"Little was known / of Sierra Leone / and how it connects to the diamonds we own / � Over here, it�s a drug trade /we die from drugs. / Over there, they die from what we buy from drugs. / The diamonds, the chains, the bracelets, the charmses / I thought my Jesus piece was so harmless / �til I seen a picture of a shortie armless." Lyrics from "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" by Kanye West. What�s his message? Download a poem by Saa Mathias Bendu who is from Sierra Leone. How does his message compare?

The roughest link in the chain

click to enlarge © J.B.Russell/Panos Pictures

�Conflict� (or �blood�) diamonds are gems mined in war zones. Rebel groups use money from selling diamonds to buy guns and other military hardware.

There are many victims – from diamond miners that work in dangerous conditions to others caught in the crossfire of the conflicts financed by diamond deals.

Some the world�s poorest countries have paid the price for their diamond supplies, especially in West Africa. Here, about 3.7 million people have died in diamond-fuelled wars. Millions of others have lost their homes and livelihoods.

Workers wash gravel to find diamonds in Sierra Leone.

click to enlarge © Harrison Mitchell/Global Witness

As a freelance reporter you are on a potentially dangerous mission to get to the bottom of this �conflict diamond� situation. You are going undercover to Sierra Leone, a country that has really paid the price for �conflict diamonds� in recent years.

• Create a powerpoint to present your story to newspaper editors so you can sell it to the highest bidder.
• Download a ready-made template for your powerpoint.
• Download a list of links to information and pictures to start your investigation!

Compare your presentations � who has the snappiest, newsworthy angle on the conflict diamond issue?