VH1 continues their
"Rock Doc" series with the tentatively titled special, Bling A Planet
Rock, which features rappers Raekwon, Paul Wall and Reggaeton artist Tego Calderon.
The three
artists are in Sierra Leone this week, to hear first hand accounts of people who
have suffered at the hands of the lucrative diamond trade. The
documentary will also focus on how Hip-Hop has played a role in the country’s
11-year civil war, which was mostly funded by the illegal trading of conflict
or "blood" diamonds.Raekwon,
Wall and Calderon will visit mining communities and will meet with local musicians,
children and government officials. The
documentary is directed by veteran Raquel Cepeda, who serves as co-producer with
Article 19 Films, in association with VH1 and the United Nations Development Program.Producers
of the documentary hope "Bling: A Planet Rock" educate Americans about
conflict diamonds and bring global awareness to the issue.The
country was once a major exporter of slaves during the Transatlantic Slave Trade
in the 1700’s, until the capital of Freetown was founded in 1792 as a haven for
African-American’s who had fought for Britons during the American Revolutionary
war. Yesterday
(July 12), Sierra Leone government officials signed a Tripartite agreement for
agricultural assistance as the government attempts to reestablish authority over
the country, after the civil war caused tens of thousands of deaths and displaced
over 2 million people, or one-third of the impoverished country’s population.The
program aims to secure the country’s water, diversify food production and help
increase crop production. In
March, Charles Taylor, former president of neighboring country Liberia, was indicted
by the International Criminal Court for his role in allegedly helping to contribue
the brutal civil war. Taylor
is currently in prison awaiting trial in The Hague court, located in the Netherlands,
for war crimes in both Liberia and Sierra Leone. Experts
hope Taylor’s arrest and trial will bring stability to the African coastal countries.
