Blood Diamond Curriculum Guide (PDF) - Amnesty International USA

LESSON 3 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
QUESTION
TIME
OVERVIEW
OBJECTIVES
PREPARATION
INTRODUCTION
What is corporate social responsibility, and how does it impact the promotion and protection of
human rights?
Two Classes
The goal of this lesson is to help students develop an understanding of corporate social
responsibility, and the ways in which corporate controls and informed consumerism can
impact regional conflict and human rights issues. The students will first read three articles
about corporate social responsibility outside of class, and then work together in groups to
develop a definition for the term. In small groups, students will list the responsibilities they
believe corporations should have both to their employees and to the communities in which
they operate. Next, the students will analyze a case study about conflict diamonds. Building
upon the resource guide in lesson two, the students will examine the ways that voluntary
corporate initiatives, legal controls, and international standards work together to prevent
human rights abuses. In addition, students will read and discuss a handout about the
Kimberley Process and the role of the international community in encouraging or enforcing its
principles. Excerpts from Global Witness and Amnesty International reports questioning the
effectiveness of the Kimberley Process will be used to generate further discussion about the
relationship between the international community and multinational corporations. Finally, the
students will evaluate the role of the consumer in creating and encouraging the development
of a culture of corporate social responsibility. As an optional extension activity, the students
will evaluate one product to determine its impact on all stakeholders and the ways in which the
consumer can encourage change within the company.
Students will be able to:
- Define corporate social responsibility and list the responsibilities of companies
- Explain the connection between corporate social responsibility and human rights
- Analyze the role of the international community in encouraging and enforcing corporate
compliance with international principles
- Understand the Kimberley Process and evaluate its effectiveness
- Brainstorm consumer and activist strategies for promoting corporate social responsibility
Resources and Materials:
� Copies of three articles (Listed Below)
� Handout 3.1: Corporate Social Responsibility Quiz
� Case Study: Conflict Diamonds: Cote D’Ivoire
� Handout 3.2: Understanding and Evaluating the Kimberley Process
* Note – While this lesson is designed to be as comprehensive as possible, CSR is a growing
and controversial field. Please take the time to review the resources listed at the end of the
lesson and familiarize yourself with the topic.
As is demonstrated in the film Blood Diamond, the diamond industry directly enabled the
continuation of the conflict in Sierra Leone through its practice of purchasing smuggled conflict
diamonds despite international embargoes. Certain diamond companies’ desire to maximize
profit at all costs resulted in countless human rights abuses in Sierra Leone. Global Witness,
Amnesty International, and other NGOs worked to expose the connection between the illicit
trade in conflict diamonds and the ever worsening civil war. As a result, the international
community developed the Kimberley Process, and the diamond industry agreed to police itself
and set up a System of Warranties.
In the case of conflict diamonds, it is obvious that the economic goal of certain companies,
governments, and individuals exceeds concern for their impact on conflict and subsequent
human rights abuses. Many advocates of corporate social responsibility (CSR) argue that
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