What’s On Your Holiday Wish List?

It’s that time of year to pull out your holiday wish list and add to it the myriad things you’ve been dreaming of. I’m about to move into a new place with an underwhelming kitchen, so for me, it’s a new dishwasher. I know—not that exciting. For you, maybe it’s a new necklace. (Or a new iPod or a Nintendo Wii.)  Whatever your pleasure, chances are you or your loved ones have a new gadget or jewelry on the wish list.

But before you join the throng of holiday shoppers, here’s something to consider. The chances are all too high that the gadget or gold watch you’ve been lusting after was manufactured with Congo’s conflict minerals.  As a recent 60 Minutes episode pointed out, Congo’s multi-year, catastrophic conflict is fuelled by a mad scramble for its natural resources—namely gold, tin, tungsten and tantalum—which wind up in our jewelry and electronics products.  So if you end up spending money on a new gadget or jewelry this holiday season, there’s a good chance that a piece of the profit is flowing to some of the world’s worst human rights abusers.

So what to do?  The good news is that it is possible for companies to make conflict-free products.  By tracing and auditing their supply chains, and then certifying their products as conflict-free, companies can provide you with conflict-free choices.  By purchasing those conflict-free products once they become available, you can help cut off the funding stream for perpetrators of violence and be a part of the solution for peace in Congo.

So ‘tis the season to let the industry leaders know that if they take conflict out of their products, you’ll buy them.  And ask your friends to do the same. We even created a handy little holiday e-card that you can send to your friends to get them involved.

If we create enough noise, we can force companies to listen.  So send our holiday e-card to your friends and family now and help us ramp up the pressure.  Let’s make next holiday season the year we can finally give conflict-free gifts.