Juanes, The Arts and Conflict Resolution

Pop Artist Juanes

In the fall of 2007, CICR was contacted by Colombian pop artist Juanes, winner of 17 Latino Grammy and a social activist in the Colombian campaign against land-mines. Since, CICR has partnered with Juanes and his Medellín based foundation Mi Sangre, to support the formation and the work of the artist in peace-building.

CICR work with Juanes has consisted in meetings with several mediators, such as George Mitchell and Bill Richardson, and private lectures in conflict resolution.

Peace Without Borders: Concerts

CICR in particular has supported the Peace Without Borders concert on the border between Colombia and Venezuela in 2008, when tensions between the two countries rose high.

Most recently, the role of CICR was a full partner of Juanes in conceiving and organizing the Peace Without Border concert in La Havana, Cuba, on September 20, 2009. The concert required a delicate and intense diplomatic work in both Washington and Cuba, and the result was a path-breaking concert that draw over one million people in the Revolutionary Square in La Havana.

The Paz Without Borders concerts are a testimony to the ability of the arts to transcend reality and to contribute effectively and creatively to peace building

The Arts and Conflict Resolution

The work with Juanes forms part of a broader project which aims to explore the contribution that arts can offer to supporting and creating effective conflict transformation strategies. The program is building a network of artists (musicians, writers, directors, actors…) who have been living in conflict situation in different parts of the world and have being engaged in promoting awareness and have being facilitating a culture of peace and no-violent conflict transformation. It also promotes a dialogue between artists and practitioners, in order to exchange experiences of the “creative act.”

Rationale

Both arts and conflict transformation aim at transcending reality through a creative act. Both are rooted in the everyday experience, which is the departing point of the creative act. Furthermore, transcending a reality constraint by violence, people promoting conflict transformation are called to think the unthinkable and make it possible.

Objectives

Explore the role of arts for peacebuilding and conflict transformation.

Explore the possibility that artists have in promoting a culture of peace.

Explore the common ground in the creative experience of both artists and practitioners.

Promote also through arts peace education.

Agreement signed with Colombian rock-star Juanes and his foundation.

Contact with the international performing arts group Genrosso

Methodology

The program works directly with artists around the world assisting them in conflict resolution education, promoting meetings between artists and practitioners, seminars and artistic events.

Leadership

Aldo Civico, director of CICR
Telephone: 212-854-4449
Email: Ac1115@columbia.edu

Press Releases

Rocker Juanes to offer September 20 Concert in Havana

By SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS and WILL WEISSERT (AP)
August 4, 2009
Havana, Cuba

Colombian rocker Juanes wants to hold his second “Peace Without Borders” concert in Havana’s storied Revolution Plaza next month with a host of regional stars — and says he has met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in hopes that American musicians can join the extravaganza.In what could be the latest sign the art world is well into a thaw of nearly a half century of icy U.S.-Cuba relations, Juanes’ manager, Fernan Martinez, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the concert will be Sept. 20.He said organizers are waiting for Cuban government permission to use the sprawling concrete plaza, which is flanked by a huge homage to fallen Argentine revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara and houses offices for Fidel and Raul Castro.

Hundreds of thousands of Cubans gather there each May 1 for International Workers’ Day celebrations.A similarly huge crowd could come to rock, making the event one of the top Cuban concerts in recent memory.

The first installment of Juanes’ “Peace Without Borders” concert in March drew 100,000 fans to the border between Venezuela and Colombia.The Cuba concert coincides with U.N. International Peace Day and could feature up to 12 artists from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba and, Martinez said, the United States.

He refused to divulge all the names.Washington’s 47-year-old trade embargo prohibits Americans from doing business with Cuba, but performers can get permission to come from the Treasury Department.For now, Martinez said, the show will feature at least Juanes and Spanish singer Miguel Bose.”Following the lead of the first concert … the event will use music as a tool to transcend politics and demonstrate unity of peoples beyond borders,” Martinez said.He said Juanes, who has started a foundation to help land-mine victims, met with Clinton “to present the concept for the concert” and that “the requests for U.S. artists are currently in process with the Treasury Department.”Martinez said the singer also met recently with Treasury officials and Congress, as well as leaders of key Cuban exile groups in Miami to help ensure U.S. stars come for the show.

Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma carried a small story Tuesday saying Juanes would perform in Havana on Sept. 20, and that the concert would feature an open-air venue and be centered around the color white, signifying peace. It made no mention of Revolution Plaza, however.The paper quoted Cuban Institute of Music vice president Osmany Lopez in reporting that Cuban folk legend Silvio Rodriguez and local salsa stars Los Van Van would participate.Lopez told Granma that Juanes visited Cuba in June and met with Rodriguez, a pioneering member of the island’s “New Song” movement who mixes music with staunch defense of the Castro government and Cuban revolutionary politics.Juanes, whose Spanish-language hits include “A Dios le pido,” “La camisa negra” and “Me enamora,” has won 17 Latin Grammy trophies, more than any other artist.His “Peace Without Borders” on the border between Colombia and Venezuela featured Bose, Juan Luis Guerra, Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Vives and other stars who wore white and sang on the Simon Bolivar bridge between the two South American countries.

Sigal Ratner-Arias reported from New York, and Will Weissert from Havana.
Copyright © 2009
The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Juanes cantará en Cuba por la paz

The Associated Press

LA HABANA — El segundo concierto “Paz sin fronteras” que organiza Juanes será el 20 de septiembre en La Habana y contará con la participación del trovador cubano Silvio Rodríguez y los astros de la salsa Los Van Van, según Granma.

El diario oficial de la nación citó el martes al vicepresidente del Instituto Cubano de la Música, Osmany López, según el cual el astro colombiano “tiene un gran entusiasmo” por el concierto, que sería al aire libre e incluiría a otras estrellas que aún están por confirmarse.

El manager de Juanes, Fernán Martínez, dijo a la AP que “un segundo concierto ‘Paz Sin Fronteras’ aún está en etapa de desarrollo” y que “en este momento, Juanes, Miguel Bosé y otros organizadores … están esperando una respuesta oficial del gobierno cubano con la esperanza de realizar este evento … en La Plaza de la Revolución”.

En marzo del año pasado, Juanes organizó un concierto en la frontera colombo-venezolana en el que Bosé, Juan Luis Guerra, Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Vives y otros se le unieron para cantar sobre el puente Simón Bolívar en pro de una resolución pacífica a una crisis diplomática surgida unos días antes.

Más de 100.000 personas asistieron al acontecimiento, para el cual todos los artistas vistieron de blanco. Granma comentó que el blanco volverá a tener un papel protagónico en esta ocasión.

“Juanes y Miguel Bosé han expresado esperanzas de realizar el concierto ‘Paz sin fronteras’ de La Habana el 20 de septiembre en coincidencia con el Día Internacional de la Paz de las Naciones Unidas y han invitado a un grupo de 12 artistas de España, México, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba y Estados Unidos”, dijo Martínez, sin revelar nombres.

“Siguiendo con el tema del primer concierto … el evento usaría la música como herramienta para trascender la política y demostrar la unidad de los pueblos más allá de las fronteras”, añadió el manager.

Recientemente Juanes se ha reunido en Estados Unidos con representantes del Departamento de Estado, el Departamento del Tesoro y miembros del Congreso, así como líderes cubano-estadounidenses en Miami, para hablar sobre la participación potencial de artistas de Estados Unidos en el evento, dijo Martínez.

“También se reunió con la secretaria de Estado Hillary Clinton para presentarle su concepto para el concierto ‘Paz sin fronteras’ en La Habana. Las solicitudes para que los artistas estadounidenses se presenten están actualmente en progreso con el Departamento del Tesoro”, añadió.

“Esperanzados de que el gobierno cubano apruebe el evento, y que las autoridades de Estados Unidos otorguen permiso para la participación de artistas estadounidenses, los organizadores actualmente exploran asuntos de logística como financiamiento, transporte y producción”.

Juanes, de 36 años, es conocido internacionalmente tanto por su música como por su labor humanitaria. Ha dedicado varias canciones a causas sociales como el flagelo del uso de las minas antipersonales o el conflicto armado colombiano y complementa su trabajo con la Fundación Mi Sangre, que creó hace unos años precisamente con el fin de ayudar a las víctimas de esas minas.

Ganador de 17 Latin Grammy, sus éxitos incluyen “A Dios le pido”, “La camisa negra”, “Me enamora” y “La vida es un ratico”.

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