Just got this press release, an excerpt:
***PRESS RELEASE***
APPLE’S ‘BLOOD iPHONE’ SUBJECT OF VIRAL CAMPAIGN
LAUNCHED BY CONGOLESE MAN
Thousands join Delly Mawazo Sesete’s campaign on Change.org calling on Apple CEO Tim Cook to build an iPhone with conflict-free minerals from eastern Congo; Sesete received death threats in Congo for ethical mineral advocacy.
WASHINGTON, DC – More than 10,000 people across the world have joined a popular campaign on Change.org calling on Apple CEO Tim Cook to make an iPhone with minerals from eastern Congo that don’t fund and facilitate the mass violence, rape, and human rights crimes commonly associated with the Congolese mining industry.
Delly Mawazo Sesete, a native of Congo who fought human rights abuses in the mining industry despite violence and death threats, launched the campaign on Change.org.
“If Apple truly wants to think different, they need to think conflict-free,” said Delly Mawazo Sesete, who launched the campaign on Change.org. “The iPhone is my favorite smartphone, but Apple uses minerals from Eastern Congo that fund the violence and killing that is destroying my country. Apple must change its supply chain to meet the growing consumer demand for conflict-free products.”
Today, supporters are rallying in support of Delly’s “conflict-free” campaign at the grand opening of Apple’s largest store, located in Grand Central Station. Delly is traveling to the United States next week and hopes to meet with Apple’s CEO to share his concerns.
“Delly and other iPhone fans are demanding that Apple build smartphones with conflict-free minerals from eastern Congo in a way that supports, rather than undermines, peace and justice there,” said Enough Project Executive Director John C. Bradshaw.
“What Delly has accomplished in just a few days is incredible,” said Change.org Director of Organizing Amanda Kloer. “Ten thousand people around the world have echoed Delly’s request for a conflict-free iPhone from Apple, showing the tech giant that people expect them to respect human rights.”
Interesting to see if this has any legs. Personally, I’d love to see a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio as an African mercenary trying to get raw materials for the iPhone 5 out of the bush.