Activists Protest Apple’s Conflict Minerals Problem
Protesters pressing Apple to commit to making conflict-free products were front and center at the grand opening of Apple’s first store in Washington, D.C., last Friday. The new Georgetown location opened its doors at 5 p.m to a line of hundreds of people waiting for a chance to purchase the latest products and receive a free Apple t-shirt. Enough supporters added to the excitement by gathering at the front entrance with Lisa Shannon, founder of Run for Congo Women and author of A Thousand Sisters. Overtaking the street-side view of the store, protesters displayed a bright red banner reading “Guarantee Conflict-Free.”
The purpose of the event was to educate Apple consumers about the conflict in Congo and the relationship between our electronics, the conflict minerals essential to those devices, and the war in Congo, the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II. As consumers who love Apple products, we must demand that Apple act responsibly and verify that the minerals used in their products are not fueling the war in Congo. We want to be able to continue purchasing Apple products and be confident that they are not helping perpetuate a conflict in which Congolese civilians are raped and killed each day.
As one of the world’s leading electronics companies, Apple has the trend-setting power to influence the entire industry. If every electronics company ensured that the minerals used in its products were conflict-free, rebel and militia groups would be denied the estimated $180 million they make each year and use to terrorize the communities of eastern Congo.
The advocates who turned out in front of the new store on Friday conveyed this message by handing out informational brochures and talking with people in line about Apple’s use of conflict minerals in their products. Other activists held signs that read “iPhone4Girls in Congo” and “I’ll Pad You on the Back for Conflict-Free.” The crowd was very interested in the issue and a few customers said they planned to email Steven Jobs directly or mention the cause before purchasing their new iPads and laptops. The protest at the store opening spread awareness to Apple consumers and turned up the pressure on Apple to commit to guaranteeing conflict-free minerals.
Our friends at Campus Progress produced this great video from the event, and additional photos will soon be available on our Flickr page. Visit Enough's RAISE Hope for Congo campaign to learn more about how to get involved the movement to help end the conflict in Congo.
Thanks to all who joined us!
This strikes me as a total
This strikes me as a total waste of time.
Assuming apple startes to verify that it does not use conflict free minerals........so what? Do you think these minerals are not going to be used in some electronics, somwhere on earth? Do you think the chinese care where these minerals come from, or are going to refuse to import them from the congo? Or shady buisnessmen all over the world?
Gold, tin, coltran, etc - they WILL be used, by someone, on earth, even if apple makes sure they don't use them in your iphone. Markets for these minerals are global and liquid. Verifying that you don't use tin from the congo is like verifying that your car does not use oil from iran. It makes no difference to iran, or anyone living in iran, if you refuse to buy their oil because it will just be bought by someone else. This is espicially true in the case of the congo because the quanities of conflict minerals produced there are TINY. There will always, always, always be a buyer for congolese gold, even if apple is not the one doing the buying.
Moreover, is there any evidence to suggest that the war in the congo will end if warlords were to magically stop being able to sell their gold? No way. The drivers of the conflict there are going to stay there regardless of wether or not a warlord can afford to buy a few more AK47s. They will find other ways to buy their weapons and fight for territory, power, and scarce resources....maybe by stealing more from the people there.
More specifically, do you think this protest will accomplish anything? Are people really going to engage in a massive boycott of apple products due to the possible (though unlikley) use of conflict minerals? Fat chance. You are from CAP. Do a survey. How many people at CAP have iphones (answer: a lot). If you can't even convince people in your own liberal organization to stop using apple products, you really have no chance with the general public.
Which leads me to the more important point. Rather then wasting your time on a worthless protest that has a 0% chance of changing anything, you should be focusing your time on raising awareness of more important issues, like the what is actually causing the conflict (hint: it's not the sale of 8 million dollars worth of coltran). In the scheme of things, wether or not apple has elaborate verification methods in place to make sure the tiny quanities of coltran coming from the congo end up in their iphones really doesnt matter at all. Making people aware of the situation in the congo, and what they really CAN do to help (pressuring their leaders to focus on the Congo on a diplomatic/international level, in terms of aid, governance requirments, attempting to bring warring factions together, etc), is infinitely more effective. As it stands now, but choosing to persue a strategy that will have no effect rather then one that will actually produce results, you are complicit in the situation being as terrible as it is.
This strikes me as a total
This strikes me as a total waste of time.
Assuming apple startes to verify that it does not use conflict free minerals........so what? Do you think these minerals are not going to be used in some electronics, somwhere on earth? Do you think the chinese care where these minerals come from, or are going to refuse to import them from the congo? Or shady buisnessmen all over the world?
Gold, tin, coltran, etc - they WILL be used, by someone, on earth, even if apple makes sure they don't use them in your iphone. Markets for these minerals are global and liquid. Verifying that you don't use tin from the congo is like verifying that your car does not use oil from iran. It makes no difference to iran, or anyone living in iran, if you refuse to buy their oil because it will just be bought by someone else. This is espicially true in the case of the congo because the quanities of conflict minerals produced there are TINY. There will always, always, always be a buyer for congolese gold, even if apple is not the one doing the buying.
Moreover, is there any evidence to suggest that the war in the congo will end if warlords were to magically stop being able to sell their gold? No way. The drivers of the conflict there are going to stay there regardless of wether or not a warlord can afford to buy a few more AK47s. They will find other ways to buy their weapons and fight for territory, power, and scarce resources....maybe by stealing more from the people there.
More specifically, do you think this protest will accomplish anything? Are people really going to engage in a massive boycott of apple products due to the possible (though unlikley) use of conflict minerals? Fat chance. You are from CAP. Do a survey. How many people at CAP have iphones (answer: a lot). If you can't even convince people in your own liberal organization to stop using apple products, you really have no chance with the general public.
Which leads me to the more important point. Rather then wasting your time on a worthless protest that has a 0% chance of changing anything, you should be focusing your time on raising awareness of more important issues, like the what is actually causing the conflict (hint: it's not the sale of 8 million dollars worth of coltran). In the scheme of things, wether or not apple has elaborate verification methods in place to make sure the tiny quanities of coltran coming from the congo end up in their iphones really doesnt matter at all. Making people aware of the situation in the congo, and what they really CAN do to help (pressuring their leaders to focus on the Congo on a diplomatic/international level, in terms of aid, governance requirments, attempting to bring warring factions together, etc), is infinitely more effective. As it stands now, but choosing to persue a strategy that will have no effect rather then one that will actually produce results, you are complicit in the situation being as terrible as it is.
Protesting apple conflict minerals - not a waste of time
If you have any concept of protest history, you would know that these protests and boycotts are not a waste of time at all.
1. Protests have embarrassed several companies into improving their corporate responsibility for example Nike, Gap and Starbucks. Apple sell themselves on being a "nice" company and will not be happy to lose that.
2. Checking up on supply routes is not that expensive, even if 5% of customers boycott, it could be enough to justify (profiatablity wise) of comitting to conflict free.
3. Electronics companies are among the biggest buyers of confilc minerals. If they stop buying, alot of middle men will too, to keep their business, so even compaines that don't care will end up buying conflict free.
4. Even if the warlords can make some money, the less they make the fewer guns and weapons they can buy, and the less terror they inflict. If only one woman a week is spared being gang raped as a result its doing something good.
5. Anything that makes life harder for warlords makes life easier for the people of congo. Even if they can still sell to these compainies, the harder we make it, the more time they spend trying to fool companies that their minerals are conflict free, the less time they have for terrorizing their own people.
Inspiring
Thank you for your work! The movement is finally catching on! Senator Lincoln's Facebook page has been saturated with comments from Congo activists-this is inspiring!! Let's keep it moving!