Blood Diamond Worksheet

(Please put all of your answers on a separate sheet, do not write on this question sheet)

Sierra Leone, 1999

Civil War rages for control of the diamond fields
Thousands have died and millions have become refugees
None of whom has ever seen a diamond (Blood Diamond, Opening Credits)

Main Characters: Danny Archer (diamond smuggler), Solomon Vandy (slave in diamond mines, assists Archer), Maddy Bowen (journalist from
USA), Dia Vandy (Solomon’s son, child soldier and slave), Colonel Coetzee (diamond and weapons smuggler, Archer’s connection to buyers)

Section A
Answer ALL of the following questions

1. Early in the film we see rebels coming into a village, killing the locals and burning their homes. If you knew that you
had to leave your home RIGHT NOW, and you had no time to get into your car, what would you carry with you
(what possession is most precious to you, what would be most beneficial)?

2. Why would the rebels choose to chop off the hands of the local villagers?

Use the following information to answer question 3 – 4

 In Africa, we see the diamonds in the diamond mines, in the hands of rebel soldiers and the sheep of smugglers.
 In India, we see the diamonds in jewelry factories being cut into jewelry quality stones.
 In Europe, we see the diamonds in the hands of a diamond merchant and in a jewelry store window.

3. How does each new location change the symbolism or the meaning of the diamond?

4. What might be going through Solomon’s mind when he sees the diamond necklace in the London jewelry store
window? (if you can’t remember who Solomon is – look at the top of the page)

5. Why are these diamonds from places like Sierra Leone often called “blood diamonds” (what is going on in these
countries, and what are the diamonds being sold for)?

6. Events in the movie: Copy down the following chart on your answer sheet.

Economic Globalization Political Globalization Social Globalization

Use the following list of events to fill in the chart; put each event in the category that you think best fits. There should be at
least 2 events in each category.

 G8 meeting to discuss the sale of diamonds

 Archer smuggles diamonds to London
 London keeps the diamonds in a vault to keep the supply low and the price high
 The UN running the refugee camps
 Journalists reporting the events to western nations like Canada
 Foreign armies invading the rebel camps to help the government fight the RUF
 Major nations of the world sign the Kimberly Process to limit the sale of conflict diamonds
 Journalists go to the local bars to drink and dance with the locals
Section B
Choose ONE of the following categories and answer the questions in that section.
The following categories include quotes that can help you to answer the questions.
1. Resources creating conflicts
 “Throughout the history of Africa, whenever a substance of value is found the locals die in great numbers and in
misery. This was true of ivory, rubber, gold and oil. It is now true of diamonds” (member of the G8 summit)
 “The natural resources of a country are the sovereign property of its people. They are not ours to steal or exploit in
the name of our comfort, our corporations, or our consumerism. The Third World is not a world apart.” (Speaker at
the Kimberly summit)
 “The Belgians [European colonists] were the first to chop off hands. King Leopold took one hand for every
hundredth slave in the Congo to keep them in line.” (Benjamin – man who runs the orphanage)
 “He’s crazy for diamonds.” … “Let’s hope they don’t find oil.” (Solomon and the old man in the village)
 Archer’s trail of blood diamonds: Sierra Leone – Monrovia, Liberia – Antwerp, Belgium – India - London
1. Choose two of the quotes that you think best describe the issue being discussed in this section – summarize what the
quote is addressing, and explain why you chose that quote over the others.
2. Why does the competition for resources create violent conflicts?

Use the following to answer question three

According to the movie:
 The United States is responsible for 2/3 of all diamond purchases worldwide. (Canada has similar spending habits.)
 Conflict diamonds are only a small percentage of overall sales (15%); diamond sales are an important part of the
economy in nations around the world
3. Answer the following questions relating to the sale of blood diamonds:
a. What is the government of Canada’s responsibility when it comes to the sale of blood diamonds?
b. What is the responsibility of private industry (the diamond firms)?
c. What is the consumer’s responsibility?
d. What is YOUR responsibility?
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. The Role of the Media
 “You sell blood diamonds too. Who do you think buys the stones that I bring out? Dreamy American girls who
want…a big shiny rock like the ones in the advertisements of your magazine.” (Archer to Maddy)
 “This is what a million people looks like. At the moment, the second largest refugee camp in Africa. You might
catch a minute of this on CNN, somewhere between Sports and Weather.” (Maddy)
 “It’s like one of those infomercials. You know, the little black babies with swollen bellies and flies in their eyes. So
here I’ve got dead mothers, I’ve got severed limbs, but it’s nothing new. And it might be enough to make some
people cry if they read it, maybe even write a check, but it’s not going to be enough to make it stop.” (Maddy)
 “People back home wouldn’t buy a ring if they knew it cost someone else their hand.” (Maddy)
1. Choose two of the quotes that you think best describe the issue being discussed in this section – summarize what the
quote is addressing, and explain why you chose that quote over the others.
2. Why is “BBC World”, a British company, broadcasting in Sierra Leone?
1. How does this related to social globalization?
3. What is the role of the media – to inform the public by recording what is happening, or to get involved and stop the
fighting? How could getting involved help or hurt the situation or their ability to do their job? Use these ideas to
create the following chart. You should have at least four points for each side.
Benefits of having the media in war-torn areas Negative aspects of having the media in war-torn areas
3. Refugees
 “Maybe [Solomon’s] baby dies in that camp. Maybe his daughter gets raped. Maybe both.” (Archer)
 There are several scenes in the movie that show the thousands of people fleeing to refugee camps.
1. Why do many refugees sometimes have to travel at night and hide during the day?
2. Why do the workers in these camps wear blue hats, what organization does the color represent?
3. How would you feel if you were looking for your family and had to read these long lists of names? Would you give
up hope or would you keep trying to find them?

4. Using the information you have learned, create a personal response from the perspective of a refugee. This could be
a letter to a friend, or a cartoon, or a story. Make sure there is enough detail to show your audience you understand
what life is like for a refugee. (if you have not seen the movie, do some Internet research on refugees in Africa)
________________________________________________________________________________

If you choose # 4, you must also do #5 as there are fewer questions

4. Child Soldiers
 “The government tells you the future is in your hands. We now the future, R.U.F. the future. No more hands, no
more voting” (RUF leader)
 Orphanage set up to help work with the children who are now physically, mentally and emotionally scarred from
what they have seen and done.
 “Sierra Leone is at peace. There are still 200,000 child soldiers in Africa.”
1. List at least three ways that the adult rebels brainwash the children into becoming soldiers. (if you have not seen the
movie, consult with your teacher)
2. What punishment should be given to the men who recruit child soldiers? Be realistic in your punishment.
a. Write an official proclamation, or a letter to the government, outlining how the use of child soldiers causes
long term damage, and what punishments should be given to those who recruit and train child soldiers. Be
specific to show that you understand the issues relating to child soldiers in Africa. This proclamation should
be at least one page long (double spaced).

5. Legacy of historical globalization: the relationship between blacks and whites in Africa
 “It seems the rebels have taken back the diamond fields, Danny. The government of Sierra Leone has contracted us
to go in there and take the rebels down.” “So you sell the rebels the weapons and the government hires you when
they use them. Nice, sir.” (conversation between the Colonel and Archer)
 “The Shona say it’s red from all the blood that’s been spilt fighting over the land.” (Colonel talking about the red
earth)
 “Time to get your family out.” “This my country, man. We here long before you came, long after you gone.” (Archer
and M’Ed)
 “Need some of the old discipline, huh.” “My boy”; “master”; references to baboon tracking and comparing it to
black people. (Archer and Solomon)
 “How can my own people do this to each other? I know good people who say there is something wrong with us
inside our black skin. That we were better off when the white man ruled. But my son is good. … When peace
comes, this place will be a paradise.” (Solomon)

1. Choose two of the quotes that you think best describe the issue being discussed in this section – summarize
what the quote is addressing, and explain why you chose that quote over the others.
2. What events from the past could lead Archer to assume that he can take the role of master to Solomon?
3. How should we respond to the legacy that has been created by historical globalization?
Section C BONUS – these assignments are for students who would like to go further, they are not required

Choice One – the History of Rhodesia

In the film Archer says he’s from Rhodesia, and Maddy replies “We say Zimbabwe now, don’t we?”
 Find information on why the country was named Rhodesia
 Find information on why the name of the country is now Zimbabwe
 What events were occurring in the area during the late 1970s that could help explain why Archer’s parents were so
brutally murdered?
 Explain the current status of Zimbabwe

Choice Two – Apartheid in South Africa

Archer talks about being a soldier in South Africa. He explains to Solomon that he fought side by side with black people,
“there’s no apartheid in a fox hole.”
 What was apartheid in South Africa?
 How long did it last?
 What is the “Truth and Reconciliation” process going on in South Africa that Archer mentions?

Choice Three – Diamonds

Print out the lyrics to the following songs and attach them to your answer sheet
 "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
 “Diamonds Are Forever" by Shirley Bassey
 “Shine On 'Em" by Nas
 “Diamonds From Sierra Leone Remix" by Kanye West

Find the slogans from at least two diamond companies, like DeBeers.

 What are these songs telling you about the value of diamonds in our society?
 What do diamonds symbolize in our society?
 Debate the following question: Is a diamond really a girl’s best friend?

Choice Four - Violence

A constant debate circulates around the representation of violence in movies, games and television shows. Agencies classify
them to protect young people from their influences. Advocacy groups seek to eliminate or restrict their exposure. Yet the
context of the violence influences the ways that people understand its meaning. A major concern involves ‘gratuitous
violence,’ or violence that seems to have little or no relevance to a story and is included just to shock or entertain the
audience. Some violent representations might incite further violence, while other representations might discourage it.
Blood Diamond includes the explicit depiction of amputations, bombings, beatings, bludgeonings, and shootings. People are
made homeless, prisoners and slaves. People swear, using five of the major English curses, frequently.
 Should the movie be restricted, or is its message important for all to see?
 Could the story have been told successfully if the violence were not explicit, but implied? Is its violence likely to
incite or discourage violent responses?
If a single piece of work was capable of bringing about immediate change, then so many well intentioned films over the years would have long ago solved
the world’s problems. But raising consciousness is a distance event, not a sprint. It’s important to remember that 150 years ago in this country it was entirely
acceptable for a man to own another man. Twenty years ago people thought nothing of drinking and driving. Five years ago you could smoke in restaurants
and on airplanes. These are remarkable paradigm shifts, but they only came about by a number of people willing to hold up a mirror, unflattering at times, in
order to show the world to itself…. And change happens.
EDWARD ZWICK (Director of Blood Diamond)

“In many instances, resource extraction itself causes conflict. Around the world, the operations of oil, mining, and logging companies are causing severe
tensions with local populations, often indigenous communities. …Typically, these operations confiscate land from local people without proper compensation.
They cause an array of environmental problems by poisoning drinking water, destroying arable land, clearcutting forests, and despoiling hunting and fishing
grounds… [Meanwhile] the economic benefits from resource extraction mostly accrue to outsiders: the central government, multinational corporations, and
assorted foreign investors.” (Michael Renner. The Anatomy of Resource Wars.)

For more information go to: http://www.amnestyusa.org/education/pdf/bd_curriculumguide.pdf