RJC Head Iris Van der Veken Resigns
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3/30/2022
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Iris Van der Veken has resigned as executive director of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) over the organization’s handling of Alrosa’s membership during the Russia-Ukraine war.Van der Veken, who this week celebrated her three-year anniversary at the RJC, submitted her resignation letter to the board of directors on Tuesday, three sources close to the matter confirmed to Rapaport News....
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Leading the Industry’s Positive Charge
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3/14/2022
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While the diamond sector’s negative side may appear more prominent to the world, there are many companies and organizations making sure diamonds are a force for good.Conflict or “blood” diamonds have been at the center of many a media article. They’ve been in the headlines of reports by human rights advocacy groups and — perhaps most prominently — in a 2006 movie starring...
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Webinar: The Sustainability Awakening
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3/3/2022
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The first in a series of webinars on the future of diamonds looks at sustainability: What is it, and why does it matter?... Sustainability has emerged as a key driver of business strategy in recent years, growing from the need to protect the planet, uplift communities and ensure that products and services make a positive contribution to society. But what is driving this interest? And what...
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Industry ‘Bridge Builder’ Dorothée Gizenga Dies
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2/21/2022
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Dorothée Gizenga, a long-serving advocate for artisanal diamond miners, passed away of complications from diabetes on February 18 in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), aged 60. Gizenga was instrumental in establishing the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), which is now part of the Washington, DC-headquartered umbrella organization Resolve. She served as DDI’s executive director from its inception in 2008...
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Breakfast of Champions
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10/7/2021
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Slowly but surely, the diamond and jewelry industry is moving away from Zoom calls and back to live interactions — at least partially. This year’s JCK Las Vegas show featured a series of events that combined in-person attendance with online participation to accommodate varying approaches to the still rampant coronavirus.Among those adopting the hybrid model was the Rapaport...
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Toward Gender Equality in a Post-Covid-19 World
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3/4/2021
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To mark International Women’s Day, Iris Van der Veken, executive director of the Responsible Jewellery Council, calls for industry-wide action to empower women. As we look back and take stock of the year that was and gaze longingly at the light at the end of this tunnel we have all been in — together yet physically distanced — there are ripple effects from...
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Podcast: Human Rights, Diamonds and Covid-19
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12/10/2020
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The diamond and jewelry industry has made important strides in its responsible sourcing practices, but it cannot become complacent, a recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) found. Besides, Covid-19 has brought new challenges that affect all levels of the distribution chain.In episode 37 of the Rapaport Diamond Podcast, Juliane Kippenberg, associate director of the Children’s Rights Division...
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A Crucial Moment for Artisanal Miners
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8/10/2020
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The question of how to tackle the hardships facing informal diamond miners is as pressing today as it was when it first arose nearly 20 years ago.It was first touted as an issue that perhaps the Kimberley Process (KP) could incorporate into its mission. But the KP was not equipped — or mandated — to meet the challenge, even if the sector represented an Achilles heel for...
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