Stanford Students Take Stand Against 'Conflict Minerals'

A group of Stanford University students is urging the school to take the lead in pushing technology companies to act on so-called "conflict minerals" -- such as tin, tungsten and gold -- used in electronics.

The New York Times reports:

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, armed groups force villagers to mine minerals like wolframite and cassiterite. Metals processed from such minerals are used in consumer electronics products, including laptop computers, MP3 players, cellphones and digital cameras.

On Thursday, a committee of Stanford's trustees considered a resolution to create a new proxy voting guideline for the university's investments. The guideline would support shareholders' efforts to make companies trace the supply chain of the minerals used in their products.

The trustees' decision is forthcoming. As the Stanford Daily reports, a grassroots student group, STAND, brought the issue to the administration's attention in February:

The group expressed its concern over a growing body of evidence showing that consumers and investors indirectly fuel ongoing violence in the Congo by purchasing electronics that are made from minerals sold by armed rebel groups in the country's lawless eastern region.

Debilitating rape has become commonplace there, and an estimated 5.4 million people have been killed in the past 15 years, according to the Enough Project, an anti-genocide advocacy group.

According to the Daily, Stanford is the first university to consider the issue.

What's your take? Leave a comment below.

Comments

[supergenius02]

10:26 PM on 06/15/2010

I graduated Stanford and while I was there I witnessed a ton of these fringe groups complain about everything under the sun. So now companies need to worry about where every piece of everything they make comes from? Every mineral from every component? Come on. Business is tough enough as it is with companies still laying off employees. These students need to spend more time in Green Library studying than worrying about this nonesense or at least have a froyo at The Claw and just chill.

[NoBlood Minerals]

11:49 PM on 06/14/2010

Promising to see students from the University beginning to take a stand on addressing this tough issue. It is important that more educational institutions lend their hands to this issue as well. With the growing interest we have seen from consumers demanding conflict-free alternative projects, I think this is not the last such group.

Congratulations and I look forward to seeing the group's progress.

No Blood Minerals
http://www.facebook.com/NoBloodMinerals
http://www.twitter.com/NoBloodMinerals

[wendelswerk]

07:49 PM on 06/14/2010

Hungry students? Let them eat cake.

[MikeDu]

12:12 PM on 06/14/2010

With all the murders down in Mexico its too bad the college students don't extend their moral stance on 'conflict minerals' to their party drugs.

[Steve1289]

10:29 AM on 06/14/2010

Now they can just use the vast mineral deposits of Aghan.

[Jericho the Red]

10:26 AM on 06/14/2010

it's good to know what your money is funding no matter where/ what you invest in.. accountability is a dying virtue

[Paros]

11:57 AM on 06/14/2010

excellent point