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Hollywood actor David Harewood, star of the movie Blood Diamond, is supporting CAFOD's new exhibition which reveals the truth behind the glamour of gold through striking images and accounts from three continents
The Pure Gold? exhibition documents the reality of gold mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo – where gold has contributed to a cycle of violence and poverty.
It also depicts communities in Honduras who have had their water supplies poisoned with arsenic and cyanide, and shows indigenous people fighting back in the Philippines after seeing their sacred mountain destroyed to make way for a gold mine.
The images of mining in Congo could easily have been still shots from ‘Blood Diamond’ and I immediately felt compelled to get involved
David learnt about the harsh reality of mining in developing countries while playing evil warlord Captain Poison in the Oscar-nominated film Blood Diamond in 2006.
He says: “It’s fantastic that there’s such a high level of public awareness about diamond mining. But very few people are aware that gold mining is also responsible for destroying the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.
“I was shocked to learn, for example, that 1,200 people die every day from conflict-related disease, hunger and violence in Congo, where war has been fuelled by the struggle for gold and other minerals.”
David decided to get involved in CAFOD’s Unearth Justice campaign after seeing photos from the Pure Gold? exhibition.
He says: “The images of mining in Congo could easily have been still shots from ‘Blood Diamond’ and I immediately felt compelled to get involved.
"I’d like to urge others to join me, to turn gold from a curse into a blessing for communities in the developing world."
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