According to this blog post over on the Enough Project website, Steve Jobs has responded (in his characteristically short e-mails sent from his iPhone) to the recent uproar over the use of conflict minerals in devices such as the iPod, iPhone, and iPad:

Yes. We require all of our suppliers to certify in writing that they use conflict few [sic] materials. But honestly there is no way for them to be sure. Until someone invents a way to chemically trace minerals from the source mine, it’s a very difficult problem.

Sent from my iPhone

To be honest, this is one of the longest Steve Jobs e-mails I’ve ever seen, so that could say something about how important this is to Apple. However, if they really want to prove this is important tot he company they will take up the call to action posed by Enough Project in their own response, reading:

Thanks, Steve. You have always blazed a path where others thought it impossible.

Tracing minerals isn’t easy, but it can be done. The chokepoint is at the smelter, where the raw mineral ores are processed into metals. Tin and tantalum firms that supply electronics companies have started tracing programs in the past six months, and certain electronics companies are beginning to audit this process.

But to guarantee to consumers that iPads, iPods and iPhones are verifiably conflict-free, we need more resources and commitment from industry leaders like you. We have a roadmap to accomplish this, through tracing, auditing, and certification. Would you like to meet and talk further?

Photo Credit: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Nick Kristof had a piece in the NYTimes on Saturday entitled “Death by Gadget” where he pointed out the relationship between the iPhone (and other electronic devices) and the war in Congo:

An ugly paradox of the 21st century is that some of our elegant symbols of modernity — smartphones, laptops and digital cameras — are build rom minearls that seem to be fueling mass slaughter and rape in Congo. With throngs waiting in lines in the last few days to buy the latest iPhone, I’m thinking: What if we could harness that desperation for new technologies to the desperate need to curb the killing in central Africa?

Quick Overview:

I’ve written about this relationship between the minerals (tantalum, tungsten, tin, and gold) that are used in many of our new electronic devices and are sourced from Congo — financing one of the worst civil conflicts in history. In that post, I shared an excellent mapping of the relationship between minerals and conflict in Congo developed by Appfrica:

My quick overview from that post read:

One of the major factors feeding genocide and violent crimes against humanity is that ruling regimes have established business relations with foreign companies, earning them an political ally and a source of revenue to fuel local conflict. The foreign companies often get exclusive access to local resources in exchange for their unwavering political support and usually a cut off the top. We have seen this in South Sudan with Chinese oil companies, and also in DRC with Coltan mining. This excellent report by Appfrica takes Ushahidi (conflict mapping) data and mashes it with mining data to illustrate the “conspicuous correlation” between the two. Coltan can be found in the capacitors used in your hearing aids, pacemakers, airbags, GPS units, laptops, mobile phones, video games, and the list goes on. 60% of it can be found in the DRC, where conflicts since 1998 have killed an estimated 5.4 million people.

A Few Videos:

Here are a few of my favorite videos highlighting conflict minerals from Congo:

Note: This first one is new and cited in the Kristof article:

This one is of John Prendergast — a fellow American University alumn and co-founder of Enough Project (one of the major advocacy voices behind conflict minerals in Congo):

And this video is the winning entry for the “Come Clean 4 Congo” video contest:

Questions for Discussion:

Tying this all back to the Kristof article, I’m curious how we can leverage the massive consumer demand for these new technologies to combat the atrocities that are taking place in Congo.

1. Is demanding that companies not source these minerals from Congo enough? Does that really help? Or does it further hurt the current and future prospects of the Congolese economy?
2. Is there a way that companies can take greater control of the value chain within Congo to ensure that their purchase does more good than harm?
3. What role does the government play in regulating these conflict minerals? Should the US put a trade embargo on them?

Photo Credit: Flickr User ArdailSmith

A couple of weeks ago I shared the above image put together by Appfrica Labs that illustrates the “conspicuous correlation” between conflict areas and mining of coltan deposits (minerals used in many of our electronic devices). I wrote this quick analysis:

One of the major factors feeding genocide and violent crimes against humanity is that ruling regimes have established business relations with foreign companies, earning them an political ally and a source of revenue to fuel local conflict. The foreign companies often get exclusive access to local resources in exchange for their unwavering political support and usually a cut off the top. We have seen this in South Sudan with Chinese oil companies, and also in DRC with Coltan mining. This excellent report by Appfrica takes Ushahidi (conflict mapping) data and mashes it with mining data to illustrate the “conspicuous correlation” between the two. Coltan can be found in the capacitors used in your hearing aids, pacemakers, airbags, GPS units, laptops, mobile phones, video games, and the list goes on. 60% of it can be found in the DRC, where conflicts since 1998 have killed an estimated 5.4 million people.

A leading voice in the movement against genocide and humanitarian atrocity is The Enough Project. This organization, led by lifetime activist and fellow AU alum John Prendergast, works to generate awareness and lead the policy discussion around these serious global issues. A couple videos on YouTube really stood out today, and I wanted to share them with you so that hopefully you can share them with your friends, families, and blogging audiences. The first is “Conflict Minerals 101″ with John Prendergast himself providing an overview of the situation in Congo and how it relates to our electronic devices (and what we can do)!

The second video is the winner of Enough’s “Come Clean 4 Congo” video contest — very well done and a great movie to pass along on your Facebook wall or your own websites!

Please, help pass the message along to your own sphere’s of influence! Also, be sure to keep tabs with Enough Project via:

• Enough Project’s Website
• Enough Project’s Twitter
• Enough Project’s Facebook Page
• Enough Project’s YouTube Channel