Leading personalities including Nicky Oppenheimer, chairman of De Beers Group, and Peter Sands, group executive of Standard Charter Bank will participate in the cocktail party and auctuion being hosted by the Diamond Empowerment Fund (D.E.F.) on November 8, 2010, at 7 p.m. The event is slated at the Millibank Tower in London. %% The D.E.F has been set up by conscientious members of the diamond and jewellery industry to raise funds for educational initiatives in African countries where diamonds are a natural resource. %% The proceeds from the event this year will go towards the Africa beneficiation funding . D.E.F. will also host its online auction from November 2-30 on charitybuzz.com. D.E.F. has two named educational beneficiaries: CIDA City Campus and African Leadership Academy, both based in Johannesburg.