#cobalt mining

Forced evictions, decimated villages, children can't attend school

Apple, Google, Tesla and Microsoft are among firms named in a lawsuit seeking damages over deaths and injuries of child miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

DR Congo produces 60% of the world's supply of cobalt.

Cobalt mines in the Congo are characterized by exploitation, where thousands are enslaved to harvest the mineral. This benefits large capitalist multinationals, fueling the "green capitalism" transition through the production of batteries.

The system relies on the forced labor of over 40,000 children in these mines, allowing Western nations to project an image of environmental concern and civilization. However, this is fundamentally a business for capitalists whose primary motivation is profit, indifferent to environmental consequences as long as their wealth is preserved.

I made this image with pure fucking hatred in my soul. Then my phone crumpled it.

Death’s Head Divination is collaborating with Slow Mornings Co. to bring you a silly sticker design + ways you can support your local communities and global issues as we move forward through uncertain times 🌿

SMC’s “C(r)apitalism” slogan centers the idea that capitalism causes harm through extracting resources from both people and the planet to fuel a system that benefits only the few at the top. Survival within it is necessary while we work to divest and destroy it though. Thus we need to focus on mutual aid networks, free resources, community care and slowing down despite our common struggle.

The sticker itself represents how quickly technology becomes irrelevant under this system (who remembers Blackberries?) while contributing to pollution and exploitation. While we both recognize stickers aren’t an answer to environmentalism, they are accessible ways to support creators directly and get messages out to your communities.

Following this though, we would like to donate $1 of every sticker sale to Friends of the Congo - a 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that partners with Congolese to bring change to the DRC, where cobalt extraction for phones and computers is rampant and exploitative.

Additionally, we have launched a submission form where you can add your local community’s free and accessible resources to a growing directory for everyone to use. This could include free fridges, libraries, inclusive places of worship, food banks, shelters, businesses, online events, inclusive legal and health resources, etc. This includes within the US and globally, wherever you live.

Submission Form

C(r)apitalism Sticker Pre-Order