How You Can Help End Conflict Mineral Use

Currently, there is no mandatory law or framework for companies purchasing minerals from central Africa. Two bills currently in Congress—one in the House and one in the Senate—would create a system to audit and regulate international trade and help companies to stop buying conflict minerals. As David Sullivan of the ENOUGH Project pointed out to me, the first UN report on the connections between conflict and natural resource exploitation came out ten years ago, so we've known about this for a decade and there's been no serious action. It's time!

So, here are some things you can do to help stop conflict minerals:

Support legislation

Write your representatives in Washington to let them know you support the Conflict Minerals Trade Act.

Call for governmental reform of the Kimberley Process

There are no efforts currently underway to do so, but as was apparent in the Kimberley explanation above, there are a few points in the process that could use serious improvement.

Call for more accountability

for western aid that goes to DRC—and for aid to altogether stop supporting Rwanda and Uganda in their role in the ongoing conflict.

Learn more about companies you buy from:

With things like coltan, it can be truly hard for companies to know where their supplies are coming from, but the greater demand there is for transparency, the greater the results will be. With diamonds, it can make a difference immediately. HRW suggests asking retailers where their diamonds come from—and if they don't know, will not find out, or refuse to ensure it's not from the mines controlled by the military in Zimbabwe, don't buy. Tiffany has been outspoken about this—others should follow. (Of course, the safest, greenest option is to not buy diamonds, buy artificial, or buy used.)

Companies like HP are working to clean up their supply chain, and a more formal infrastructure (see step one!) would help speed up those efforts and make them more successful.

Buy Less

The more rapidly we consume things, the higher the demand is for the products that are driving this trade.

Recycle More

Recycle more, especially your electronics. It's important for so many reasons aside from the coltan trade, but electronics recycling can help to mitigate the demand for new coltan, as well.

For other ideas and to stay on top of the issue, check out the ENOUGH Project's conflict minerals and Take Action page, Human Rights Watch's Zimbabwe diamonds page, Causecast's action page, and Raise Hope for Congo's ideas for action.