Juanes, Cuban Peace Without Borders Concert (image: 4VFnet)

Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Colombian superstar, 17-time Grammy award winning musician Juanes, is giving his voice to the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-free World that takes place in Cartagena, Colombia 29 November-4 December. Juanes, who has sold more than 9 million albums worldwide, in 2006 became the first musician ever to perform in the European Parliament’s debating chamber, as part of the European Union’s commitment to eradicate landmines. He organized the Peace Without Borders concert in September 2009 in Cuba, which Entertainment Daily called “the largest open air gig since the 1959 Revolution”, with half a million people attending.

Juanes sang at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway in December 2007 when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Al Gore were awarded the prize.

The singer-activist was born in Medellin, Colombia, and spent his childhood surrounded by the violence of the country’s drug lords, who along with guerrila groups, planted landmines throughout the country. Juanes is a strong supporter of demining efforts and in Cartagena he will lead a series of town hall style meetings, called Conversatorio, to give a voice to landmine survivors.

The musician founded a Colombian foundation to fight landmines and counter their impact on his country’s society, the Mi Sangre Foundation.

The Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World is the name given to the Second Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which entered into force in 1999.

States that join are required to never use landmines again and to provide assistance to the survivors. 156 States are party to the Convention. The meeting later this month is being organized by a support team in Geneva, working with Colombia, the  host country.

Links to other sites: Cartagena summit site, Juanes official site, NPR feature on Juanes (with audio) and Cuba concert on YouTube

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