The Rapaport Group is leading a trade mission to Sierra Leone to provide an opportunity for members of the diamond and jewelry trade to meet and interact with artisanal miners.
Martin Rapaport, chairman of the Rapaport Group, will head the mission. “[It’s] vital that the diamond and jewelry trade gain a better understanding of the artisanal community,” he noted.
The trip is designed to provide greater understanding of the role of the artisanal sector and the challenges it experiences, Rapaport added. “It will highlight and demonstrate opportunities for sustainable economic development that can transform the lives of millions of people,” he explained.
Diamond mining is one of Sierra Leone’s largest exports, with production worth $143 million in 2022, according to data from the Kimberley Process (KP).
The mission will run from October 15 to 20, with three to five days in the Kono mining district. Participants will visit an area known as the Peace Diamond Village, where the 709-carat Peace Diamond was discovered. There will be visits to artisanal diamond digger sites, and land reclamation and agricultural development sites. This will be followed by two days of meetings with business leaders.
The fee for the mission is $3,000 per person, which will fund all ground arrangements from arrival through departure, including lodging, food, transportation and security. The mission is limited to 30 participants.
“We must find ways to support sustainable economic development for those who have made us wealthy,” Martin Rapaport said. “We cannot build luxury on top of poverty. There is a reason G-d gave diamonds to the poorest people in the world and made the wealthiest desire them. Bridging that gap is ‘tikkun olam,’ fixing the world.”
Additional information and registration are available at Rapaport.com/SLTradeMission. Applicants are encouraged to view the video about the Peace Diamond at Rapaport.com/PeaceDiamondVideo.
Image: Diamond diggers in Sierra Leone. (Rapaport News)
