You can download all the sheets of our educational proposal on Conflict Free Technology. They are also available in Basque, English and French:
Our mobile devices contain an almost endless list of minerals and raw materials, including the so-called “conflict minerals” 1: tantalum, tungsten, tin (known as 3Ts) and gold sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Great Lakes region. These minerals are hidden inside many of the products we use every day.
We must begin to address the issue of conflict minerals by defining what they are. The first and simplest definition we can give is that conflict minerals are those linked to a conflict or human rights abuses and violations.
There are certain electronic devices that have taken up permanent residence in our pockets and bags, devices that many consider indispensable. We are talking, of course, about mobile phones. But what do we really know about them? What do we know about the impact of their manufacturing and use?