Children’s deaths and diamond trade
8 February 2007“Blood Diamond” (one of the last Hollywood blockbusters with Leonardo DiCaprio as a star-guest) has called a lot of critics among the society. The film raises the problem of diamonds trade that causes civil wars. But one of the film’s histories which are “shadowed“ at the first sight is a heavy position of children which are compelled to mine jewels.
Film reminds us that in more than 50 countries children spend best years of their childhood working heavily in mines, risking to be wounded, killed and do not receive even an elementary education.
Not all children are working in diamond mines. Many children are extracting gold, silver and cobalt. Some are heavily working in the fields.
The UNISEF approximates, that 200 000 children work in the mines of Senegal, Niger and Burkina Faso; 40 000 children work in mines of Congo and 18 000 children are occupied with the same work (exploitation? slavery?) in the Philippines.
The UNISEF says that the mining industry is one of the most fatal forms of children’s work as they are forced to work in intolerable conditions. Children are forced to spend a lot of time in dark, dusty and stuffy conditions; even adults can’t work in such conditions for a long time. This work kills children. The World Community is highly obliged to take emergency measures to save their lives.
