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Diamond Giant De Beers Opens First U.S. Store Amid Protests
Over Eviction of Bushmen in Botswana
Gloria Steinem Remembers Feminist Writer and Activist Andrea
Dworkin
Milk Money: How Corporate Interests Shaped Government Health
Policy for Women
Diamond Giant De Beers Opens First U.S. Store Amid
Protests Over Eviction of Bushmen in Botswana
Diamond giant De Beers celebrated the opening of its first
retail store in the United States amid protests decrying the
company's involvement in the eviction of the San Bushmen in
Botswana. We speak to the Bushmen organization First People
of the Kalahari, rights group Survival International, feminist
pioneer Gloria Steinem, and a De Beers consultant. [includes
rush
transcript - partial]
Today De Beers diamonds opens its first retail store in
the United States in partnership with LV luxury goods. The
diamond giant was founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1888 and contributed
to the formation of the apartheid state in South Africa through
its early segregation policies. The company has operations
all over the world and produces 40% of the world supply of
gem diamonds out of its mines in Africa.
The sale of diamonds frequently fuels conflict in Angola,
Sierra Leone, the Congo and elsewhere. So-called conflict
diamonds are regulated under the 2003 Kimberly Process, which
requires member countries and industry leaders to certify
that shipments of rough diamonds are not connected to any
ongoing conflicts. Human rights activists say the Kimberly
Process is a first step but that working conditions in diamonds
mines are still very bad and that there are loopholes in the
U.S. Clean Diamond Trade Act.
De Beers says it is in compliance with the Kimberly Process
but now the corporation is coming under fire for prospecting
the ancestral homeland of the San Bushmen in Botswana. The
government readied the area for mining in 2002 by pushing
out the San, who are the oldest inhabitants of Southern Africa
and live in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Diamond mining
is the mainstay of the Botswanan economy, constituting nearly
80 percent of the country's exports. Botswana is hailed as
among the most stable and prosperous Sub-Saharan African nations
and the government credits improved infrastructure to diamond
revenues. The national diamond company Debswana quotes President
Festus Mogae on its web site as saying, "The partnership
between De Beers and Botswana has been likened to a marriage.
I sometimes wonder whether a better analogy might not be that
of Siamese twins."
Despite the rosy outlook, about half of the population remains
below the poverty level in Botswana and human rights groups
condemn the treatment of the bushmen. Just this week there
were reports that government officials detained and beat three
bushmen when they were hunting. The Ecologist magazine quotes
President Mogae explaining the government decision to relocate
the Bushmen. He said, "If the bushmen want to survive
they must change otherwise, like the Dodo, they will perish."
Following their eviction, the bushmen created an organization
called First People of the Kalahari and took the state to
court arguing that the government's acted illegally when it
denied basic services to Bushmen who would not leave the Reserve.
Nearly 250 bushmen have filed affidavits saying that the government
is conducting diamond mining already in the Reserve and a
judge will hear their case on August second. The state attorney
did not deny the existence of diamond prospecting. He told
the court that "If found, such natural resources will
be exploited, and we are not apologetic about the future prospecting
in any game reserve."
De Beers held a celebrity opening party for its Fifth Avenue
retail store last night. While supporters of the San Bushmen
picketed across the street, luminaries like actress Lindsay
Lohan were feted by the diamond giant.
- Miriam Ross, spokesperson for Survival
International, which works with indigenous people to
defend their lives, protect their lands and determine their
own futures.
- Gloria Steinem, feminist pioneer and founder of Ms.
Magazine.
- Jumanda Gakelebone, member of First People of the Kalahari.
- James Suzman, Professor of Anthropology at Cambridge
University, an expert on the bushman of Botswana, and a
consultant to De Beers on community affairs.
The diamond trade is central to the operations of the Bostawan
economy and the government will brook no criticism of its
economic juggernaut. Recently an Australian scholar at the
University of Botswana was deported after the president accused
him of communicating with Survival International president
Stephen Corry and calling Botswana's diamonds "blood
diamonds."
- Kenneth Good, professor of political science specializing
in democratization. He has written critically on the succession-based
presidency in Botswana and the dependence of the Botswanan
economy on the diamond trade.
Gloria Steinem Remembers Feminist Writer and Activist
Andrea Dworkin
Feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem remembers writer and activist
Andrea Dworkin. She died at her home in Washington in Apri.
Steinem says, "She is our Old Testament prophet raging
in the hills, telling the truth...She really is a world mind
that is still accessible to us through her work, and that
is her greatest legacy." [includes rush
transcript]
Last April, feminist writer and activist Andrea Dworkin died
at her home in Washington. She was 58 years-old. Dworkin was
best known for her feminist critique of pornography which
she first outlined in her book "Women Hating." She
was the author of over a dozen books on pornography and violence
against women.
She often argued that pornography was a precursor to rape.
She said in 1986, "Pornography is used in rape - to plan
it, to execute it, to choreograph it, to engender the excitement
to commit the act."
Feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem spoke at a memorial service
for Andrea Dworkin in May in New York City.
- Gloria Steinem, speaking at Andrea Dworkin memorial service,
May 19, 2005.
- Gloria Steinem, on Democracy Now!
Milk Money: How Corporate Interests Shaped Government
Health Policy for Women
Last summer, the Department of Health and Human Services
unveiled an ad campaign to promote breast-feeding in the United
States. We look at how baby formula corporations put intense
pressure on the government to change its approach and eventually
reshaped the campaign. [includes rush
transcript]
Last summer, the Department of Health and Human Services
unveiled an ad campaign to promote breast-feeding. As it turns
out, the campaign was much different that what was originally
produced. It was a battle between mother's milk and the companies
that make infant formula who put intense pressure on the government
to change its approach.
The ABC news program 20/20 produced an investigative report
about the efforts of the formula companies to shape the government
ad campaign. This is an excerpt from the program where ABC
's Investigative correspondent Brian Ross asks Acting Assistant
Secretary of Health and Human services Christina Beato why
the formula companies met with then-Secretary Tommy Thompson.
- "MILK MONEY", excerpt of 20/20 Investigative
Report.
Last night the story received a Gracie Award which recognizes
exemplary programming created for women, by women and about
women in all facets of electronic media.
- Anne Merewood, Director of Research for breastfeeding
center at the Boston Medical Center. She is involved in
the breastfeeding awareness campaign for the northeast region.
- Yoruba Richen, producer on Democracy Now! Before that,
she worked in the investigative unit of ABC News. She was
a field producer for the story Milk Money.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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