60 Minutes produced an excellent piece on what’s known as “dirty gold” - gold mined by slaves and used to fund the conflict in the “Democratic Republic” of Congo. There are currently no standards to determine whether gold has been produced in this way, so this piece could prove to be revolutionary in the effort to bring about accountability in the gold mining industry (as well as other mining industries). This piece is a must-see for anyone who is concerned about ridding all aspects of the consumer supply chain of slavery and other forms of exploitation. There are also some great “extras” on the site.

What can you do? Join the No Dirty Gold campaign (they have some great updates on their homepage right n0w). You can support campaigns they’re currently holding, such as one to put pressure on Target, TJ Maxx, and Harry Winston to commit to the Golden Rules of Responsible Mining.

Also, as you’re shopping this holiday season, stop in jewelry stores you pass and ask to see their products that are free from expl0itation, slavery, and have not funded wars. The more pressure we put on jewelry companies, the more wide-spread results we’ll see.