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These rough diamonds are just a tiny sample of a huge bounty that lies underneath the ground in the southern African country of Botswana. But they are also the bedrock of Botswana's economy. With a record of some 40 years of sustained economic growth, Botswana stands out in a region better known for political upheavals, war and poverty. Negative publicity for the diamond industry is likely with the launch of the upcoming movie 'Blood Diamond', starring Leonardo di Caprio. Although Botswana is a peaceful country the worry is that all African producers of diamonds, or all diamond producers worldwide, may be tarred with one brush. This was a big issue at the Kimberly Process's annual meeting of 46 countries and the European Union held this month in Botswana. The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme (KCPS) is a joint government, international diamond industry and civil society initiative started in 2002 to weed out the illicit gem trade that fuels civil wars. As Botswana points out, it relies heavily on diamonds to fuel development and any negative affect of the movie may jeopardise attempts to develop and diversify its economy. "Works of art cannot be stopped. The film is a work of art which is based on an event which is now the the past and if people look at that film they may lose their focus and think that is still happening and take decisions which affect the diamond industry. Even though really, it should not be the case. We are concerned about that. And that a ...