The sin of modern-day slavery may seem like a remote tragedy confined to developing nations.
But the truth is, its impact may be closer to home than we realize.
Many electronic devices that we rely on and take for granted — devices like cell phones, flat-screen TVs, laptop computers and even pacemakers and hearing aids — contain circuits, capacitors and other components made of tantalum, an element often sourced via modern-day slavery.
Tantalum, a highly corrosion-resistant metal, is a key element of the worldwide tech economy. Over half of the world’s tantalum is mined in Africa, primarily within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).1 Under legislation in the United States and European Union, it has been designated as a “conflict mineral”, meaning that it originates in areas racked by armed conflict and human rights abuses.2
Violence has plagued the DRC for decades as various armies, rebel groups and outside forces have vied for dominance in the region. These groups have often profited from the mining of tantalum and other conflict minerals through human trafficking and forced labor.3
Companies sourcing tantalum from the DRC may be unknowingly — or knowingly — supporting these human rights abuses and violations of international law. As a result, the supply chain for many of our everyday electronic conveniences may be “contaminated”.
Section 1502 of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Act4 and the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation5 require companies to conduct due diligence on their supply chains to prevent the use of conflict minerals. However, complex global supply chains make it difficult to eliminate tainted materials, highlighting a need for greater transparency among corporations.
This is where the Clapham Accelerator has stepped in. Created by the Eagle Venture Fund, a faith-driven venture capital firm based in Texas, the Clapham Accelerator is an organization focused on fighting human trafficking and exploitation. The Clapham Accelerator has collaborated with the Refugee Investment Network to form the Anti-Trafficking Investor Network (ATIN). ATIN’s goal is to rank the companies that comprise the S&P 500® by their exposure to trafficking within their supply chains.
By eventually making this data map available to consumers and asset managers, ATIN hopes to amplify advocacy efforts and spur market demand for ethically sourced products.
At GuideStone Funds®, we envision a world transformed by Christian investing — a world free of slavery and human trafficking in which human dignity flourishes and advances.
The completed data map would help us do our part in reducing the demand for conflict minerals by significantly enhancing our shareholder advocacy and proxy voting efforts and sharpening our Christian Values Screening process.
That’s why we are proud to be a sponsor of ATIN’s pilot project: mapping the 407,000 enslaved people6 in the DRC to the popular consumer brands whose supply chains rely on tantalum and other key elements sourced there.
Our donation completed the initial targeted fundraising amount. If this pilot project is successful, ATIN’s next initiative will target raising enough philanthropic dollars to rank each sector of the S&P 500®.
Besides supporting better supply chain transparency, our sponsorship will foster closer working relationships with other like-minded project supporters, leading to future collaborations as we seek to source other Christian impact opportunities.
We know this broken world will not be fully restored until Christ returns, but until then, we are committed to leveraging our investment platform to make an impact for his Kingdom.
Contact an advisor consultant today for more resources to help build your faith-based investing business with GuideStone Funds.
1 https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/critical-metals-investing/tantalum-investing/2013-top-tantalum-producers-rwanda-brazil-drc-canada/
2 https://www.responsiblemineralsinitiative.org/minerals-due-diligence/tantalum/#:~:text=More%20than%20half%20of%20the,DRC)%20and%20its%20neighboring%20countries.
3 https://ecovadis.com/glossary/conflict-minerals/
4 https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/4173
5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/821/oj/eng
6 https://www.walkfree.org/global-slavery-index/country-studies/democratic-republic-of-the-congo/
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Article
• Apr 29, 2025 