UMSN Puts Congo’s Conflict and Mass Rape on Center Stage with Hope for Change
“In 1996, the war came to my hospital,” Dr. Denis Mukwege told the crowd of more than 250 guests at the University of Michigan School of Nursing (UMSN). “They killed my patients and they killed my nurses.”
Dr. Mukwege shared that after seeing the horrific example of extreme violence that began in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the mid-1990s, he had a hard time coping and returning to practice medicine. But eventually, the gynecological surgeon felt the need to return to his goal of reducing maternal mortality by providing care to expectant mothers.
Once again, the war changed his path. “The first patient who came to see me was not a woman in labor,” he said. “She was a woman who had been raped by seven people and the last one fired a gun into her genitals.”
Dr. Mukwege said his team at Panzi Hospital has treated more than 50,000 survivors of rape, from toddlers to elderly grandmothers.
Dr. Mukwege’s comments came during a question and answer session with the crowd after a screening of “When Elephants Fight.” The documentary explores connections between resource extraction and conflict in Congo. The country’s earth is rich with copper, gold, cobalt, and the minerals needed for cell phones and other electronics, such as tantalum and tungsten. The fight to control extraction rights is a complicated affair involving domestic and foreign soldiers, rebel groups, militias and the government. Forced labor, massacres and mass rape are commonly used weapons.
“You have remarkable power as an American citizen,” filmmaker Michael Ramsdell told the crowd. “And if we say ‘we will not buy your product’ and tell these corporations that no product is worth the loss of human life, they will listen. Transparency and mining are not separate issues to what Dr. Mukwege is doing. One man can make a difference, and he is, but a collective group can do so much more.”
The event showcased a growing partnership between Dr. Mukwege and the University of Michigan. It began in 2010 when he was awarded U-M’s Wallenberg Medal. During his visit to campus, he met UMSN’s Janis Miller, PhD, RN, APRN, FAAN, a professor and researcher specializing in tissue trauma to the pelvic floor from complicated labor and delivery.
Together with other U-M stakeholders, and Dr. Mukwege’s Panzi Foundation, they launched the International Center for Advanced Research and Training (ICART) in Bukavu, DRC.
“The dedicated nurses and physicians of Panzi Hospital literally and figuratively stitch the survivors back together,” said Dr. Miller. “At ICART, we are building research capacity. This means sharing the techniques Dr. Mukwege and his team are pioneering to help women all around the world. It’s also to get the data into the hands of people who can act a higher levels to end this conflict.”
Dr. Mukwege’s Panzi Foundation, in partnership with Panzi Hospital, have expanded their care of survivors to include mental health treatment, programs to reintegrate them to their communities, and legal aid. He said advocating for the women and sharing their stories so the world understands what is happening is a critical component of his team’s work. And despite the severity of the war, he has great hope.
“I see the power these women have after tragedy,” he said. “The future of Congo is these women, but these women need your solidarity.”
The event also doubled as a fundraiser for ICART to raise money to support their transportation needs.
To find out more about the human rights movement for transparency, visit StandWithCongo.org.
