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'Blood Diamond' PSAs hit the airwaves

December 07, 2006

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New York—Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring Blood Diamond Director Ed Zwick and actress Jennifer Connelly urging consumers to buy only conflict-free diamonds can now be viewed on You Tube.

Amnesty International USA sent the clips along with a letter to supporters asking them to see the movie, which is set in Sierra Leone during its civil war of the 1990s.

In his PSA, Zwick advises consumers to visit Blooddiamondaction.org and "keep the blood off your hands." Against images of guns and a map of Africa, he warns that while diamonds are a symbol of love, they could also support a bloody civil war depending on where they're sourced. As Zwick talks, the PSA highlights Sierra Leone, which is now at peace, among other countries on the map, a move that could be misleading to consumers.

Connelly's clip is more straightforward, with her staring into the camera (as it slowly moves in for a close-up) while she talks about the issue.

"Depending on the source of the diamonds you're considering, your money could end up funding something you would never imagine—a deadly civil war," she soberly explains. "As a consumer, you can help to break that cycle of violence. There are plenty of clean diamonds available from Africa and elsewhere. Amnesty International can help you ask the right questions to find them and keep blood off your hands."

The announcement directs consumers to the Amnesty International site, Amnestyusa.org, and its guide to buying conflict-free diamonds.

In its letter, Amnesty International also asks people to purchase a "Blood Diamond" bracelet and to read the conflict-free-diamond buying guide, an educational guide on the film and the 2004 survey on diamond retailers.

Editor's note: For a pre-release review of Blood Diamond, visit 10X, the National Jeweler Network blog.
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Human Rights Policy | Political Policy | Politics

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