As you read this blog I want you to take out your cell phone if you dont have it where you can see it. Now, scroll in your call log and texts. You called your mom, texted your best friend, got on UberTwitter and maybe sent an email. Harmless, right? Wait…..keep scrolling. Look between the call home and the call to work. Somewhere along the lines today you (and me also) contributed to an on going war, rape and child slavery? All of a sudden that sidekick or Motorola doesn’t look so harmless. Your cell phone contains tin, tungsten, tantalum (The 3Ts). Over 80 percent of the world’s 3Ts are located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Those minerals are funding an on going and needless genocide. How? Keep reading.
Sadly, all of us have contributed to an on going war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Daily groups from Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda use the money they get from trading these ill-gotten minerals to fund themselves. Who are they trading with? Internal and international businesses. Most of the minerals go straight to where our beloved technology is made.
We are the ultimate users of these seemingly innocent goods we carry around in our purses, messenger bags and pockets. It’s not just jargon, our governments have documented these trails and remained silent.
Let’s really think about it. The tin in your phone other technological products is used to solder on circuit boards. The Congolese armed groups use about 85 million dollars yearly to fund themselves. Nearly every function of your phone, ipod and digital camera fund these crimes. For example, when you turn your blackberry to vibrate, that’s tungsten. That function is apart of the estimated $180 million used by armed groups to continue their violence against women and children. This stuff is sold daily, used hourly and most of us have no clue.
Look at it. Hold you phone. It’s contributing the a war that has the highest rate of sexual violence in documented history. Children mining hours upon hours. Women raped. So we can be connected. Does it look the same?
Sadly, reaches before cell phones. To rubber. Villagers who failed to meet the rubber collection quotas were required to pay the r in cut hands. In some cases, hands of children where cut off and sent to their mothers, because they didn’t meet the quota. Sexual violence was present then also. Something must be done.
where each hand would prove a kill. Sometimes the hands were collected by the soldiers of the Force Publique, sometimes by the villages themselves. There were even small wars where villages attacked neighboring villages to gather hands, since their rubber quotas were too unrealistic to fill.
What can we do
People that follow me on twitter can attest to the fact that I constantly urge them to contact their elected officials. Trust me, it speaks volumes. They do hear you. Email, call, or write.
Urge your representative to sponsor The Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009, HR 4128. You can call them at (202) 224-3121 ask for your representative.
Tell your the industry to make conflict free products. Now, you’re asking how will we know that the phone’s are conflict free? The Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009, HR 4128 will help ensure that. Think about it this way. If enough people were to tell BlackBerry that they would buy a conflict free BlackBerry phone, BlackBerry would make it. Or if enough people said they would STOP using BlackBerrys if Apple made a conflict free phone. See the room for competition? You have a lot of power. The email can be sent here.
You can do this: Take the pledge2protect We can stop this. Take 10 minutes and help someone.
Finally, you can Text the word “Congo” to 228488 (spells ACTIV8) to get updates.
There is much work to be done, but we can all make a difference. You know now, this isn’t even a tip of the iceberg. This conflict is deep and complicated. Now that you know, what will you do.
Knowledge is power. Ignorance is bliss. We must do all we can to end this crisis.
