In a statement delivered at Cartagena Summit on Monday, the U.S. delegation explained its attendance of the conference as part of “an on-going comprehensive review of U.S. landmine policy.” They emphasized the country’s shared commitment to eliminating the humanitarian risks posed by landmines, as exhibited by its past contributions of over $1.5 billion toward humanitarian mine action and removing explosive remnants of war in 47 countries. Read the full text of the statement here.

As apart of this initiative, the State Department announced that the United States will increase funding towards Colombia’s humanitarian mine action assistance. “The United States has been Colombia’s leading financial contributor since 2007, and plans to deliver an additional $2 million in support in 2010.”  See the press release for more details.

December 02, 2009, 3:11pm   Comments

• Event: Towards Survivorship: From victims to citizens
• Date: Monday, November 30,
• Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Location: Comisión 4

Victim assistance can be provided in a way that promotes victimhood. It can highlight reparations alone as a condition for recovery. It can lack the end-goal of creating a true opportunity for full and effective participation in all walks of society.  Or, it can be provided in a way that addresses long-term recovery, facilitates victims’ full reintegration into society and furthers empowerment and self-reliance, with the goal of enabling survivors to themselves define and carry out their life visions.

In this roundtable discussion, survivors of conflict, experts in the field of victim assistance, and policy makers from around the world will share their experiences in order to identify key issues and propose lines of action for creating effective assistance plans.

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November 10, 2009, 12:55pm   Comments

A dance that began as a slave courtship ritual has taken the international music scene by storm.

Originating from Colombia’s colonial era, the traditional cumbia features a line of barefoot women dancing to African drums, maracas, and wind instruments. The modern revival, known as “cumbia digital” or “nu-cumbia,” incorporates rock instruments and computer sound synthesis into this traditional form.

Groups such as La Yegros and King Coya, above, perform the new cumbia for audiences across the globe.  Experience the craze yourself at Cartagena clubs Babar and Mr. Babillas.

October 20, 2009, 12:32pm  Comments

Survivor Corps–Colombia partner, CIREC, marches for a landmine-free Colombia.

October 05, 2009, 3:54pm  Comments

View from the Summit covers breaking news and media on the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World. From November 30th to December 4th, 2009, hundreds of international organizations will meet in Cartagena, Colombia to assess the impact of the 1997 Ottawa Treaty, a watershed agreement between states and nations to ban all anti-personnel mines. The international community will evaluate the progress made since the treaty’s inception and will “redouble its efforts to end, forever, the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.”

The blog is an initiative of Survivor Corps, a leader in the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines which caused the Mine Ban Treaty’s creation.Created by landmine survivors, Survivor Corps believes those who have survived war are more invested in building peace.

October 04, 2009, 12:00am   Comments