The Canadian Institute of Sustainable Living
Box 3352, Smithers BC 
V0J 2N0 Canada
info@onesky.ca * www.onesky.ca

*For Immediate Release*
August 8, 2003

Citizens groups to Canadian diamond industry: Get on the bus!
Jewellers urged to join efforts to ensure an effective ban on blood diamonds

"There is still no guarantee that blood diamonds used to fund war and suffering in Africa are not being sold in Canadian stores, despite international efforts to control the trade", warn the Canadian development organization One Sky, and the human rights group Amnesty International Canada.
This month, One Sky members are driving a school bus loaded with supplies to Halifax where it will be shipped to children in war-ravaged Sierra Leone. Along the way the bus will be stopping at the Jewellery World Expo in Toronto (August 10-12) to deliver a message to Canadian jewellers.
“Millions have died in Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola as the result of wars motivated and funded by diamond smuggling,” says Nikki Skuce of One Sky. “We have a long and difficult road ahead of us before the trade in blood diamonds can be stopped. Canadian jewellers need to join the call for an effective system to identify and ban the sale of blood diamonds before the momentum to solve this problem is lost.”
An international diamond certification system known as the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme came into effect in January. The Kimberley Process bans the trade in diamonds from conflict zones and sets up a paper trail to certify the origin of all diamonds before they can be exported or imported. 
However, the Kimberley Process relies on the participating countries to make truthful reports. Non-government organizations working to stop the trade in blood diamonds have called for regular, independent monitoring to prevent blood diamonds from being passed off as clean and to restore consumer confidence.
On April 29, 2003, at the last Kimberley Process Plenary, Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman of the African diamond giant De Beers said: 
"I believe that transparent verification of both government and industry procedures is essential to the credibility of the Certification Scheme in the eyes of the world. It is for this reason that the industry wholeheartedly supports the NGO's objectives in securing a credible system of monitoring."
The question of regular, independent monitoring will be on the agenda when the countries participating in the Kimberley Process meet again in October. 
A busload of One Sky and Amnesty International members, accompanied by African dancers and musicians, will be collecting signatures on a petition throughout Toronto on Saturday before the Jewellery Expo.
The petition urges the Canadian jewellery industry to publicly support the call for regular, independent monitoring of the international trade in rough diamonds.
“Now is the time for Canadian jewellers to speak out,” says Craig Benjamin of Amnesty International. “By joining the international call for a more effective Kimberley Process, the Canadian jewellery industry can make a real difference in ending the suffering caused by the trade in blood diamonds.”
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***Photo Opportunity***		
 
Itinerary
Public demonstrations against conflict diamonds on Saturday, August 9th, starting at 12 noon to four parts of the city:
    1. Bloor West Village @ 12:15pm
    2. The Annex @ 1:15pm
    3. Yonge & Dundas @ 2:15pm
    4. The Beaches @ 3:30pm
Listen for the African drums and watch out for the school bus that One Sky is shipping to Sierra Leone. As well as being half-painted by school children from BC (the other half will be painted in Sierra Leone), the bus will be decorated with large banners calling for an end to the trade in blood diamonds. For more information on Canadian Jewellers for Conflict-Free Diamonds initiative, visit: http://www.onesky.ca/diamonds/index.html    

The Jewellery Expo: Sunday, August 10 from 9:30 am to noon. 
Parking the bus at Exhibition Place to present the consumer petition and to hand out information to many of the thousands of Canadian jewellers entering the Expo. 

Contacts
Nikki Skuce, One Sky head office at 250-877-6030 or 
Craig Benjamin, Amnesty International Canada National Office at 613-744-7667, ext 235

On-site:
Jennifer Thompson, One Sky staff on site at 250-613-3846 (cell) or  
Sarah Mohan, Amnesty International Canada representative on site at 416-828-2284