Fundación Mi Sangre

Colombia.

Originally founded by singer-songwriter Juanes in 2006, Fundación Mi Sangre was elevated to global recognition through the innovation and systems change approach led by co-founder and current chairperson Catalina Cock Duque, a successful social entrepreneur and global weaver with more than 20 years of experience in development. Our youth empowerment ethos is driven by our belief in the inherent potential residing in Colombia’s young people to become agents of change. Fundación Mi Sangre believes that Colombia’s youth—when given the guidance and the tools—will be the champions who make our country more peaceful and equitable.

To that end, we facilitate systemic cultural change, activating the ecosystems surrounding youth and engaging them as the primary contributors to personal, community, and societal transformation. Our carefully crafted model harnesses arts and culture to develop life, leadership, and social entrepreneurship skills, equipping and mobilizing our participants as co-creators of transformative peace solutions. We engage all actors of the ecosystem, including schools, partner organizations, and communities, weaving them together to align visions, encourage collaboration, and empower the next generation to lead the construction of a peace culture. We listen to, convene, and activate the diverse stakeholders and voices in a given community, and enhance their potential to influence young people and change existing narratives through ongoing dialogue, training, and support. Acknowledging that inner well-being is essential to all of the work we do, transversal psychosocial support underpins our programs, available in both individual and group settings to highly vulnerable and at-risk youth and families in need of this foundation for peace-building.