Dear Friends,


Today, our very own Dr. Denis Mukwege accepted the 2014 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought - and with deep courage and conviction, he has used the opportunity of international recognition to call for a shift in how we combat sexual violence, in Congo and beyond.

 

As Dr. Mukwege writes in this week's edition of Newsweek,

"Rape as a weapon of control, of war, is not something women alone can prevent. No amount of dressing modestly, staying home or walking in groups will protect the women of Congo. Rape in Congo is not about our women, who have proved time and again they are strong, resilient forces of change for our country. Rape is about the men. It is about power, greed, malice, desperation and fury. It is about stripping our country of a healthy, stable future...

Without the men of Congo also working to end the scourge of sexual violence, even our holistic model of healing will never be enough. Ten new cases will still come to our doors every day. Rape as a weapon of war is a red line no human being, no state actor, should cross. Whether on the campuses of Western universities, or here in Congo. It is time to value each other and our lives...

I am a doctor. The hippocratic oath binds me to do no harm. I am a man, and my conscience binds me to the same."

 

Read Dr. Mukwege's full Newsweek opinion piece

 

Join us in this fight by pledging your support to Dr. Mukwege's work. Together we are helping women recover, rebuilding lives, and restoring entire communities. 


 

Sincerely,


 

Dr. Lee Ann De Reus and Peter Frantz

Co-Founders

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