My eye has recently been caught by R khooks’ Stop the Traffic Chocolate Competition in support of the campaign to stop the trafficking of children in the production of chocolate bars. “Nearly half the world’s chocolate is made from cocoa grown in Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa.” The 2000 US State Department Human Rights report said “It is estimated that some 15,000 Malian children work on Ivorian cocoa and coffee plantations. Many are under 12 years-of-age, sold into indentured servitude for $140, and work 12-hour days for $135 to $189 per year.” STOP THE TRAFFIK is calling for consumers to force the chocolate companies to ...
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A new initiative for preventing diamonds from financing conflict in the Cote d'Ivoire has been agreed at an international conference in Brussels. Since 2005 export of rough diamonds from Cote d'Ivoire has been banned by the United Nations due to violation of a ceasefire agreement between the Abidjan government and the New Forces guerrillas, which control the north of the country. The embargo does not appear to have prevented Ivorian diamonds from entering Europe. Last month it was reported that Belgian judicial authorities had confiscated 14 million euros (21 million dollars) worth of illegal diamonds of Ivorian origin. Read Full Story
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