Diamond Gala Held at Botswana Embassy

DEF Botswana Sponsors

(IDEX Online News) – More than 150 diamond and jewelry industry leaders, diplomats, government officials and delegates to the Kimberley Process Intersessional, philanthropists attended last week’s “Gala Salute to Botswana: Diamonds Empower Africa” at the Embassy of Botswana in Washington, DC.

The event was co-hosted by the Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF) and the Embassy of Botswana to the United States.

“Our industry supports the empowerment of Africa. We are pleased to pay tribute and to salute the outstanding progress that Botswana continues to achieve, and that represents the good that diamonds do to improve the quality of life of people and communities in Africa,” said DEF president Phyllis Bergman.

“Botswana's economic wealth and social well-being are due to being the top producer of diamonds by carat weight and value in the world,” said H.E. Tebelelo Mazile Seretse, ambassador of the Republic of Botswana to the United States. “Careful stewardship of this most precious resource with our business partners exemplifies that public/private partnership works in a democracy such as Botswana."

The ambassador also said it was Botswana's time to “shine as a model for what is possible when good governance is combined with good corporate social responsibility and best business practices from the private sector and government.”

Attendees included H.E. ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, chair of the Kimberley Process; H.E. Ebrahim Rasool, ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to the United States and H.E. Ephraim M. Hlophe, ambassador of the Kingdom of Swaziland to the United States.

A highlight of the event was a speech by Patience Osei, a student scholar in Botswana’s Top Achievers Program, which is supported by the government of Botswana in partnership with the DEF. In her thanks she said, “You have given me the opportunity to change my life and to enhance the future of Botswana. I will not let you down.”

The gala’s lead sponsor was Tiffany & Co. Supporter sponsors of the gala were Exelco, Julius Klein Group, Leo Schachter Diamonds, Signet Jewelers, and Wilderness Safaris in Botswana.

The Dalumi Group, creators of the Swana Diamond, made the winning bid for the exclusive Wilderness Safari auction package, which includes an arranged tour by Debswana of the world’s richest diamond mine, Jwaneng, and a private tour by DTC Botswana of their newly opened offices in Gaborone.

The mission of the non-profit DEF is to develop the next generation of leaders in Africa by supporting education initiatives in diamond-producing nations.