DDI@Resolve mourns loss of Dorothéé Gizenga

We were very saddened to receive the news of the passing away of Mrs. Dorothée Gizenga, founding Executive Director of the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), now part of Resolve. Mrs. Gizenga passed away of complications from diabetes on February 18 in Kinshasa.

She was a leader in the campaign to end conflict diamonds from the start when the Kimberley Process was established and was a tireless advocate on behalf of the world’s 1.5 million artisanal diamond miners as executive director of DDI.

Mrs. Gizenga was also co-founder of the Canadian and African Business Women’s Alliance and helped to establish the African Canadian Social Development Council. She was also a board member of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, always in pursuit of development and social justice.

She was very respected throughout the global diamond industry and will be greatly missed.