Africa, the birthplace of mankind is currently overwhelmed by civil unrest, interstate violence and bloodshed. One can’t help but

to wonder why. For me, conflicts in Africa stem from the years and years of Western colonialism. And, it still continues until today, a sort

of “neo-imperialism” if you will. Western societies, with their lavish lifestyle, are always eager to have more and more. And, one of the ways

they spend on their lifestyle is by buying diamonds, but these are in fact blood diamonds. Little do they that their appetite for “shiny” goods

are destroying lives, disrupting societies and causing deaths to thousands of Africans every year.

I would like to focus my attention to an example of how Western societies have a direct link to conflicts in Africa. And, I am referring to one

African nation in particular; Sierra Leone. The major issue I want express my opinion on are blood diamonds. We might be aware of this and

might have even seen the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio. But the fact of the matter is that blood diamonds or conflict diamonds are a

huge economic, political and social problem in Africa. Why? This is because there is always sharp demands for diamonds in the global

market. As long as there is a buyer outside of Africa that is wiling to pay a hefty price, the supply and demand of blood diamonds continues.

According to CNN, blood diamonds are illegal traded diamonds that are used to fund war and conflict. Guess who wants these diamonds?

Yes, the West. The situation here is that you have a very valuable item like a diamond that needs to be extracted cheaply and government

rebels are in total control of the areas where diamonds are mined. These diamonds are then sold to buy weapons and ammunition. The

diamonds bought are then re-sold to the general public.

Western consumers have to face the harsh reality that these diamonds that they are purchasing may be extracted under gruesome and

torturous conditions where workers work long hours, rain or shine, and with no pay. These place always had and will continue to have

serious violations of human rights.This is modern slavery. Furthermore, many of these workers are children separated from their families

and forced to find diamonds. What’s worse is that these children are being indoctrinated by rebel leaders to carry on the legacy of violent

rebellion and oppression. This is the principal reason as to why African societies are just in a sorry state of affairs, especially those where

blood diamonds are being extracted.

In conclusion, I would like to plea to Western countries and to the general public to STOP buying diamonds that are from war-torn areas

like Sierra Leone. We can no longer be ignorant and foolish. Trading blood diamonds are reality and it effects us all because we are

connected in the “blood diamond” chain. Stop buying and they will stop supplying.

When one hears the two words, “free trade”, what immediately comes to mind? I think

reduction in tariff barriers and increased in economic productivity. However for Canada,

this is not necessarily the case. The Government insists that CETA will increase job

employment, improve overall economic activity in Canada and make Canada a North

American regional powerhouse for economic growth and prosperity. The

CETA deal with the E.U is set to be the biggest trade agreement in history (Wikipedia),

surpassing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). What does this mean

for the average and working class Canadians? Well, it is a threat. This is because we could be witnessing the rise of global corporate power

whereby maximizing profit is the single most important objective. In my opinion, this trade agreement is going to garner short-term benefits

but deteriorate the Canadian economy in the long-run. And here are a few reasons why.

With CETA in effect, 98% of the tariffs (Wikipedia) between Canada and the E.U will be reduced. Meaning, less duties are paid on imported

and exported goods. Large businesses would have more accessibility to the Canadian market. So, what happens when you have several local

Canadian businesses and firms going up against large and mighty global corporations? There is almost no way these small businesses can

compete. As a result, Canadians would lose jobs to pave the way for international corporations and their businesses. It’s not clear now

but bear in mind what happened after the U.S-Canada free trade agreements was signed in the late 1980’s. Around 200,00 jobs were

lost (BBC) because of competition with large corporations from the U.S. Something similar could happen to Canadians in the next 2 to 3

years if CETA goes through.

Furthermore, the trade agreement could signal the decline of Canadian sovereignty. How? Well, sections on CETA allow

European corporations to somehow override domestic Canadian laws (BBC) in favor of promoting profitable business opportunities.

I am slightly uncertain of what kind of domestic laws but Canadians ought to know that this is the most

dangerous aspect of the CETA deal. What maintains a nation to be sovereign are its laws. For Canada, this is not good because it would

mean that Canadian laws are at the mercy of global corporations. What’s worse, if the Canadian government gets in the way of international

companies doing business anywhere in Canada, these companies can effectively can sue the government (Globe and Mail). This is what

people mean when they mention “corporate takeover”.

Well, my position is that the Canadian government needs to consider both the political and economic repercussions of the CETA deal and

not be blinded by only the economic benefits that actually may be disproportionately distributed to the Canadian people. Who reaps the most

benefit if this deal goes through? That should be the main question. In Europe on the other hand, it still needs to be approved by the

European Parliament and European Council (Wikipedia), and that’s where further debate can be made. I suggest strongly that the Canadian

public pay close attention to the CETA deal as it is discussed in Europe as well, and not just here. While doing some reading on this CETA, I

came across a very intriguing phrase, “investor bill of rights”. Wow. It seems that when Canada deals with big corporations from abroad, it

as if they are dealing with a “sovereign nation”.

Hence in conclusion, I employ the Canadian population to further investigate the CETA deal and take action. We live in a democratic country

and that definitely has to count something, especially here in Canada. Take a stand and be fully aware of the short-term and long-term

economic effects of CETA. Remember, what is economical can be political. And what is political is personal.

GO CANADA!