Diamonds, Education, and Going Green in London

          The Diamond Empowerment Fund was in London earlier this November for their Diamonds in the Sky benefit event. The benefit raised $1 million for the Diamond Empowerment Fund, which will go towards the education of African nations. The Diamond Empowerment Fund is a non-profit organization under the Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons Rush Communications.  The non-profit also launched in London a new style of apartment, apartments made for recycled trash container (large industrial size).  The containers have been recycled into livable apartments with all the amenities of a regular apartment. The containers are stacked and made so the occupant does not realize they are actually living in what used to hold waste, which is good, most wouldn’t want to live in something that reminded them of where it came from. The recycled apartments will hopefully be introduced in America in near future, probably first being introduced in New York first. I wonder if Russell Simmons will purchase one for himself?

            It is events like the benefit and the introduction of the recycled housing that need to get more coverage so that more people can be informed and inspired. By having such a huge icon as Russell Simmons backing such projects it does help to bring in money of course, but it also brings generations together on our most current education and “green” issues.  The people with the “money” to support such initiatives see Russell Simmons name and know that they are supporting something well worth their money and have a trusted face to relate with. On the other hand you have the younger generations who see Russell Simmons, and relate with what he has done in Hip Hop and the Fashion industry and now the Green industry. The younger generations think well if Russell Simmons is doing his part to be “Green” then maybe it’s not such a bad thing to do myself.  Now the youth will not be able to put as much money into initiatives like this but what they can do is start to bring awareness to their friends and start their own “Green” initiatives. Having icons like Russell Simmons to be the face of “Green” initiatives or speak to youth about “green” is what the Green industry needs to help bridge the current gap between “cool” and “un cool green supporting” youth. The un cool will continue to do ‘”green” regardless of who the face is because their main focus is the earth’s health, but the cool kids need a cool face to relate to and icons like Russell Simmons are the that face.