Is Your Mobile Phone Helping Fund War in Congo?

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/09/28-1

Insurgents in the central African state are earning up to £118 million every year by selling four so-called “blood minerals” that are vital in making electronic goods.

Warlords take over the mineral mines by systematically raping women and murdering men, and now a pressure group is asking British consumers to sign a petition demanding a ban on the use of metals sourced from Congo.

A graphic five-minute film, aptly titled Unwatchable, is released on the internet today to highlight the campaign by Save the Congo.

Filmed by Michael Bonvillian, a Hollywood cinematographer whose work includes Cloverfield and Lost, it tells the story of a Congolese woman, Masika, who was gang-raped together with her daughters before her husband was murdered and mutilated by an armed militia.

More at the link --

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. k&r

horrific

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Signed the petition and emailed my phone maker.

[ChandlerJr]

3. Yep, and drinking your Double Chocolate Frappe

at Caribou Coffee while yapping on your I-Phone is really ramping the wars up. Most of the worlds cocoa comes from that area of the world too.

Give 'em both up.

[arcane1]

4. Coltan is in all micro-electronics nowadays

And yes, it could be mined and collected humanely, but then those who get mega-rich from it would have to settle for being super-rich instead. ANd we would have to pay more for our gadgets.