Our gizmos fund murder
Amy Anderson
Issue date: 3/15/10 Section: News
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Across the Atlantic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congolese citizens are paid pennies a day for grueling work, according to raisehopeforcongo.com.
Each day, workers labor deep in mines, searching for the precious "conflict minerals:" tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold. These minerals then travel from the DRC, to East Asia, and finally-our cell phones.
By controlling Congolese mineral mines, armed forces make an estimated $180 million. According to the BBC, the armed forces extort payment before allowing citizens to enter or exit mining sites in which they work. It is reported that 7,000 women and girls have been raped since 2009. Every day, 1,300 Congolese die as a side effect of the war. These scare tactics that allow the armed forces to continue their reign of terror over the area.
The mines are full of precious minerals, many of which are very expensive and have become necessary to the Western way of life. Western nations gladly overlook human rights violations to continue living in luxury.
It is not as simple as ending the use of "conflict minerals." Tantalum allows your iPod to hold its charge. Tungsten makes your cell phone vibrate. Tin is on circuit boards in every major electronic device. Gold is used for wire coating in electronics. To cut these minerals out of production lines would halt the creation of many electronics.
But there is a way to help. A non-profit organization called Enough focuses on ending genocide and crimes against humanity. It recently launched a campaign to push a Congressional bill called The Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009. The bill demands a "greater transparency and accountability from those companies whose products contain 'conflict minerals.'" Companies' products-as well as their supplies-would be audited.
If the products or supplies contain "conflict minerals," a label declaring this to the consumer will be mandatory. This would pressure companies to make "conflict-free products" because, ideally, that is what the consumer would wish to buy.
Will the citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo have to wait for replacements of "conflict minerals" to develop before ever seeing peace? Or will producers and consumers decide to buy materials that are mined in a morally acceptable manner? Let's hope so.
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