www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/world/africa/pope-francis-africa-congo.html
Today I learned that 70% of the Colbalt powering our electronic devices and new cars comes from artisanal blood mines in the DRC. We have learned nothing from the exploitation inflicted through white supremacy during slavery, colonialism, Jim Crow, Apartheid.
Corporations in 🇪🇺🇨🇳🇮🇳🇺🇸 and their Colbalt consumers. What are we going to do to stop our exploitation of the African Continents’ resources? That Colbalt does not belong to us. What about the agency of the artisanal miners in the DRC we learn about in Siddarth Kara’s necessary book. Enough with the exploitation.
Yes I wrote this on one of these devices. Will I continue to ignore its consequences for the vulnerable artisanal miner with very high levels of trace metals in their blood who have never seen one of the devices they are throwing away their lives to fetch for us?
Nope.
Wait, what if that means the phones must go away until we change this new system of exploitation and oppression?
Let them go.