----- Forwarded Message -----
Sent: Thursday, February 6, 2014 5:33 AM
Subject: Intel says its processors are now 'conflict-free'
Good People,
I came across a reading a friend's wall thus: A few weeks ago, Intel, the world’s leading microchip manufacturer, announced that it has produced its first microchips guaranteed to contain no conflict minerals. If correct, that means they include no tin, tungsten or tantalum bought from people or organizations that could be financing armed conflict in the DRC or adjoining countries. This is great news! But how will they know for sure? And why is Intel trying to prevent other companies from doing the same?
Good business has a life-long good-will and it thrives in public trust, because of its humane attitude and fairness. Such business holds real advantage over responsible, challenging and competent aptitude for success, which really is a problem to many Corporate business institutions that do not observe trading obligations. Every business success must be able to plant seeds of goodness to replenish sustainability to be able to weather competitive challenges of technological effects of innovation and expansion, without which its lifespan is short-lived. Good management are implemented by people who care about public policy and ideologies, as opposed to being purely concerned with characteristics of greed of selfish allegiances.
Life is sharing goodness of love that brings forth happiness to all…….opposed to corruption, people have a duty to believe in mutual fairness of exchange on “Give and Take” principles………an evidence of providing an enabling environment that are for common good of all.
In essense, I also believe that a STRONG TRADING MINERAL POLICY to reduce conflict of blood money minerals in Congo, South Sudan, Kenya and the rest of Africa........people must push for Trading Mineral Policy to secure and safeguard lives with organizing public wealth in a responsible manner. Avoiding direct engagement but going round about undertable that produces the same blood money effect is not the solution, it is the same corruption that enforces extra-judicial killings, crimes, violations and abuse of humanity which are the injustices against humanity that are still unacceptable..........must be condemned by all good people of the world and must stop..............It is because, Africans too have a right to live a respectful, dignified, honorable and valuable life with virtue like every other human being in the world, and they dont have to beg to live.
see Quote: We believe a strong conflict mineral policy will help stop the ongoing violence which began in 1996, has claimed nearly 6 million lives, displaced millions, and continues a climate of crimes including corruption, assassination and mass rape of women and men just to name a few.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com/
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com/
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Intel manufactures conflict free processors
Published on Jan 7, 2014
01/07/14 The world's largest maker of computer processors is producing a conflict-free microprocessor. Intel no longer uses conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Intel Is Manufacturing And Shipping 'Conflict-Free' Microprocessors
Published on Jan 30, 2014
At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced that Intel achieved an important milestone and is now manufacturing and shipping 'conflict-free' microprocessors.
More IT videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/BusinessC...
More IT videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/BusinessC...
US Congo Conflict Mineral Law - Delay No More
Published on May 15, 2012
After a field trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from late January to mid February, Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) is calling on the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to release the rules that will govern section 1502 on conflict minerals originating from the DRC.
AFJN staff visited the gold mine of Mukera in the Fizi territory of South Kivu Province as well as Goma, the Capital of North Kivu province. AFJN's visit aimed to bring the voices of the artisanal miners and concerned Congolese civil society groups together to demand the release of the rules of section 1502. Each day the much needed mining sector reform is delayed is another day of conflict and insecurity in DRC. We believe a strong conflict mineral policy will help stop the ongoing violence which began in 1996, has claimed nearly 6 million lives, displaced millions, and continues a climate of crimes including corruption, assassination and mass rape of women and men just to name a few.
Click here to read the full report and here to take action:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o...
AFJN staff visited the gold mine of Mukera in the Fizi territory of South Kivu Province as well as Goma, the Capital of North Kivu province. AFJN's visit aimed to bring the voices of the artisanal miners and concerned Congolese civil society groups together to demand the release of the rules of section 1502. Each day the much needed mining sector reform is delayed is another day of conflict and insecurity in DRC. We believe a strong conflict mineral policy will help stop the ongoing violence which began in 1996, has claimed nearly 6 million lives, displaced millions, and continues a climate of crimes including corruption, assassination and mass rape of women and men just to name a few.
Click here to read the full report and here to take action:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o...
Intel says its processors are now 'conflict-free'
Jan 07, 2014 by Peter Svensson
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich talks about materials used to make Intel microprocessors during a keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Intel Corp., the world's largest maker of computer processors, says its processors are now free of minerals from mines held by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Intel Corp., the world's largest maker of computer processors, says its processors are now free of minerals from mines held by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It's the first major U.S. technology company to make such a claim about its products. It's the fruit of four years of work by the company to determine the sources of four crucial metals widely used in electronics manufacturing: tantalum, tungsten, tin and gold.
Eastern Congo is rich in minerals, and economic activity other than mining has been disrupted by nearly two decades of fighting between the government, rogue soldiers and different ethnic groups. There's been widespread concern that foreign purchases of minerals from mines held by armed groups are fueling the conflict, though many experts say the minerals are not the root cause of the fighting.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich made the announcement Monday in a keynote speech ahead of the opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
A U.S. law passed in 2010 requires U.S. public companies to report whether their products contain minerals from rebel-held mines in Congo. Compliance is difficult for many electronics manufacturers, since a single product like a cellphone can contain components from hundreds or thousands of suppliers. Intel relies on relatively few suppliers for its chips.
There's been concern that the law has amounted to a de facto embargo on minerals exports from an area with millions of people living at a subsistence level. Carolyn Duran, manager of Intel's "conflict minerals" program said that Intel still buys minerals from the region, as long as it's comfortable the mines are in good hands.
"We are not intending to leave the region behind," Duran said.
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Intel says its processors are now "conflict-free"
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich holds up Edison, a dual core PC the size of an SD card during a keynote address at the International Consumer Electronics Show, Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
LAS VEGAS -- Intel Corp., the world's largest maker of computer processors, says its processors are now free of minerals from mines held by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It's the first major U.S. technology company to make such a claim about its products. It's the fruit of four years of work by the company to determine the sources of four crucial metals widely used in electronics manufacturing: tantalum, tungsten, tin and gold.
Eastern Congo is rich in minerals, and economic activity other than mining has been disrupted by nearly two decades of fighting between the government, rogue soldiers and different ethnic groups. There's been widespread concern that foreign purchases of minerals from mines held by armed groups are fueling the conflict, though many experts say the minerals are not the root cause of the fighting.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich made the announcement Monday in a keynote speech ahead of the opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
A U.S. law passed in 2010 requires U.S. public companies to report whether their products contain minerals from rebel-held mines in Congo. Compliance is difficult for many electronics manufacturers, since a single product like a cellphone can contain components from hundreds or thousands of suppliers. Intel relies on relatively few suppliers for its chips.
There's been concern that the law has amounted to a de facto embargo on minerals exports from an area with millions of people living at a subsistence level. Carolyn Duran, manager of Intel's "conflict minerals" program said that Intel still buys minerals from the region, as long as it's comfortable the mines are in good hands.
"We are not intending to leave the region behind," Duran said.
© 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Business
Intel says its processors are now 'conflict-free'
Posted January 7
By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer
LAS VEGAS — Intel Corp., the world's largest maker of computer processors, says its processors are now free of minerals from mines held by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It's the first major U.S. technology company to make such a claim about its products. It's the fruit of four years of work by the company to determine the sources of four crucial metals widely used in electronics manufacturing: tantalum, tungsten, tin and gold.
Eastern Congo is rich in minerals, and economic activity other than mining has been disrupted by nearly two decades of fighting between the government, rogue soldiers and different ethnic groups. There's been widespread concern that foreign purchases of minerals from mines held by armed groups are fueling the conflict, though many experts say the minerals are not the root cause of the fighting.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich made the announcement Monday in a keynote speech ahead of the opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
A U.S. law passed in 2010 requires U.S. public companies to report whether their products contain minerals from rebel-held mines in Congo. Compliance is difficult for many electronics manufacturers, since a single product like a cellphone can contain components from hundreds or thousands of suppliers. Intel relies on relatively few suppliers for its chips.
There's been concern that the law has amounted to a de facto embargo on minerals exports from an area with millions of people living at a subsistence level. Carolyn Duran, manager of Intel's "conflict minerals" program said that Intel still buys minerals from the region, as long as it's comfortable the mines are in good hands.
"We are not intending to leave the region behind," Duran said.
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No more conflict minerals inside?
Intel – the US multinational computer chips maker – is doing a good thing by making sure that their microchips contain no conflict minerals. But how will they know for sure? And why is Intel trying to prevent other companies from doing the same?
A few weeks ago, Intel, the world’s leading microchip manufacturer, announced that it has produced its first microchips guaranteed to contain no conflict minerals. If correct, that means they include no tin, tungsten or tantalum bought from people or organizations that could be financing armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or adjoining countries.
Great news! And no mean feat, since it is notoriously difficult to verify where a bag of minerals ultimately was dug out of the ground and who did it and sold it on. More on that later…
Democracy is spreading in Africa and for most of the continent, the focus is now of economic growth and the challenges of distributing growing national wealth equitably. Yet, as we pointed out in the Africa Progress Report 2013, it is a cruel coincidence that the rare minerals required to produce almost all our modern consumer electronics products are to a large extent mined in the areas of central Africa that have been ridden by armed conflict over the past two decades. Rebel groups, warlords and bandits operating in eastern DRC have earned millions of dollars from mining these minerals – often by forced, dangerous and inhumane labor – that they have used to buy arms and ammunition. The large producers of such electronic products are inadvertently supporting these groups and therefore enabling continued bloodshed.
Intel invested both time and money to ensure that their procurement processes check the origins of the minerals they buy. That is laudable for several reasons. First because when the world’s leading chip maker no longer buys conflict minerals, it will reduce the amount of money these gangs can get their hands on. Second, because instead of simply saying ‘we will no longer buy minerals from DRC’, Intel has gone to a lot of trouble to continue buying from DRC and in doing so, supporting legitimate mining operations in the country. Most importantly, by developing – together with industry partners – a verification system at smelters where raw ore is refined into metals, Intel shows that tracing your supply chain is doable. It leaves no excuse for other electronics manufacturers not to do the same.
We wish we could applaud wholeheartedly. But two troubling questions linger and spoil the mood…
Why does Intel sit on the Board of Directors of an industry interest group (The National Association of Manufacturers) that has sued to stop the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from implementing the “conflict mineral provision” (Section 1502) of the Dodd-Frank Act? Section 1502, which requires that all companies report on the sourcing of the minerals they use in their products, is now in effect. Yet, The National Association of Manufacturers, together with the U.S. Chambers of Commerce and the Business Roundtable has appealed the court’s decision to let the regulations stand.
Why would Intel, which says it is determined to “do the right thing”, go along with a suit that is aiming to prevent a practice that could save lives in the DRC?
Intel should know – and tell its Association – that fighting against such legislation is ultimately a losing battle. Not only do companies already have to adjust to the reality of Section 1502 which came into force a year ago; the move towards banning conflict minerals is spreading. In Canada, Paul Dewar, a Member of Parliament, has introduced a similar bill which is working its way through the legislative process. If passed, it would greatly enhance the effect of the Dodd-Frank Act, given that Canada is a world center for mining and extraction industry companies. The European Union is also going to propose new regulations on conflict minerals later this year.
Then there is the issue of verification. By keeping its verification process secret and simultaneously guaranteeing that its chips are “conflict-free”, Intel is vulnerable to any well-researched claim to the contrary. Intel is also preventing others from benefitting from its experience. Nobody would criticize Intel for finding that its verification showed that the company accidentally included some conflict minerals as long as their due diligence process caught the glitch and corrected it. That is what verification is all about.
By claiming its chips to be conflict free without being transparent with the verification process, this announcement could be seen as driven more by the desire for good PR than any long-term business decision to source raw materials responsibly. Prove us wrong, Intel!
Photo credit: Marcus Bleasdale/VII
A few weeks ago, Intel, the world’s leading microchip manufacturer, announced that it has produced its first microchips guaranteed to contain no conflict minera...ls. If correct, that means they include no tin, tungsten or tantalum bought from people or organizations that could be financing armed conflict in the DRC or adjoining countries. This is great news! But how will they know for sure? And why is Intel trying to prevent other companies from doing the same? Read more about this on our blog: Photo by Marcus Bleasdale/VII
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