Diamonds for Peace focuses on supporting artisanal diamond mining communities in Liberia. Over the course of our involvement with the miners and diggers in these communities, we have become increasingly aware of the many myths and beliefs that underpin their understanding of diamonds. Most of these diamond-related tales have been passed down over the generations and, as much as they have a certain charm, few of them benefit the miners, as they often hinder exploration and obstruct the miners’ understanding of a diamond’s value.
Guest speakers, Beth and Caelen, will address the various myths and beliefs they found to be inherent within these communities during their last visits to Liberia, how they attempted to dispel the more disruptive amongst them, and, equally, how these myths and beliefs actually teach us a great deal about these miners’ lives.
[Event Details]
Date: March 24th 2023 (Fri)
Time: 8:00PST/10:00CST/11:00EST/15:00GMT for 1.5 hours
Admission: Free
Language: English
Registration: Please register yourself at this Eventbrite link
Speakers: Beth West, Caelen Burand
Inquiry: please email to info[at]diamondsforpeace.org
Tentative Program:
0:00 – 0:15 Overview of Diamonds for Peace Projects
0:15 – 0:35 Presentation by Beth West about the Basic Training on Rough Diamond Grading and Valuation
0:35 – 0:40 Q&A
0:40 – 1:10 Presentation by Caelen Burand about the Workshop on the Basics of Responsible Diamond Mining
1:10 – 1:20 Q&A
1:20 – 1:30 Way Forward, Announcements
[Speakers]
Beth West
Beth is a gemmologist, educator and writer with over fifteen years’ experience in the industry across varying roles. As a Fellow and Diamond Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and a member of the Federation of European Education in Gemmology, she has a wealth of passion and knowledge for her subject, which, outside of her immediate professional responsibilities as a director of GCS laboratory in London, she employs across a number of projects, with a particular focus on gemmological education and her work as a volunteer/trainer for Diamonds for Peace.
Caelen Burand
Caelen Burand is an ambitious mining engineer and geologist studying at the University of Arizona. 
As a striving polymath enthusiastic about responsible resourcing, Caelen has worked within mineral resources since he first got experience as an underground miner at the age of 16. Since then, he has had varied experiences as a founder, non-profit director, geologist and engineer within diverse organizations like Young Mining Professionals, Nevada Gold Mines, Cholla Lapidary, and the Last Chance Mine. He has a strong passion for professional mining and works with non-profits, NGO’s, governments, and others to improve the practices of artisanal and small-scale miners. During his free time, Caelen enjoys taking care of his dogs, hosting the Our Resources podcast, and getting temporarily lost while exploring the natural world.
To secure a spot, register yourself at the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/myths-in-artisanal-diamond-mining-tickets-546678458987