DRC conflict minerals campaign failed to reduce violence while impoverishing the local people

I am a freelance writer and editor who has lived and worked off and on in central Africa for 25 years. I am writing to call your attention to this week’s Congressional hearing on Dodd-Frank 1502. Held by the Monetary Policy and Trade subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, the hearing examined the unintended consequences of the conflict minerals provision. I was one of the witnesses, along with Mvemba Dizolele of Stanford Univesity, Rick Goss of the Information Technology Industry Council, and Sophia Pickles of Global Witness.

Dizolele, Goss, and I all argued that DF-1502 has failed to reduce violence while impoverishing the local people. An archived webcast of the hearing is available here. My testimony is available here.