Smart Phone In My Hand, War in Congo
By 2008, The deadliest war in modern African history [the current war in Congo and the surrounding areas], had killed 5.4 million people. . . . The war and the conflicts afterwards were driven by, among other things, the trade in conflict minerals. -- Wikipedia
What Are Conflict Minerals?
According to Raise Hope for Congo, "Gold, tin, tantalum, tungsten (the "3 T's"), are mined in eastern Congo and are in all consumer electronics products."
Who Produces or Depends on Electronic Products?
The San Francisco Bay Area is home to three of the biggest brands in the history of the world, namely: Apple, Facebook and Google.
The People Behind The Brands
Each of these wildly popular brands owes it success, not only to the genius of its founders and the creative efforts and long hours of its paid workforce, but also to anonymous masses of desperately poor people forced to work in conditions difficult for us to imagine.
The work they do, many of them children, brings us the (conflict) minerals we need to have cellphones, tablets, laptops, desktops and and most other electronic devices.
What Can We Do To End This Heartbreak?
Some of the following actions may seem too simple; others may be too much effort. Remember: a small action is better than no action and once you get started you may find you have time and energy for more than you thought.
- Accept that slavery exists and feel the pain of that truth
- Acknowledge the wonder of all of that you have
- Honor the slaves who have created so much of what you have, and give thanks
- Watch Blood in the Mobile and Amazing Grace
- Understand that ending slavery is possible
Check out these nonprofits:
- Not For Sale
- Raise Hope for Congo
- Responsible Sourcing Network
- Take the How Many Slaves Work For You? survey
Set the intention that all people be free.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. This is the interrelated structure of reality. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.
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