Conflict Minerals: Groups Update Electronics Proposal

Jan 13, 2015 | Abby Patkin, The Justice
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On Dec. 3, members from Students Taking Action Now in Darfur and Conflict-Free Campus Initiative met with the Faculty Senate to discuss and make edits to the groups’ conflict-free electronics proposal. 

The groups’ proposal suggests that the University look into its electronics suppliers’ conflict minerals policy and actively look for companies that do not use such minerals. Conflict minerals are harvested in areas where the local population is in conflict. One such area is the Congo, where the harvesting of conflict minerals exploits the poor working class and funds violent rebel groups who terrorize the population.

CFCI’s most recent Northeast Campus Coordinator Gina Gkoulgkountina ’14 said in an interview with the Justice that the groups’ goals are to educate both the electronics suppliers and the Brandeis community so that practices harmful to the Congolese people might be phased out in the next few years.