The Terrible World of ‘Artisanal’ Mining
Children working with their parents, helping with panning for the ore, carrying and selling goods to the workers in Kailo territory of DRC. (Photo: Julien Harneis/Wikipedia)
Poverty and high demand for minerals are combining to create a boom in the dangerous informal mining economy. Millions of people are involved in what is known as the “artisanal” mining industry worldwide, including perhaps more than a million children.
Geoffrey York, Africa correspondent for The Toronto Globe and Mail speaks to Marco Werman about his visit to artisanal mining operations in Democratic Republic of the Congo, where children work in horrendous conditions.
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