Comments on: Russell Simmons: Blood diamonds and responsibility http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/ African business and culture trends Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:59:38 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Popular Fidelity http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-60132 Popular Fidelity Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:53:14 +0000 http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/#comment-60132 [...] Urban Hoopla and Annansi Chronicles Share this [...] [...] Urban Hoopla and Annansi Chronicles Share this [...]

]]> By: Bessed http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-273 Bessed Tue, 05 Dec 2006 16:52:40 +0000 http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/#comment-273 <strong>Blood Diamond...</strong> What are the best sites about the 2006 movie Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly? We’ve started with these. What else should be here? 1. Blood Diamond - Official Warner Bros. site for Blood Diamond inc... Blood Diamond…

What are the best sites about the 2006 movie Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly? We’ve started with these. What else should be here?
1. Blood Diamond – Official Warner Bros. site for Blood Diamond inc…

]]> By: Annansi Chronicles » Video of Russell Simmons’ African diamond trip http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-270 Annansi Chronicles » Video of Russell Simmons’ African diamond trip Fri, 01 Dec 2006 21:00:07 +0000 http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/#comment-270 [...] Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons touched down in South Africa on Monday without his rumored love interest supermodel Petra Nemcova and immediately released a statement about his fact-finding tour. “I am here because the most important and powerful Muslim minister and the most important and powerful Jewish Rabbi I have met in my lifetime - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and Rabbi Marc Schnier - both, individually, told me to come here,” Simmons told AllHipHop.com in a statement. From South Africa Mr. Simmons traveled to Botswana and visited the Jwaneng Diamond Mine, the largest and richest diamond mine in the world by value, with Dr. Benjamin Chavis who is part of the fact finding mission. Upon returning to the United States, on December 5th Simmons is scheduled to hold a press conference at New York City’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel at 2 p.m. There, along with wife (or is it ex-wife) Kimora Lee Simmons, Scott Rauch (both co-owners of Simmons Jewelry Company a partnership with DeBeers) and Dr. Benjamin Chavis (co-chairman of Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit Action Network), Simmons will “announce major historic initiatives pertaining to Africa and the diamond industry.” Let’s hope so. I’ve already expressed my initial opinion about the trip, but as always am hoping he proves me wrong. [...] [...] Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons touched down in South Africa on Monday without his rumored love interest supermodel Petra Nemcova and immediately released a statement about his fact-finding tour. “I am here because the most important and powerful Muslim minister and the most important and powerful Jewish Rabbi I have met in my lifetime – The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and Rabbi Marc Schnier – both, individually, told me to come here,” Simmons told AllHipHop.com in a statement. From South Africa Mr. Simmons traveled to Botswana and visited the Jwaneng Diamond Mine, the largest and richest diamond mine in the world by value, with Dr. Benjamin Chavis who is part of the fact finding mission. Upon returning to the United States, on December 5th Simmons is scheduled to hold a press conference at New York City’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel at 2 p.m. There, along with wife (or is it ex-wife) Kimora Lee Simmons, Scott Rauch (both co-owners of Simmons Jewelry Company a partnership with DeBeers) and Dr. Benjamin Chavis (co-chairman of Simmons’ Hip-Hop Summit Action Network), Simmons will “announce major historic initiatives pertaining to Africa and the diamond industry.” Let’s hope so. I’ve already expressed my initial opinion about the trip, but as always am hoping he proves me wrong. [...]

]]> By: cariline gathagu http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-269 cariline gathagu Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:00:37 +0000 http://annansi.com/blog/2006/11/russell-simmons-blood-diamonds-and-responsibility/#comment-269 I have great respect for the hip-hop mogul and his business capabilities. I also respect his ingenuity at creating billion-dollar ideas where other people had not seen much potential. This time however, i am a little skeptical about this whole "fact-finding" mission.Whose interests are at hand here; the jewelers or the African people? Or is this yet another of Russell's ingenious ways of enhancing his already gigantic business empire? I can not answer the questions with much confidence, for it would rather be a careless comment that is un-backed by substantiated proof. Therefore the best thing would be for us to wait and see what happens. Russell’s own words may be seen as rather comforting. “I’m making a lot of money by selling diamonds. I want to give my money back to the people in Africa.” Another is “Americans will know that, when they buy a diamond, it doesn’t make you an a** with money, it can make you a person who’s empowering Africans.” Well, for whatever reason the fact-finding mission has been created, I hope it brings help to those whose name it’s associated with. I hope that it fulfills the mission for what it was created for. I hope that it will bring a little empowerment to so many Africans; impoverished by ruthless governments that mine diamonds in order to furnish terrorist activities and civil wars. I hope that a few dollars (Or Shillings, or Francs, or Nairas) will not be worth further exploitation of the African people. I really do hope that this works out well for everyone. Really. I have great respect for the hip-hop mogul and his business capabilities. I also respect his ingenuity at creating billion-dollar ideas where other people had not seen much potential.
This time however, i am a little skeptical about this whole “fact-finding” mission.Whose interests are at hand here; the jewelers or the African people? Or is this yet another of Russell’s ingenious ways of enhancing his already gigantic business empire?
I can not answer the questions with much confidence, for it would rather be a careless comment that is un-backed by substantiated proof. Therefore the best thing would be for us to wait and see what happens.
Russell’s own words may be seen as rather comforting. “I’m making a lot of money by selling diamonds. I want to give my money back to the people in Africa.” Another is “Americans will know that, when they buy a diamond, it doesn’t make you an a** with money, it can make you a person who’s empowering Africans.”
Well, for whatever reason the fact-finding mission has been created, I hope it brings help to those whose name it’s associated with. I hope that it fulfills the mission for what it was created for. I hope that it will bring a little empowerment to so many Africans; impoverished by ruthless governments that mine diamonds in order to furnish terrorist activities and civil wars. I hope that a few dollars (Or Shillings, or Francs, or Nairas) will not be worth further exploitation of the African people. I really do hope that this works out well for everyone. Really.

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