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Protest over Botswana Bushmen’s Land Rights
By B. Earth | February 13, 2009
Human rights group Survival International hosted a protest yesterday outside of UK diamond purveyor Graff Diamonds’ flagship London store. The group has demanded that Graff Diamonds pull its stake in a new diamond mine in Botswana. The mine is situated on the land of the traditional Kalahari Bushmen, who have already been recently displaced and mistreated by the Botswana government. Survival International is also imploring celebrities to boycott the brand and to not wear Graff diamonds to the upcoming Oscars ceremony.
Work on the mine is already underway and the Bushmen are facing severe water shortages as a result. The Botswana government has closed the Bushmen’s water source, causing fatality in the Bushman community. The government claims that the Bushmen are in favor of the mine, but they do not have access to counseling resources or trustworthy sources of information on the mine’s impact.
The Botswana government already once evicted the Bushmen from their land in 2002. When the county’s High Court deemed the move illegal, the government attempted to prevent the Bushmen’s return by denying them hunting rights. The government is now depriving them of water as a furthered attempt to disparage them from living on their native lands. As a result, many Bushmen still remain in resettlement camps.
Brilliant Earth’s diamonds are ethically sourced in accordance with high social and environmental standards. We are sorry to see another mine being established, and hope that Survival International’s efforts to prevent it have some positive results.
Topics: Conflict Diamond Issues, In the News, Mining Issues, Uncategorized | No Comments »