Pittsburgh: First City Committed to Conflict-Free for Congo Posted by Chloe Christman on Apr 19, 2011
Today, the Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed a proclamation on conflict minerals in Congo, becoming the first city in the country to call for "electronic companies and other industries to take the necessary steps to remove conflict minerals from their supply chain." Introduced by Councilman Doug Shields, the proclamation further states that the City of Pittsburgh urges the U.S. government to take the lead in helping establish an international certification scheme to ensure that minerals that end up in consumer electronics and other products don’t come from mines controlled by militia groups in eastern Congo. By expressing their preference for conflict-free electronics, Pittsburgh has joined the U.S. Congress, a growing number of universities, the State of California, and thousands of individuals using their voice to demand conflict-free. Pittsburgh has long been a leader for human rights - the City Council passed a resolution in 2006 supporting divestment from companies supporting the Sudanese government, influencing the state of Pennsylvania to pass divestment legislation. Taking action for Congo is continuing that legacy today. Pittsburgh should be seen as an example for cities across the country as a place where human rights abuses are not taken lightly. Enough looks forward to seeing conflict-free city resolutions pass throughout the country, strengthening the call for companies and the U.S. government to create the systems to ensure conflict-free products. Please help us in saying thank you to the City of Pittsburgh for their action and for being a leader for Congo. Will your city be next? Photo: City of Pittsburgh seal Advocacy Conflict Minerals Eastern Congo Peace Prevention Protection -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
