Survival International Targets Neil Lane
Human rights organization Survival has today targeted US jewellery designer Neil Lane in its continued battle with De
Beers, over the eviction of the Central Kalahari Bushmen in Botswana to make way for diamond mining.
It has been reported that to coincide with the November opening of the De Beers store in Beverley Hills, Los Angeles, De
Beers has commissioned Neil Lane to create a signature collection of diamonds. Survival and the Bushmen are now urging
Neil Lane not to get involved with De Beers.
Survival has had much success with its lobbying campaign. Supermodel Iman famously quit as the face of De Beers; British
supermodel Erin O'Connor distanced herself from De Beers stating 'I don't think that doing a job like (being the face of
De Beers) would in any way add to my life or make me happy. I would make that stand, and say no'; and only last month
British model Lily Cole, the current face of De Beers, stated that she is refusing to work with De Beers again over
their human rights record.
In June 2005 Survival and pioneering American feminist Gloria Steinem picketed the opening of De Beers's first US store
in New York. Survival supporters urged US celebrities Teri Hatcher and Lindsay Lohan not to cross the picket line.
Stephen Corry, Director of Survival International, said today, 'People in the fashion business need to be made aware of
the catastrophic effect diamonds are having on the Bushmen. It is not OK for people to wear diamonds by De Beers until
the Bushmen are allowed back to their ancestral lands.'