Monday, January 21, 2008

Rio Tinto Hypocrisy in New York City - Rio Tinto to Present, Sponsor Plumb Club Forum on Ethical Jewellery

Rio Tinto Diamonds will be the presenting sponsor of the upcoming Plumb Club Forum at New York's Fashion Institute of Technology on March 2-3, 2008. The event is by invitation only.

Rebecca Foerster, vice president of Rio Tinto Diamonds in the United States, said the forum will focus upon hot topics in the pipeline such as ethical practices and consumer confidence. Rio Tinto Diamonds is one of several founding members of the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices, whose CEO Michael Rae will speak at the Forum on how to ensure an ethical jewelry supply chain.

(Meanwhile, on the other side of the world: BHP Billiton's interest in Rio Tinto raises environmental dilemma , Rio Tinto: Global Compact Violator , Rio Tinto to be Prosecuted for Uranium Disaster , Rio Tinto Litigation- Bougainville , Rio Tinto - Labor, Human Rights, Environment & Treatment of Indigenous Peoples )

The Plumb Club Forum is also sponsored by JCK, Gemological Institute of America, ABN AMRO Bank, HSBC Bank, American Gem Society, Antwerp Diamond Bank, Gem Certification and Appraisal Lab, GemEx Systems, Gemological Science International, IGI, Malca-Amit, Natural Colored Diamond Association, World Gemological Institute, and the World Gold Council.

Even speakers include Carly Fiorina (former CEO of HP,) the Diamond Commissioner of Namibia, Kennedy Hamutenya, and book authors Seth Godin (Permission Marketing and Purple Cow) and Don Tapscott (Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything.)

(One of the missing: Al Gore Dumps Barrick Gold Sponsorship for Chile Visit - Mining sponsorship risked "contaminating" and making a mockery of Gore's campaign. )

Here is the full article.

What's next? Adolf Eichmann at the Yad Veshem?