For Armel Nganzi, his work supporting the creation of a responsible minerals trade in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has always been more than just a job. “When I think of minerals, I think of a dream. A dream of someone who wants to get out of poverty… a dream of a country that wants to develop. So when I picture a mineral, I picture a dream of the future.”
There is an estimated $24 trillion in untapped mineral resources in the DRC. Competition for resources such as gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten has helped fuel two decades of conflict that has claimed millions of lives. Yet, these minerals also serve as a critical source of income for millions of Congolese who dream of a better life.
This film tells the story of how USAID and its local and international partners are developing a commercially viable, conflict-free supply chain for artisanal minerals from the DRC. To achieve this vision, USAID supports the formalization of access to land and subsurface mineral resources.
Using a market-based approach to break the link between conflict and the gold trade, the film follows the first ever shipment of certified conflict-free gold from a mine in South Kivu to the heart of Times Square in New York City, highlighting those working along the way to transform the minerals trade.
Additional Resources:
- Learn more here about the USAID funded Capacity Building for Responsible Minerals Trade Project, which helped establish and scale up responsible mineral supply chains in the DRC.
- Learn more here about the first shipment of conflict-free gold from the DRC to Zales and Kay Jewelers, two of the U.S.’ largest retailers.
- Click here to learn more about USAID’s Responsible Minerals Trade (RMT) Program.
- Check out “The Journey of Gold” a unique Virtual Reality experience that takes you deep inside Nyamurhale, an artisanal gold mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Experience how artisanal gold is produced and meet the miners who are working to produce legal, safe, and conflict-free gold.
- Learn more here about how you can support responsible sourcing.