Opening night in Cartagena, Tuesday 1 December

IMPACT was on display all week at the Cartagena Summit, but an evening reception was held on Tuesday 1 December to highlight the exhibit. Senior-level representatives from Cambodia, Australia, and the United Nations Mine Action Team (co-hosts of the exhibit) provided remarks. Tun Channareth, a landmine survivor and International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) Ambassador who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the ICBL in 1997, kindly agreed to serve as MC at the last minute.

Here’s a photo of the speakers (pictured from left to right are UNDP Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery´s Senior Deputy Director Miguel Bermeo, Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority Vice President H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Australia´s Ambassador for Disarmament and Permanent Representative to the United Nations at Geneva Caroline Millar, and Tun Channareth):

And the audience (it was packed):

Cartagena Summit President Susan Eckey of Norway also came to the event:
Since the exhibit was next to the press room, it also served as a backdrop for interviews throughout the conference. ICBL Youth Ambassador Song Kosal was interviewed several times in front of the artwork:

As was Tun Channareth:

The exhibit goes up in Cartagena

Hello from Cartagena, where we had another great opening of IMPACT. We were originally told we couldn’t hang anything from the wall or ceiling (which is difficult when installing an art exhibit of paintings and hanging sculptures), but when we got to the Convention Center, the staff couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating.

First we unpacked everything:

Then the Convention Center staff helped hang it all (with lots of hand gestures and pointing):