Education Programmes for Artisanal Miners

DDI International is working to develop a number of education programmes that can reduce the gaps in knowledge within the artisanal diamond mining sector, and thus act as an incentive for social changes. A core education program for miners, operators and intermediaries within a specific country may include the following:

  • Laws governing artisanal and Small Scale Mining – miners’ rights
  • Human Rights Education
  • Geology and basic prospecting techniques
  • Mining and processing techniques – (miners will learn how to improve techniques from artisanal to semi-mechanised to mechanised level)
  • The value of diamonds
  • Occupational health, safety and welfare – (miners will be taught skills on how to avoid possibilities of injuries, accidents and associated diseases)
  • Environmental impact of mining and mitigation – (addresses the importance of environment to humans so that miners are responsible while mining)
  • Food security as related to the environmental impact
  • Land rehabilitation of previously mined mines for other purposes, such as agriculture, aquaculture
  • Making small scale mining a business – (aims to help miners to operate their small scale mining activity as a business)
  • Social issues – (addresses gender equality and personal viability)
  • HIV and AIDS awareness – (miners discuss ways in which HIV and AIDS is contracted and how it can be avoided)

DDI aims to develop modules in English, French and Portuguese. Training materials will also be translated into local languages as required.

To respond to a present need(s) identified by countries with alluvial artisanal production, members of the Kimberley Process Working Group on Artisanal and Alluvial Production during discussions with DDI, the first module we seek funding for is the human rights education program. This module will be designed to have one component for state agents and a separate one for miners. While the severity of the situation varies from one country to another, human rights issues exist in all countries. The primary objective for this education module is to eliminate human rights abuse in diamond mining, thus enhancing the reputation of those countries and bringing some credibility back to the Kimberley Process. In subsequent years, other modules will be selected and prioritised for development and delivery.

Note: at the KP Intersessional 2011 in Kinshasa, countries with alluvial artisanal production agreed to develop an education program. A workshop has been recommended to gather the Participants’ input into the curriculum as well as to define the accountability measures within the KP.