Conflict Free Minerals
On August 27, 2012, Ohio University announced its commitment to the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative. Ohio University released a Statement on Conflict Minerals calling upon industrial producers of electronics equipment to avoid the use of minerals sourced from terrorist-controlled mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Acting on concerns raised by Bobcats for a Conflict-Free Campus, a sub-group of the Ohio University Chapter of STAND Against Genocide, President Roderick J. McDavis appointed an Ad Hoc Committee on Socially Responsible Practices. Made up of faculty and staff from across the university, the Committee worked with the student group to examine the problem of minerals obtained from illegal sources in the Congo and has recommended the issuance of the Statement.
The statement supports the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), which attempts to address the growing humanitarian crisis in the DRC. The act specifically addresses Congressional concerns related to the exploitation of minerals in the DRC and their use in electronics that the United States has purchased.
Please check out your favorite electronics supplier's position on this humanitarian crisis and support this important initiative in the choices you make for your electronics purchases:
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Rule for Disclosing Use of Conflict Minerals