Diamond Development Initiative International (DDII) has received a grant from World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB).
The grant is expected to provide general support to DDII, assisting in several projects, including human rights training in Africa and support for Development Diamond Standards for artisanally produced diamonds.
DDI works directly with artisanal and small-scale miners who operate largely informally and outside the reach of standards to which mining companies would normally have access. Development diamonds are certified as being produced responsibly, safely, with respect of human and communities’ rights, and in conflict-free zones. They provide beneficiation to communities and payment of fair prices, converting them into instruments of development.
“I have just returned from a month in the Congo and I can say the WFDB grant will go a long way in supporting our efforts on the ground in Africa,” said DDII executive director Dorothée Gizenga. “Support from people who know and understand the downstream diamond business is extremely important to those who work upstream at its source.”
