The Pain Foundation Screening of ‘Unseen Hands’ Book Signing and Silent Auction A Success

By: Songirl Sez, Special for Diversity News Magazine

On Sunday, November 14, 2010, The Pain Foundation presented a screening of the film, ‘Unseen Hands’ directed by Don Johns at the Charles Aidikoff Screening Room on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Tickets ranged from $40-$60, with the event running from 6-10pm and was hosted by Patty McCall, Producer, Actress and Author of  “Unmasking The Pain Within”’.  The function included an auction, book signing and red carpet.


Based on a true story, the film ‘Unseen Hands’ depicts one woman’s journey through deceit, manipulation and marital abuse with raw onscreen performances by actor Eric Andersen and the ever stunning actress Alicia Benavides-Greenfield. The auction included items from Singer/Actress Jessica Simpson and Mark Sanchez, Football Quarterback for the New York Jets. Sponsors and Contributors of the evening were California Talent, Ingrid’s Café of Beverly Hills, Dan Nash, New Life In Christ Bible Fellowship, Joel Garza, Charles Aidikoff, Trish Steel, Safe Passage, March Sanchez, Jessica Simpson, Daryl Kerns, Alex Kube, On Track Pictures, Got Munchies, Diversity News Publications and Mariah McGuinnis.



Guest speakers included Scott Vostad from the LAPD, Domestic Violence Speaker and Counselor Marty Brenner and Patty McCall. There were touching performances by Multi-Platinum Award Winning Guitarist/Producer Frank R Greenfield aka ‘DeVille’, American Music Awards and NAACP Awards Singer/Songwriter Shawntae Jackson, Singer Michael-Ann, Comedy Store Comedian Diane Kawasaki and 19 year old child abuse survivor and rapper Juny Honaker.


Anger Management and Domestic Violence expert Marty Brenner spoke to the select crowd of around 100 people stating that “Anger is a feeling that needs to be vented by itself without hostility or aggression. No one deserves violent, raging behavior. Anger management enables us to function assertively and rationally when anger comes up, with the ability to protect our rights and express our needs when we feel violated.” He went on to explain that “the goal of anger management counseling is to totally immerse participants enough so that they can confront denial, accept responsibility for controlling their anger, become fully fluent in the anger management concepts and gain intensive hands-on experience in applying these concepts in their own lives.”


An audience member asked Brenner if people with control issues, violent behavior and anger can change, he said “Yes they can – I did! Given the proper motivation, tools and strategies, any one can change.” He said he provides a “step-by-step process that helps them control their anger” which will in turn begin to change their anger patterns.


After the speakers, entertainment and screening concluded, guests were able to meet and greet the author and producer of the film in the lobby, where she was signing copies of “Unmasking The Pain Within.” Notables in attendance were Aura Imbarus, PhD., Educator and Author of “Out of the Transylvania Night,” Hit Recording Artist, Grammy Considered Songwriter and Animal and Children’s Rights Activist Fawn and Actor, Musician, Veronica DiPippo, Lisa Ann Vombrack, Emperor Frederick Von Seidl, Ingrid Bedrosian, Teresa Brown, Jimmy Driscoll,  Film Director Mark Valinsky.

About Pain Foundation: P.A.I.N. Foundation is focused on the prevention and awareness of domestic violence against Women and children. Domestic violence is on the rise, some attribute it to the economy. It becomes a terrible cycle that spirals downward until the climatic destruction of a human being occurs. Lives are shattered and souls are lost, children witness this and they develop behaviors that continue the cycle. Bullying becomes acceptable behavior and more lives become negatively affected. The cycle must be broken, the violence must stop, the P.A.I.N. Foundation seeks to educate children and teens on ending the cycle and leading more positive and loving relationships. Help us stop the cycle and the abuse. Let us build a better tomorrow for our children and build a safer today. Use the tools we have, love, respect and ongoing education. To find out more and support the P.A.I.N. Foundation visit

http://painfoundation.blogspot.com/

Editor’s Note: Publicity event was coordinated by our parent company Diversity News Publications, the Public Relations Division. Photos of the event are courtesy & (C) 2010 by Daniela Hubbard, Francois Palais and Joel Garza for Diversity News Publications, a media and public relations firm. (C) 2010 By Diversity News Publications. All Rights Are Reserved.

Cindy Landon and Jennifer Pryor Help Raise Funds For Sanctuary

By JR, Special for Diversity News Magazine, published by Diversity News Publications

Saturday, November 13, 2010 Celebrities and Animal Rights Supporters came out for an exclusive A.R.M.E. (Animal, Rescue, Media and Education) and Uncaged Films fundraiser for their latest docufilm, “Sanctuary” directed by multi-award winning Shannon Keith and produced by Shannon Keith, Gene Blalock, Alec Pedersen and Ellen Lavinthal.

The cocktail attired event was graciously held at the Lavinthal estate and ran from 5-midnight. The $250.00 tax deductible ticket included a red carpet, drinks, catered food by One World Veggie Cuisine, auction items and screening of never-before seen footage of the film currently in production. Sanctuary documents the lives, incredible escape and survival of a few different primates from captivity – Udi, Puchi, Chucky, Moses, Chi Chi and Jimmy Sr., to name a few. When the short version of the film was finished rolling, there wasn’t a dry eye in the theater. The docufilm is about the will to live with innocent lives interrupted by tragedy, heroes and hope. Through a series of challenges each individual tale touches us in a different way from torture, enslavement, deprivation, mutilation and eventually safety and happiness. Enter Sanctuary – an inspirational and heart-warming glimpse into the lives of our primate brothers and sisters up close and personal. The docufilm unveils the sadness, pain and eventual hope and inspiration that transforms hopelessness into hope, and sadness into gratitude. The beginnings of the film are Inspirational, heart-warming and take you where no film has ever gone. Notables in attendance were Zoli Teglas from Pennywise, Annimal Allience Big TV host Ellen Lavinthal, Cindy Landon, Jennifer Pryor, Grammy Considered Recording Artist and 2010 HMMA Nominee Fawn, Producer of the Cove Alec Pedersen, Wendy Dio, Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary Founder Kari Bagnall, 2010 Peta Award Winner Christina Cho, Actress/Activist Ciddy Fonteboa, LCA Investigator Bryan Monell, Publicist Steven Escobar, and Suzanne Takowsky with Beverly Hills Times, among others. To donate to the making of this film go to www.arme.tv.

About ARME:

ARME’s mission is to eliminate the suffering of all animals. This goal is achieved by rescuing unwanted and homeless animals and by educating the public of the vast extent of the suffering animals endure in our society. Through its actions and words, ARME advances the freedom of all animals.

Editor’s Note: Very Special Thank you to Recording Artist, Philanthropists and Actress Fawn. Also to Shannon Keith and the cast of “Sanctuary”.

Recording Artist Fawn Official Nominated For The Hollywood Music In Media Awards 2010

On October 9, 2010 Recording Artist Fawn posted on her official website http://www.fawnmusic.com that she has been officially nominated for The 2010 Hollywood Music in Media Awards for her music song “Wish U Love” by Fawn vs. Chad Jack & Tim Letteer in the dance category.

“Fawn, my dear talented friend and recording artist, who once said that “there is no such thing as ‘problem’ adult or child, but only a problem in understanding there is no distinction or difference in the heart of humanity,” has been nominated for The Hollywood Music in Media Awards for her song “Wish U Love.” She has been nothing less then a guiding loving light to all her friends and supporters. You are just unique, and I am thrilled to have you in my life!” Said Aura Imbarus, PhD, Author of “Out of the Transylvania Night”

“When Fawn sings, it makes me want to get up and dance!” Said Judy Tenuta, American entertainer, comedienne, and accordionist.


“When we hear Fawn’s music it makes us happy because it’s a reflection of who she is on the inside – one of the most generous and loving people we’ve ever met. A fountain of kindness that never stops giving and constantly oozes from her heart and that’s what true music is, from the inside out.  Fawn is an up and coming star. Her music makes us want to dance! her music is a reflection of who she it.” Said Tracy and Robin Torme

The 2010 Hollywood Music in Media Awards will be held on Thursday, November 18, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at The Highlands Complex inside the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA. The schedule of the event is at 5:00 pm red carpet arrivals, at 6:00 pm Banquet & VIP Entrance, General Admission at 7:00 pm, the Awards show to start at 8:00 pm and at 10:00 pm after party red carpet celebration. They will have celebrity awards presenters and live performances as well.


About Recording Artist FAWN:

Fawn is an award winning ASCAP singer/songwriter, whose song ‘Wish U Love’ produced by Chad Jack and Tim Letteer made it to #6 in 2010 on the Billboard Dance charts. Her music video of the same song remained in the top 10 the 5 months (22 weeks)-until they took it down siting it can only stay in the top 10 for 15 weeks- on MTV’s Logo Channel and charted at #142 for the Top 200 Hit Dance Songs of 2009.

Her voice and songs have been heard on numerous TV shows, CD Compilations, commercials and films such as The Natalee Holloway Story, Ugly Betty, Nip/Tuck, Dead End Falls, Ford, Mazda, Pontiac, Barbie, Ponds, Target, Guiding Light, Lavazza Coffee, The Young and The Restless, 1-800-Missing with Vivica A. Fox and Witchblade, among others. Out of 560,000 songs and 41,000 albums, with 10,000 judges on board, Fawn won the JPF Music Award for Best Dance Song 2009 with her song ‘Wish U Love’ which was #2 only to Madonna, on the dance/house Masterbeat charts with Producers Chad Jack and Tim Letteer. She also won for Best Dance Album 2009 – ‘Body, Soul and Mind.’ Her song ‘Oneday,’ produced by BT, Brian Transeau (Film Composer for Monster/Fast and Furious), has raised over 5 million for people with HIV/AIDS. She has been on the TV and Film Panel at the Winter Music Conference in Miami for the past 2 years and was recently seen on the Lifetime TV Series ‘How to Look Good Naked’ with Carson Kressley with her sister Grae. She has also appeared on a variety of TV shows, including Paula Abdul’s reality TV show ‘Hey Paula,’ E.T. The Insider, TMZ, Good Morning America, Celebrity Rehab, American Idol, Regis and Kelly, KTLA, FOX 11 News, 944 and many others. To learn more about Fawn visit her official website at http://www.fawnmusic.com or her IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2779641/


About The Hollywood Music in Media Awards:

It recognizes and honors the music in visual mediums, the talented individuals responsible for creating and placing it, and the music of both mainstream and independent artists from around the globe for their compositions and recordings in all forms of media including film, TV, video games, commercial advertisements, movie trailers and music videos. The HMMA is also the first music awards event to recognize and honor excellence in music supervision. In addition, iconic individuals are presented with special awards for outstanding career achievement and longevity in entertainment.

Sources: http://hmmawards.com, http://www.diversitynewspublications.comhttp://www.examiner.com/events-in-los-angeles/esteban-escobar, & http://www.fawnmusic.com

Author, Educator and Celebrity Aura Imbarus Featured on The Eerie Digest Magazine For the Month of October 2010

Interview with Aura Imbarus
ED- The Eerie Digest is happy to present author Aura Imbarus to all our readers. Aura, you originally hail from Romania and moved to Los Angeles. Your book ‘Out of the Transylvania Night’ is about your epic journey from that land to ours. Tell us about your beginnings in Eastern Europe and the impact it has had on your life.


AI- I was born and raised in Transylvania, in Sibiu, a city that was named Cultural Capital of Europe in 2007, and was considered by Forbes the 8th most idyllic place to live in Europe. The architecture and the history of my homeland is more than intriguing, not necessarily due to Dracula or Vlad Dracul under his real name, but because of the Bran, Hunedoara, Peles, Rasnov, Fagaras castles and Sighisoara, Biertan, Sibiu, Brasov, medieval towns and citadels. The region of Transylvania has a rich historic heritage, from ancient fortresses and temples to medieval towns, churches and castles to renaissance and baroque palaces. Some of the castles and fortresses perished, many lie in ruins, and some have endured throughout the passing of time, witnesses of a glorious as well as turbulent history. Transylvania, which means the land beyond the forest, was first referred to in a Medieval Latin document in 1075 as ultra silvam. Surrounded by nature, legends and folktales, I grew up in a Romanian family of Greek roots, whose named was mentioned by prime ministers and famous historian in the annals of history. The Imbarus family was stripped of its properties, acres of arable land, green pastures and orchids, houses and money, their carriage transportation businesses, and order to join the Communist Party, like many other families. My Dad never yield while my uncles crossed the borders illegally, being caught and sent to Gherla, the most notorious prisons for political detainees. Our family was blacklisted for having ties with the west, Western Germany where my uncles, after a successful escape, settled down and talked against the regime on Free Europe Radio Station. Even if life during the Communist regime was harsh with rationed food, electricity and gas being monitored while the quota per family was cut down to the bare minimum, with the vision of long lines of people waiting as early as 3am to buy a litter of milk and a loaf of bread for their whole family, I was given an early education and care by my amazing grandparents and my parents. They taught me to be myself, no matter what, to believe in a brighter tomorrow and to educate myself to become “somebody.” I had their wholeheartedly support in being a rebel in the way I dressed myself, using my own creations, I dyed my hair in pink and green, and I thought and acted accordingly.


ED- Life was extremely hard there, but your dreams for a better life had a great influence on your decision to come to America. Tell us how you prepared yourself for this move, and your own future.

AI- My parents have given me the wings to fly high, and the hopes that one day my life will change. Since I was five years old, I was tutored in foreign languages, even if that was forbidden by the regime, for Romania didn’t have any ties with the western world. I was sent to ballet, volleyball, and track-and-field. I was taught how to paint and draw, and how to use my creativity in each and every small thing I did. They have given me the reason to be, to love, and to live life to the fullest. Since I was fourteen, I have been constantly telling my parents that I will end up in the country with big palm trees and never-ending blue waters and clear skies. I knew that my life will not unfold in Romania, and, one way or another, I will end up in the US. It has been my vision and my dream to live in LA. I applied for the Green Card Lottery in 1996, a targeted immigration program, and I was one of the 55,000 winners, out of a pool of 8 million applicants. My vision became reality; in 1997, on May 7, I landed in LA, the City of Angeles with two pieces of luggage and a huge American Dream ready to tackle.



ED- Tell us about your education overseas and your continuing education once you arrived here.
AI- My Romanian education was given in the most possible Spartan ways. I had fifteen subjects in high school, a tough high school entrance exam, a seven-subject test as a high school exit exam. My life depended on all of these tests in order to move on to the next level. As a student you were held back until you would pass all the tests and prove that you mastered all the grade related subjects. When I was admitted to college, it was based on a strenuous entrance exam made out of three subjects. During each winter and summer exam sessions, I would loose fifteen pounds in the all nighters, pulled one after the other. My summer reading list consisted of minimum twenty books that I would have to devour without Cliffnotes, Sparknotes, and Internet. It was brutal, but it was the best type of education I have ever encountered in my life. My BA, MA and my PhD found their equivalency in the American educational system; on top of that, I went to UCLA to receive TESOL, TEFL and CLAD credentials.


ED- You then endeavored to teach others upon graduation. Tell us about this part of your life.

AI- Teaching is the best way of learning new things or refresh your mind when is coming down to old ones. I have always loved people, and the ability to inspire others has been one of the primal focuses of my life. Teaching relies on psychology, and I had had numerous hours in this subject and in teaching methodology. The human mind is the most intricate thing that was ever created, and to be able to mold it into the final product you want to achieve is a challenging journey. I loved and love humans and their happiness is my happiness, and from there comes the desire to share by teaching and spreading knowledge, while absorbing positive energy in return. In Transylvania, I used to teach for my alma mater in Sibiu, Lucian Blaga University, while embracing journalism. Here in the US, I have been teaching for the public educational system, and I can say that it has been a remarkable journey that has given me many satisfactions.


ED- Tell us about your life style here and how it affected you and your writing.

AI- My life style was altered when I first came to the US, for I started with 400 dollars in a bank account. I worked for the hotel industry for a year, adding American experience under my belt. It was not easy to leave a house, a nice car, a great assistant professor position, a certain status that I had in Transylvania, and come here to start from square one. My rollercoaster journey has given me the facts, the tearful stories all gathered in my memoir “Out of the Transylvania Night,” which has three parts dealing with my life in Romania during the communist regime, after the fall of Ceausescu, and my life in the US, chasing the American Dream and the house with the white picket fences. Each experience was the headstone for another path, another tunnel that I really didn’t know where and how is going to end. Being away from my family has not been easy, even if our phone conversations happened daily. My emotions transpire in my rapidly-paced writing, giving away my desires, my inabilities, my internal struggles, my mistakes and regrets, my love and admiration for people I came in contact with.

ED- Your book is inspirational. Please share this, and the story in the book, with all of us.

AI- “Out of the Transylvania Night” has many layers, starting with cultural, social, mystical, and economical and, of course, last but not least, a love story. It represents the pursue of happiness and the achievement of the American Dream, the ups and downs of a fast-paced life in the city that never sleeps – Los Angeles. It deploys the coming together and the falling apart scenes of a family of immigrants who lost the vision, love, and care in the process of blending in and keeping up with the Joneses. A story of a Transylvanian Cinderella, it is also a portrayal of life’s dreams and resolutions in the New World, premonitions and déjà-vu, Transylvania’s existence and categorical life imperatives. As love furtively sneaks out when you least expect it, it also creeps in at the right time on the wings of hope. The memoir summarizes human’s desires in an ever-changing world, more demanding and strenuously competitive, where money and material possessions would, for a while, dominate my existence, only to dissipate as dreams vanish at the crack of dawn, into a more rooted and logically supported existence plagued by ethics, intelligence, charisma and sensibility. It has something for everybody and it pertains to any culture and religion, any background and financial status.

ED- Where can we find it and who is the publisher?

AI- The book’s official release date is Sept 27, but readers can already find it in Barnes and Noble and Borders stores, on line, on Amazon.com, and on my website: www.auraimbarus.com My publisher is an accomplisher writer, former university professor and administrator, Dr Bettie. B Youngs. She is the critically acclaimed author of thirty-six books translated into twenty-four languages. Dr. Youngs is a former Teacher-of-the-Year, and University Professor of Educational Administration and Management, Graduate Division. Though Bettie’s earlier work focused on education and developmental issues for youth, family and educators, in recent years she is best known for her series of poignantly written short-story books that clearly and warmly elucidate the human spirit, captivating the American psyche and winning her wide-range appeal with audiences young and old alike. Bettie is the recipient of numerous publishing awards, including having an Imprint bearing her name. She is Founder and CEO of Bettie Youngs Books Publishing Co. www.BettieYoungsBooks.com 
and Founder and co-publisher of Teen Town Press, an imprint for teens.

ED- Please reveal some of the accolades that have been bestowed on this work by some of the most renowned critics in America.

AI – The main endorser of my book is Nadia Comaneci, the Olympic gold medalist who said that, “Aura’s courage shows the degree to which we are all willing to live lives centered on freedom, hope, and an authentic sense of self. Truly a love story!”

What People Are Saying about This Book . . .

Unforgettable! This book gives the pioneer spirit courage and the brave heart bravado.

—Adrian Maher, filmmaker, Discovery Channel

If you grew up hearing names like Tito, Mao, and Ceausescu but really didn’t understand their significance, read this book!

—Mark Skidmore, Paramount Pictures

A remarkable account erasing a past, but not an identity. Thought-provoking, inspirational—and comforting.

—Todd Greenfield, 20th Century Fox Studios

This book is sure to find its place in memorial literature of the world.

—Beatrice Ungar, editor-in-chief, Hermannstädter Zeitung

Out of the Transylvania Night is a compelling and spelling-binding story of a fiercely independent young woman growing up at the height of worldwide Communist power and then the rapid fall of the Iron Curtain. We must never forget what her story ultimately teaches . . .

—Sharrie Williams, author, The Maybelline Story—and the Spirited Family Dynasty behind It

Under Communism, Aura’s family lost its fortune but kept their jewels. Under capitalism, she made a fortune and lost the jewels. And then lost the fortune as well. Such is the paradox found within the pages of this amazing and unforgettable story.

—Lindy Hudis, producer, Impact Motion Pictures

We all have much to learn about freedom; certainly anyone born without it will search until they find it. This is an incredible story about pain, strength, courage, defiance, and healing.

—David Haspel, producer

Out of the Transylvania Night presents an emotional journey through both free and closed societies, revealing how freedom is also found in the self and not only the destination.

—Ilie T. Ardelean, founding chairman and president, Romanian-American Professional Network (RAPN)

Out of the Transylvania Night is an exciting and truly memorable search for personal freedom.

—Alexander R. Marmureanu, MD, president and CEO, California Heart and Lung Surgery Center, UCLA Medical Center

To remember is a tedious, hurtful process, especially if you lived what us Romanians did. Many of us prefer to forget and to erase, once for all, those humiliating memories. But, can you really annul your childhood? Aura’s capacity to remember and to dream makes this a book for all who, at one point or another, need to restart or reboot their lives—and in her case, to find a new country to call “home.”

—Daniela Crasnaru, famous Romanian poet

There are many beautiful places in the world, and I’m sure this book will put Romania on your list of “must see” countries. Aura’s story is an eye-opener about the beauty and richness of the culture and people of Romania, and I applaud her for sharing these experiences with us.

—Mike Costache, president, Miss Universe Romania Organization

Out of the Transylvania Night reveals, beyond all doubt, the power and range of an individual’s voice to be heard above the noise of dissent and the struggle to reign over oppression.

—Prof. Rajen Vurdien, PhD, Saddleback College, and former diplomat, United Nations Development Program language coordinator in China

Out of the Transylvania Night is a testament to the majesty of the human spirit to see how far we will go to triumph over oppression and adversity. We are better for the journey through this book.

—Catalina Popescu, Romanian celebrity, founder of the famous Catalina Bar and Grill Jazz Club

ED- Is there a possibility of a film for your book?

AI- Yes, the book had been presented to the entertainment industry, and the negotiations are in full speed; we hope to reach a deal by the end of this year.

ED- You also have another book out for younger people. Please tell us about it.

AI- My second book, “101 Great Ways to Make the World a Totally Awesome Place – By Teens For Teens.” Today’s teens have a lot to say about how our world can be a safer, kinder, better place to be. In this book, I compiled as a high school educator extraordinaire, stories about the most stringent issue teens from around the country deal with; they share their vision for creating a better world and ideas on how we can go about it.

ED- Aura, your book is certainly inspirational and many people today should find it in their interest to read it. We wish you much luck and hope the best for you in the future. I thank you for sharing your time with us and hope that we can hear from you again in the near future.

Source and story printed with permission of Diversity News Publisher Affiliate: The Eerie Digest Magazine at http://www.eeriedigest.com/wordpress/2010/10/interview-with-aura-imbarus/



Editor’s Note: Congratulations to Aura Imbarus and yes we agree with many of her fans the her book soon will become a motion picture movie. Congratulations!

Out of the Transylvania Night, Book Signing by Author Aura Imbarus Another Success

On Friday, September 24, 2010 Author, Educator, Speaker and Doctor Aura Imbarus held her third book signing of her most acclaimed memoir tittle “Out of the Transylvania Night: A Story of Tyranny, Freedom, Love and Identity”, that was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.


First people walked on Friday evening and check with Emily A.M. Yeo in front of Ingrid’s Cafe Restaurant where she escort them inside to meet author and educator Aura Imbarus and offered fresh, yummy sweet treats for taste made by restaurant owner Ingrid Bedrosian (You can see the exclusive photos taken by Actor/Producer, Doctor and Photographer Mark Valinsky. Also some of Aura’s fans took photos, chat with her and congratulated her for her amazing job in writing and sharing her life story. She took time to autographs all the books the were purchase on the night from her fans/readers and friends.


“Out of the Transylvania Night” is an intriguing, compelling and passionate novel, written by one of the up and coming novelists of our time.” Said Fawn; Hit recording artist and songwriter.

The event was another success held and hosted by Ingrid’s Cafe located at 9861 S. Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills, CA from 7:30pm – 10:30pm.

Per Author and Educator Aura Imbarus all this events were the purpose to promote The Official Book signing which will be held at Barnes & Noble,The Grove Mall in the Miracle Mile area by the famous Farmers Market on Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm. The Barnes & Noble, at The Grovelocated at 189 Grove Drive Suite K 30 in Los Angeles, CA 90036. Aura’s book was published on 09/27/2010 with ISBN-13: 9780984308125 by Bettie Youngs Book Publishing Company.

After the Official book signing they will held an after party from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm (Information and press release will be available at a later date. Also Diversity News have learned from a private source that they may have a media wall (a step and repeat) and red carpet for media/press and photographers to do interviews and take photos of the event).


Don’t forget that if you are not able to attend this event your can still buy Aura’s book by ordering online at Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Out-of-the-Transylvania-Night/Aura-Imbarus/e/9780984308125/?itm=1&USRI=Aura+Imbarus or attend her book signing event, but you must RSVP.

About Aura Imbarus:
Aura Imbarus, PhD, is an educator, professional speaker, a former popular journalist in Europe and the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, Out of the Transylvania Night: A Story of Tyranny, Freedom, Love and Identity, and a book for teens, 101 Great Ways to Make the World a Totally Awesome Place – By Teens For Teens, both are been released during the fall 2010. Aura was born in Sibiu, Romania. Educated at the famed Octavian Goga High School, she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Modern Languages and an MA in English Literature at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania. She earned her PhD in Romance Languages-Philology under the tutelage of Professor Dumitru Cicio-Pop, PhD, who writes the Foreword for her book. For more information about Aura Imbarus please visit her official website at http://auraimbarus.com/aura/index.htm


Sources: http://www.diversitynewspublications.com, http://auraimbarus.com, http://www.ingridscafe.com & http://bettieyoungsbooks.com/authors/AuraImbarus/index.htm


Editor’s Note: Once again we wish the best of luck to our friend, Doctor, Author, Educator, Celebrity and  professional speaker. In another note please remember to sponsor our advertisers. Thank You.

Jane Goodall’s Day Of Peace Promotes Worldwide Unity Day

By JR, Special for Diversity News

Thousands showed up at the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday September 19, 2010, from 11:00 am -4:00 pm to celebrate the 7th annual Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Day of Peace.

The event was a tremendous success with well over 10,000 people attending the event which ran from 11am-4pm. Roots & Shoots groups from all over the state, as well as local students, tourists and others participated in the festivities.

For the 7th year in a row, the United Nations International Day of Peace, Roots & Shoots members and friends come together to promote peace. All over the world, young people craft Giant Peace Dove Puppets from reused materials and fly the Doves in parades in their communities. From the Pier in Santa Monica, to China, to the mountain tops of the Colorado Rockies, Peace Doves fly with hands of peace holding them up in the wind.


A symbol of international peace and solidarity, the Day of Peace festival on Santa Monica Pier closed with a Giant Peace Dove Parade. Celebrities, Roots & Shoots members, and event-goers joined together to fly a collection of seventy five hand-made giant doves along the Santa Monica Pier parade route, each with a wing span of 25 feet. Marilu Henner hosted the festival and led the peace parade. Simultaneously, Peace Doves flew in cities all across the United States and almost 100 countries worldwide.

“With the peace doves we remind everyone of the truth they sometimes forget – that peace is possible. With Day of Peace, we celebrate all that is free and noble in the human spirit. And we celebrate all that so many people have done throughout the year and will do next year to create a better world.” Said Jane Goodall, PhD, UN Messenger of Peace, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute.

For more information visit http://www.dayofpeaceca.org & http://www.rootsandshoots.org

Pink and Cesar Milan Come Together for Puppy Mill Awareness Day

By JR, Special for Diversity News

On Saturday, September 18, 2010 Puppy Mill Awareness Day was presented by Last Chance for Animals at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles from 11:00 am to 3:00pm to support the Adopt, Don’t Shop initiative and bring awareness of the horrific conditions of puppy mills.

Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan spoke at the event encouraging the packed audience to go to shelters and rescues to adopt, rather than buy at pet stores, which get their dogs from puppy mills. There were a variety of cruelty-free vendors and booths including vegan food booths and Humane education booths, various speakers, a silent auction, face painting and music with a highlighted performance by The Faded whose music is heard in the award-winning documentary Skin Trade. Celebrities in attendance were Musicians Pink, Poison’s Rikki Rocket, Fawn, Lord’s of Acid vocalist Lacey Conner and Actress Michelle Forbes. Also in attendance were undercover investigator Bryan Monell, director Shannon Keith, animal advocates Kim Sill and Jack Carone, LCA Board President Carol Araneo, West Hollywood City Council Member Jeffrey Prang, Last Chance for Animals Founder and CEO Chris DeRose, Humane Society’s Dale Bartlett, SPCA ‘s Madeline Bernstein and Animal Acres Representative and actress Ciddy Fonteboa. The event was launched to create awareness against puppy mills which are appalling places for dogs to survive. In the puppy mills, they are bred over and over for pet stores. On her twitter page, Pink made a series of tweets about her experience at the event, saying “It’s puppy mill awareness day and I just got back from the incredible event at La Brea Tar Pits. No more puppy mills!!” “Puppy mills are awful, filthy, cruel places where dogs never see daylight, sleep in their own feces, and r (are) bred over n (and) over for pet stores. Boycott pet stores people!!!!”  She has asked her fans to boycott pet stores. About Last Chance for Animals: Last Chance for Animals (LCA) recognizes that animals have the ability to experience pain, and as such they deserve certain basic rights protecting them from pain caused by humans. LCA believes that non-human animals should not be subjected to suffering and exploitation by humans because alternatives exist for nearly every traditional “usage” of animals. LCA opposes the use of animals for scientific curiosity, entertainment, clothing, and food. LCA recognizes the use of non-human animals in medical experimentation as both immoral and of questionable scientific validity due to the tremendous biological difference between species. LCA’s work advocates conscious and informed lifestyle decisions, and the organization is committed to disseminating truthful information about societal animal abuse to improve the treatment of animals. To find out more about the issue, stop by BanPuppyMills.com.

Editor’s Note: We are very glad the musicians like Pink are involved in great causes in helping animals.

Lily Tomlin and Friends Gather In Beverly Hills To Help Billy The Elephant‏

By Songirl Sez, Special for Diversity News

Legendary comedienne Lily Tomlin appeared with some of today’s hottest leading comedy acts on Saturday, August 7, 2010 in Beverly Hills, CA at the Lavinthal estate for a fundraiser held by Voice For The Animals to raise funds for Billy the elephant, who has been in solitary confinement at the L.A. zoo for over 20 years.

Held on the sprawling estate grounds, the event went from 5-9pm and was emce’d by Bruce Vilanch, who introduced an all star line consisting of fellow comedians Orny Adams, Elayne Boosler and Rick Overton. A special speech of support by Los Angeles City councilman Tony Cardenas, before Lily graced the stage at the mansion. Tax deductible tickets ranged from $100-$350 and included cocktails and fine vegan food. An auction continued after the show while desert was served.

Celebrity supporters for the evening (although some unable to attend) included James Cromwell, Kevin Nealon, Bernie Williams, Georja Umano, Mariana Tosca, Fawn and Ashley Bell. There were a host of well known animal advocates present including Patty Shanker, Ed Boks, Bill Dyer, Robin Torme’, Bryan Monell, Daphne Dimitriadi, Linda Grey Heitz, Marjorie Hirsch Loeb, Sandra Mohr and Kat Kramer.


“Lily and all of our guests understand the significance of the lawsuit, not only to save Billy from what inevitably will be an early death, but to send an even louder message,” said Melya Kaplan, founder and executive director of VFTA. She added “These magnificent, sensitive and loving creatures belong in the wild and if they’ve already been brought here, then they belong in wide-open sanctuaries designed to meet their physical and emotional needs.”

VFTA’s lawsuit originated in 2007 and was filed on behalf of two plaintiffs including the late actor Robert Culp. The suit charges the Los Angeles zoo with cruel and unusual punishment of elephants (there have been 14 elephant deaths in the zoo’s history, two in the past four years) and seeks to shut down the $42 million planned elephant exhibit the city council approved in January of 2009. It was the second time the council voted in approval of the exhibit in light of sufficient evidence that proves the care captive elephants receive constitutes civil and criminal abuse under California law. After a series of motions and appeals, the Court of Appeals finally ruled the case could go to trial.

 ”It would be a much nicer educational process for children to visit animals in sanctuaries and see how animals thrive in their wild habitat, rather than living in a zoo where animals don’t live, the actually die.” said Tracy and Robin Torme party guests.

Kaplan concluded “Lily has been instrumental from the start in helping us bring this issue to light. She loves elephants and wants Billy to go to a place where he can roam free on many acres with other elephants-our lawsuit against the Los Angeles zoo is scheduled to go to trial November 2nd.”

About Billy the elephant and why so many people gathered to help him:
Billy was born in 1985 and has been in solitary confinement since 1989 at the L.A. zoo. He was caught in the wild and forcibly taken from his native home of Malaysia, as part of a trade between the L.A. Zoo and the Malaysian Game Department. Billy lives on approximately one-quarter acre at L.A. Zoo. In the wild, elephants can walk 30 miles in a day. There are roughly 640 acres in one mile.

With no other elephants near him, Billy lives an unnatural, solitary life at the Zoo. While male elephants are often kept separate from other elephants in zoos, in the wild males can display social connections, residing in bachelor herds or frequenting areas with female elephants, sometimes moving from family to family. In India, younger bulls join with older bulls to crop raid.

For many years Billy has displayed stereotypic behavior in the form of repetitive head bobbing that goes on for extended periods of time. Stereotypic behavior is often viewed as an indicator of poor welfare, caused by factors such as restriction of movement, size of enclosure, social isolation, and lack of complexity in the physical environment. Billy has experienced all of these factors at the L.A. Zoo. In fact, Billy was routinely chained each night, likely from the time of his arrival at L.A. Zoo in 1989 until 1994, for approximately 12 to 14 hours each night. It was during this period that a keeper reportedly physically abused Billy by using electric shock on him.

Experts state that stereotypic behavior can lead to foot problems such as nail cracks (which Billy already has), and abscesses and abrasions to the sole of the foot. Foot-related problems are one of the leading causes of euthanasia in captive elephants in the United States.

If you would like more information on Billy or A Voice For Animals, please visit http://vftafoundation.org/ or http://www.helpbilly.org/

In Defense Of Animals – A Night of Storytelling Benefits the Animals of Gulf Oil Spill

By JR, Special for Diversity News

On Friday, July 30, 2010 In Defense Of Animals held a fundraiser at The Strange in Los Angeles, CA from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

The event entitled “Story Time” (A night of storytelling) raised funds to assist IDA with it’s plight to help the innocent animals who fell victim of the Gulf Oil Spill.

Hosted by Actress Elaine Hendrix, the evening consisted of a silent auction, raffle tickets, drinks, h’orderves and inspirational, funny and sometimes tear jerking stories and song. There were appearances onstage by Debra Wilson, Scotlund Haisley (President of IDA), Gina La Piana, Actress Daisy Eagan, Actress Melinda Hill, Laura House, Maggie Rowe, Charlie Schlatter, Morgan Sheppard and Larry Sullivan.

Other notables in attendance were award winning director Shannon Keith, actress/musician Traci Dinwiddie, actress, hit recording artist/songwriter Fawn, Gene Blalock of The Faded and several well respected animal rights activists and rescuers.

100% of the proceeds benefitted In Defense of Animals on behalf of the animals devastated by the Gulf oil spill. To make a donation directly, visit http://www.idausa.org


About IDA: Their mission is to end animal exploitation, cruelty, and abuse by protecting and advocating for the rights, welfare, and habitats of animals, as well as to raise their status beyond mere property, commodities, or things. In Defense of Animals is a registered 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.

Fundraisers Help ARME To Eliminate Animal Suffering‏

By JR, Special for Diversity News  

Two fundraisers benefiting ARME (Animal Rescue, Media and Education) were held last week in the Los Angeles, CA area.

On Thursday July 22, 2010 the Veggie Grill in West Hollywood gave 50% of their food sales to Arme and on Sunday July 25, 2010 there was a sale at the Beverly Grand Hotel in North Hollywood, with 15% of proceeds benefiting the foundation.  

Arme was founded by award-winning Director and animal rights lawyer Shannon Keith. Shannon has recently won some impressive accolades for her Documentary “Skin Trade.” (1st Place Best Documentary LA Movie Awards, 1st Place Best Director LA Movie Awards, The Indie Fest: Award of Merit: Feature Documentary and 2010 Critical Animal Studies Awards-Critical Animal Studies Media Of The Year). 


The mission of ARME is to eliminate the suffering of all animals. ARME rescues unwanted and homeless animals as well as educates the public about the vast extent of suffering endured in our society.  Through it’s actions and words, ARME advances the freedom of all animals.

To find out more about getting involved with ARME go to http://www.arme.tv

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to this group for speaking up on behalf of the animals.
Photos (C) 2010 FFD Images for Diversity News. All Rights Are Reserved.

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