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RUSSELL SIMMONS DELIVERS POWERFUL AND THOUGHTFUL JCK KEYNOTE ADDRESS FOCUSING ON TRANSFORMING THE DIAMOND INDUSTRY THROUGH GIVING BACK TO AFRICA
DIAMOND EMPOWERMENT FUND(TM) ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
(Las Vegas, NV)- June 4th, 2008- Jewel and gem lovers, retailers, and suppliers from across the globe all convened at the Las Vegas Sands Convention Center in the Venetian Hotel, for the annual JCK trade show.
On the morning of May 30, Russell Simmons struck a chord with the packed audience of industry leaders during his Keynote Address, moderated by industry titan Martin Rapaport. During a passionate pre-Keynote speech, he talked about his mission to inspire and transform the diamond industry and focus the industry's collective sight on Africa. "Our goal should be to be the best extractive industry we can be," Simmons emphasized. "When you see through a transparent diamond, you should see an empowered Africa."
Simmons shared his personal journey from thinking that diamonds and fur were "harmful and wasteful luxuries" to realizing that the power diamonds have in helping Africa help itself. His meeting with Nelson Mandela in December of 2006, when Simmons made a trip to Botswana and South Africa to see what good diamonds were already doing there, inspired him to take action. Mandela convinced him that "diamonds unlike fur---are dramatically different and can have a great effect on Africa."
Simmons then created the Diamond Empowerment Fund(TM) in 2007, whose mission it is to raise money for education programs in African countries where diamonds are a natural resource. The Green Bracelet, composed of malachite beads and a rough diamond, created by Simmons Jewelry Co., has already raised over $300,000 for D.E.F. in just one year. That money is going towards an endowment for D.E.F.'s first beneficiary - the CIDA City Campus, a visionary business college in Johannesburg where 3300 student yogi's do everything but teach and take what they learn back into their impoverished communities. Simmons wants to secure the school's future and hopes to replicate its program in other parts of Africa
D.E.F. also made a splash at JCK at the very popular, Simmons Jewelry Co.-hosted cocktail party to further spread the word about D.E.F.'s mission throughout the industry. D.E.F. also created an information and inspiration table at the official JCK kick off event.
The year old organization announced three new board members to its ranks: Edward Hrabak, Senior Vice President and General Merchandise Manager of Sterling Jewelers Inc. will join the members of the Governing Board. In addition Former Botswana President Festus Mogae and Hedda T. Schupak, Editor-in-Chief of JCK Magazine, have been elected to the Advisory Board.
The Diamond Empowerment Fund Board currently consists of Sally Morrison, President of the Governing Board and Director of the Diamond Information Center, New York; Phyllis Bergman, President of Mercury Ring Corporation, New York/New Jersey; Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President and CEO of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network; Linah Mohoholo, Governor, Bank of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana; Scott H. Rauch, President of the Simmons Jewelry Co.; Jaci Wilson Reid, Managing Director of Westin Rinehart, Washington, D.C./New York and Varda Shine, Managing Director of the Diamond Trading Company, London. Ellen Haddigan, is the Executive Director of D.E.F.
Emphasized Board President, Sally Morrison, "We are thrilled to welcome these new members whose involvement signals a widening and deepening basis of support across the whole industry."
About the Diamond Empowerment Fund:
Founded in 2007, The Diamond Empowerment Fund® (D.E.F.) is a non-profit international organization established by the individuals and businesses in the diamond and jewelry industry committed to the empowerment of communities and countries where diamonds are a natural resource.
For more information about D.E.F. visit www.simmonsjewelryco.com and www.diamondempowerment.org.
To purchase a Green Bracelet, go to www.simmonsjewelryco.com.
7:17 PM
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