Weasua, DFP’s first partner community, is one of the leading artisanal diamond mining communities in the state of Gbarpolu, Liberia. Weasua has many satellite villages, one of which is named Gbugbay. Gbugbay is a small village, its residents depend mainly on artisanal diamond mining and rice farming for their livelihoods.…
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Introduction Weasua is an artisanal diamond mining community that is located in the north-west region of Liberia, Gbarpolu County. Gbarpolu is one of the 15 political sub-divisions of Liberia. The major source of livelihoods in this community is artisanal diamond mining. Unlike many rural communities in Liberia, the residents are…
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From December 11-15, 2022, DFP conducted a 5-day workshop on the basics of responsible diamond mining with a mining specialist, Caelen Burand, from the United States. The purpose of the workshop was to help miners and diggers understand how to carry out simple exploration for efficient mining, as well as…
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About Diamonds for Peace (DFP) is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to transform the diamond industry. We envision a world where diamonds are mined and manufactured with respect for people and the planet. DFP currently works with artisanal diamond miners, diggers and other community members in Weasua, Liberia to improve…
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Introduction The artisanal and small-scale diamond mining (ASDM) sector accounts for 20%[1] of the world’s diamond production. The rough diamond industry is worth approximately 14 billion[2] dollars. For the ASDM sector that could amount to approximately 2.8 billion dollars’ worth of resources. However, because the ASDM sector is primarily situated…
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Introduction Artisanal diamond miners diggers in Weasua have been trapped in a circle of poverty for many decades. The miners (those who have artisanal mining licenses) and the diggers (those who dig for the diamonds) rely on this work to survive, and regardless of the number of diamonds they recover…
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Written by Diamonds for Peace Liberia staff Introduction The beekeepers in Weasua are new and inexperienced. They are domesticating bees for the first time, and so they need to be nurtured through the process. These beekeepers went through 5 days of training in basic beekeeping, which was just an introduction.…
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Written by Diamonds for Peace Liberia staff Overview Diamonds for Peace (DFP) found that artisanal diamond workers (miners and diggers) are trapped in a cycle of dependency on local investors and poverty. The miners are Liberian men and women who have (or are supposed to have) an artisanal mining license…
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Written by Diamonds for Peace Liberia staff Introduction There are many different stakeholders in the artisanal diamond mining industry, one of them is the investors who are called “Supporters” in Liberia. The Supporters are those people who provide miners/diggers with the financial and/or material support to run artisanal diamond mining…
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Written by Diamonds for Peace Liberia staff Introduction Teamwork among artisanal diamond miners in Smith Town, Liberia is not a common practice; however, the diggers (those who dig for diamonds) usually work in small groups/gangs of three, four or five people. They believe without this kinds of team work it…
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