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Blood Roses and Diamonds


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What's the true price of love? Current Vanguard Journalists head to Colombia and Sierra Leone to explore the unromantic stories behind two symbols of love.

Produced by: Evan B. Stone, Kaj Larsen, Jael de Pardo, Darren Foster & Mariana van Zeller
Kaj
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  • 5 months ago

16 responses // Blood Roses and Diamonds

  • does anyone know why this wont load properly?
    mattiq
  • http://current.com/items/88832498_to_pull_a_thorn_from_...
    Great journalism kaj and Jael, thank you.

    A vast majority of cut flowers sold in the United States, 79 percent, are imported, mostly from countries with mild climates, like Colombia and Ecuador. But only a small minority of flower farms have adopted environmentally friendly methods, like banning toxic chemicals for pest control, said Nora Ferm of the International Labor Rights Forum, an advocacy organization where she is the program director of a “fairness in flowers” public education campaign that began a few years ago. And few of those farms, Ms. Ferm said, bother with occupational health and safety measures for workers, who can suffer pesticide-related illnesses like headaches, rashes and birth abnormalities among their children.
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    When I did buy a diamond, I bought a Tundra diamond from Canada. The diamond itself is etched so you know it is a blood free diamond. When I think about the energy it took to get the diamond to me and what an open pit mine looks like, it makes me think that even a conflict free diamond isn't that great an idea. What the miners in this story have to go through, and for such little pay, really makes you realize how unfair life can be. No one should have to live and work like that. I'm thanking my lucky stars right now. Thanks for the perspective Current.
    covelogibbs
  • So...I think I may be sticking to chocolates for a while.
    ocanada
  • god great job... this is the law of this world, some people born with star and some people born Crashed, is hard but is true
    carlosdurangop
  • great pod! We can't remain ignorant about what we buy...

    "Ignorance, the root and the stem of every evil." - Plato
    RegretFree
  • Great piece. I've be interested to see a follow up piece about the flower industry and its growing practices in East Africa, specifically Ethiopia. You could tie it in with an investigation into coffee growing as well, there was a huge controversy involving starbucks that occurred a few years ago.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6086330.stm

    Also, VBS TV did a special on the Colombian Devil's Breath. Scariest Plant Ever.
    dgold0101
  • Great piece.

    If you want to go back to Colombia-- how about taking a look at the violence against union members in that country. Many U.S. companies are implicated and the free trade agreement was just shelved because of outcry from union supporters.
    lagan
  • Wow. This is a great inspiration to do great work. This is one of the best Pods I have seen. By far! What I liked about this pod is that it gave showed the effort, blood, sweat, and tears given to produce something so materialistic such as diamonds and Roses. The movement of this Pod was great. (Considering it was shot in Africa and Colombia) This is just a great pod.
    deg334
  • I really enjoyed your investigation about the flower industry, especially cause I live in Colombia l(bogota). Everything was very good, just one thing I didn´t like was your spiel about the taxis...taxis in Bogota, are just as safe, probably safer than most cities in Latin America...the industry is very weill regulated, they all have a taximeter and they are very cheap! I´m not a taxi driver or anything, but just thought there´s no need to "scare" people with negative stereotypes. (all this stuff about colombia being ´so´dangerous)
    manuelrda
  • Great journalism. WRT to the blood diamonds, Current should investigate Viktor Bout, a Russian national who has been supplying the weapons for waring nations for nearly two decades. Check out "Merchant of Death" by Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun for Bout's history and connection w/ countries in Africa.
    arbitrage
  • Another awesome Vanguard piece! Fantastic pod.

    I knew about the blood diamond trade prior to viewing this, but really knew nothing of the blood roses trade.

    Very informative and straightforward.
    Eric_C
  • GREAT INFORMATIVE SPECIAL
    I WAS NEVER INTO VALENTINES DAY ANYWAYS
    MAYBE THATS WHY I NEVER HAD LONG RELATIONSHIPS LOL
    BUT YEAH IM NOT A FAN OF COPPING ROSES OR DIAMONDS AND WATCHIN THIS KEEPS ME AWAY AGAIN
    THANKS CURRENT AND TO ALL WHO MADE THIS SEGMENT..
    theIII
  • interesting and informative... i agree with one of the posts above, even conflict diamonds seem senseless. what other opportunities are there though for worker in SL?

    fantastically produced videos.
    bgross
  • They have the technology to make diamonds in factories now
    jamesphilb
  • Great work. Congratulation!

    Roses, diamons, bananas...and the list keeps growing.
    Only educated consumers can change markets: Yes! you can find responsibly produced colombian, ecuadorian & kenyan flowers in the US and Europenan markets...

    Stop purchasing the flowers coming from developing economies will deeply hurt employment, public expenditure... But paying an environmental and social surplus is what will make the difference.

    You can do something! Look for responsible produced diamons, flowers, bananas, coffee...

    J.
    Jimebeta
  • fantastic
    great journalism
    few people know this market of the symbols of love
    gilles_doc

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