Thanks to the COM352 students for contributing a bunch of new pages! I'll be moving these pages into the main area of the wiki soon.

From UMassWiki

Ok Annerrs, you've picked an intense topic. I'm trying to think through some questions that will help guide you.

   * Who am I going to address my letter to? The governments allowing the distribution of conflict diamonds(?)

Strategically, where in the supply chain can a lone citizen have the most impact? I'm thinking there are problems not just at the production end, but also at the "consumer" end - the people who buy these diamonds. How can you generate the most leverage from your writing in order to have a chance at effecting a real change?

   * History of the problem: Sierra Leone (1999), Liberia (1989-2003), and Ivory Coast (1999).

You'll have some serious summarizing to do which is a challenge to do well: you must understand the similarities and differences thoroughly in order to state them concisely and clearly to your audience. Also, is the problem really only "internal" to these countries? Who buys/profits from these diamonds?

   * What I want to accomplish/alternative solutions: Make the public aware of conflict diamonds so that they can help stop the consumption of these conflict diamonds/Perhaps enforce new policies stopping the distribution of conflict diamonds. 

Ok, which "public" do you have in mind here? It seems this is your audience, but if you want them to help stop then you must know the concrete details of what they can actually do. Here you have to think hard: US citizens have no say over the policies of other governments. What is a realistic scope or strategy for you to ask US citizens to embrace?