Conflict Minerals

Available for over a year

Campaign groups have warned for a long time now that the sleek electronic gadgets which form part of our everyday lives, hide a very dark story. They say some of the world's most brutal conflicts and human rights abuses are being funded by internationally-traded minerals, so-called conflict minerals such as tantalum, tin and gold. Many of them are essential in the production of everyday electronic goods, and a large proportion of these minerals come from the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo. Sasha Lezhnev of the Enough Project, a US-based group that campaigns against genocide, tells us how some technology companies are now finally taking steps to address the issue. Bas van Abel, the boss of a Dutch company trying to create a smartphone made of only ethically-sourced materials, tells us about the problems he's come up against. And on a lighter note, Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times wonders whether there's a correlation between good hair, women and power in the boardroom.