According to a recent article on the free press web publication “Toward Freedom”, Playstation manufacturer Sony Electronics is partially to blame for inciting a Congolese conflict that, at its height, involved eight nations and twenty five militias. While it may seem like a stretch, the logic is not altogether flawed.
A key component in manufacturing Sony’s Playstation, Playstation Two, and Playstation Three is the raw mineral coltan. The mineral, which is refined into tantalum to be used in many personal electronic devices, has become the Congo’s new blood diamond. As sales of the Playstation Two rose to record highs, so did the price of coltan. The war that resulted from conflicts over the black ore is now commonly referred to as the Playstation War.
Sony now claims that they have stopped sourcing their coltan from the Congo entirely. In the company’s defense, coltan changes hands many times before it is mined, refined, and delivered for use. Sometimes it can be quite difficult for a company to know exactly where their raw materials are coming from. Other times, however, companies just don’t care.
In today's gloabal marketplace there’s a fine line between due-diligence and neglect when it comes to avoiding nefarious suppliers. Oddly enough, the line seems to become thinner and thinner as a finished product becomes more and more lucrative. No matter how profitable it may seem to turn a blind eye to the origin of materials, identifying and avoiding potential procurement pitfalls will always pay dividends in the long run.
A key component in manufacturing Sony’s Playstation, Playstation Two, and Playstation Three is the raw mineral coltan. The mineral, which is refined into tantalum to be used in many personal electronic devices, has become the Congo’s new blood diamond. As sales of the Playstation Two rose to record highs, so did the price of coltan. The war that resulted from conflicts over the black ore is now commonly referred to as the Playstation War.
Sony now claims that they have stopped sourcing their coltan from the Congo entirely. In the company’s defense, coltan changes hands many times before it is mined, refined, and delivered for use. Sometimes it can be quite difficult for a company to know exactly where their raw materials are coming from. Other times, however, companies just don’t care.
In today's gloabal marketplace there’s a fine line between due-diligence and neglect when it comes to avoiding nefarious suppliers. Oddly enough, the line seems to become thinner and thinner as a finished product becomes more and more lucrative. No matter how profitable it may seem to turn a blind eye to the origin of materials, identifying and avoiding potential procurement pitfalls will always pay dividends in the long run.
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