“The blood diamond conflict in Sierra Leone was the topic of a Rethinking Race event led by Dr. Baffour Takyi and Dr. Zack Williams of the Pan African Studies Program. Blood Diamonds:Development, Conflict and Underdevelopment in Africa, the Role of Resources illustrated a bigger issue of resources relating to conflict and what that conflict may cause.”
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The blood diamond conflict in Sierra Leone was the topic of a Rethinking Race event led by Dr. Baffour Takyi and Dr. Zack Williams of the Pan African Studies Program. Blood Diamonds:Development, Conflict and Underdevelopment in Africa, the Role of Resources illustrated a bigger issue of resources relating to conflict and what that conflict may cause. The trauma of the war is still visible to the people and the infrastructure of the nation. There is a human cost to these natural resources. It is those costs that were discussed in this Rethinking Race event.

The event started out with a documentary on blood diamonds that gave a detailed and accurate account of that situation. A lively and thought-provoking discussion of many issues followed.

The conflict between the government of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) from 1991 to 2002 was fueled and sustained by diamonds. It left millions dead or displaced.

It was this resource that lead to mutilation, murder and mayhem throughout the nation. Greed was the centerpiece of this conflict. The RUF abducted people to work, essentially as slaves, in the diamond mines. They abducted children to be their soldiers. They amputated the arms and legs of citizens to instill dominance and fear. All to the end of power facilitated through diamonds.

The publicity of blood diamonds and the situation in Sierra Leone opened up a window of discussion of a host of other issues that affect underdeveloped nations. The discussion during the event went beyond blood diamonds and Sierra Leone. Issues of race, gender and human rights came up. The discussion went on to address to underdeveloped nations all over the world, how they got to the positions they are in and who is responsible.

Who is to blame? That is a complicated question that Dr. Takyi left up to the audience. He suggested that there isn’t a single point of origin, but internal and external responsibilities.

It isn’t just about blame, but also about responsibility. Williams used Haiti’s situation as an example. It isn’t just about how a nation got to where it is, but how it will recover, and who will be involved in it.

Dr. Williams stressed the importance of not looking strictly at issues and conflicts as they appear today, but digging deeper. It is crucial to look at the origins and histories of these nations to understand their predicaments.

When the event was there were no clear answers to the issues that were brought up. If anything there were more questions. Williams summed it up the only way anyone really could: It’s complicated.

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