The year-long celebrations planned to mark the 10th anniversary of the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI) which has been working to transform the lives of artisanal diamond miners, began with the organisation being felicitated in Antwerp, Belgium by Dali Diamond Group at a gala to mark the Group’s 50th anniversary.

Since it was set up in 2008, DDI has been working to transform artisanal diamond mining into an economically viable, socially and environmentally responsible activity that will benefit miners, their communities and their governments, and consequently, the diamond and jewellery industry.

Some of the other initiatives taken up by DDI include the registration of more than 200,000 miners in the DRC, formation of 10 legitimate and legalised miners' cooperatives, giving access to remedial education to 121 children from mining communities etc. DDI has also certified 13 mining operations in Sierra Leone as being compliant to the Maendeleo Diamond Standards, while also ensuring that several previously mined sites have been environmentally rehabilitated. As a result of these steps, ethical artisanally-mined diamonds have now reached the international market.

Artisanal miners, especially in the DRC and Sierra Leone, are benefitting from registration, licensing, training and access to markets, DDI said, adding that mining operations are now safer and more environmentally-friendly.

DDI will participate in a series of events in 2018 to celebrate this milestone. The events are designed to educate and inspire, and companies willing to host them, who arr committed to ensuring that diamonds are processed in an ethical and responsible manner, are invited to contact DDI directly.

Pic caption: Dorothée Gizenga of DDI speaks at the  Dali Diamond Group gala in Antwerp