Diamond Impact
Diamond Impact
Mining has had both a negative and a positive effect on many societies; it has created conflict, higher quality of living, a higher economy and a higher environmental risk. In this essay I will focus mainly on the impact of diamonds in Africa, as this country is one of the main supplier of diamonds worldwide.
Two-thirds of the world’s diamonds are exported from Africa; they are mined in these countries; Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, The Congo and Zimbabwe. For many of these countries diamond mining has had a good impact on their societies; Botswana has the strongest economy in Africa and Congo is the second largest diamond supplier in the continent. In fact one of the African countries with the highest development/quality of living is Botswana, closely followed by The Congo and Zimbabwe. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Botswana is US $11,410. GDP is a way of measuring the size of the economy and is often used to calculate the value of all products produced that year; normally the higher GDP shows the higher standard of living.
Internationally diamond industries have created employment for ten million people including 38,000 in Southern Africa. If this money is handled well it will help create new schools, hospitals and buildings. With over 38,000 people employed in mining, the diamond industry gives them a salary, better healthcare and better education for them and their children. The president of Botswana in 2006 spoke of the diamond industry as positive impact on his country “For our people, every diamond purchase represents food on the table; better living conditions; better healthcare; safe drinking water; more roads to connect our remote communities and much more.". In some cases miners from some of the industries have been treated unequally compared to the miners at other workplaces; where the workers are paid less and are in slave-like conditions, and their superiors are paid extravagantly more.
Unfortunately not all of the wealth
Mining has had both a negative and a positive effect on many societies; it has created conflict, higher quality of living, a higher economy and a higher environmental risk. In this essay I will focus mainly on the impact of diamonds in Africa, as this country is one of the main supplier of diamonds worldwide.
Two-thirds of the world’s diamonds are exported from Africa; they are mined in these countries; Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, The Congo and Zimbabwe. For many of these countries diamond mining has had a good impact on their societies; Botswana has the strongest economy in Africa and Congo is the second largest diamond supplier in the continent. In fact one of the African countries with the highest development/quality of living is Botswana, closely followed by The Congo and Zimbabwe. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of Botswana is US $11,410. GDP is a way of measuring the size of the economy and is often used to calculate the value of all products produced that year; normally the higher GDP shows the higher standard of living.
Internationally diamond industries have created employment for ten million people including 38,000 in Southern Africa. If this money is handled well it will help create new schools, hospitals and buildings. With over 38,000 people employed in mining, the diamond industry gives them a salary, better healthcare and better education for them and their children. The president of Botswana in 2006 spoke of the diamond industry as positive impact on his country “For our people, every diamond purchase represents food on the table; better living conditions; better healthcare; safe drinking water; more roads to connect our remote communities and much more.". In some cases miners from some of the industries have been treated unequally compared to the miners at other workplaces; where the workers are paid less and are in slave-like conditions, and their superiors are paid extravagantly more.
Unfortunately not all of the wealth