or those that promote the Kimberley Process as an assurance of the legitimate source of diamonds. We must face the fact that the Kimberley Process is a politicized, government-controlled initiative that is incapable of eliminating human rights violations in the diamond sector. It’s time for the World Diamond Council (WDC) and responsible NGOs to withdraw from the KP.
 
“The solution is outside the KP. The diamond trade must take full responsibility for how and where it buys its diamonds. It must stop hiding behind the KP and recognize that it has moral and ethical obligations that transcend national and international laws. While governments cannot enforce international human rights standards due to sovereignty issues, diamond traders can use their purchasing power to enforce such standards. The key to understanding this issue is that, in the end, our diamonds are only as good as we are.”

Comments and messages for Martin Rapaport can be sent to Martin @ Rapaport.com.

For additional information about this issue, visit www.diamonds.net/zimbabwe.

About the Rapaport Group: The Rapaport Group is an international network of companies providing value-added services that support the development of free, fair and competitive global diamond markets. Established in 1978, the Rapaport Diamond Report is the primary source of diamond price and market information. Group activities include publishing, research and marketing services, Internet information and diamond-trading networks, global rough and polished diamond tenders, diamond certification, quality control, shipping and financial services.