A society with raped individuals is a sick society
The Angel of Bukavu by CNN_International
“Right now there’s a war taking place in the heart of Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and more people have died there than in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Darfur combined. You probably haven’t heard much about it, but as CNN’s Anderson Cooper first reported last January, it’s the deadliest conflict since World War II. Within the last ten years, more than five million people have died and the numbers keep rising. It is, in fact, a war against women, and the weapon used to destroy them, their families and whole communities, is rape.”
This is a quote from 60 minutes:
The path towards healing individuals and societies
In the east parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo a long time war is going on that is extremely painful for the locals. Dr Mukwege sees the enormous need for trauma treatment and assistance with social rehabilitation for the raped women and their families. An innovative project utilizing new technology makes it possible for people even without education in psychology to diagnose and treat trauma therapy.
The needs are infinite and the eLearning program provides the possibility of efficient capacity building and exchange between the students and psychologists with experience in trauma treatment, both locally and internationally using information- and communication technologies. The project provides information for research on trauma therapy and gender issues in war zones.
In cooperation with MKFC Stockholm College an eLearning program consisting of movies, manuals and practical case studies adapted to computers, mobile phones, and printed material is being developed. All the content will be quality guaranteed by Svenska KBT-institutet in alliance with Stockholm University.
The use of systematic rape in this conflict is widespread and the damage goes far beyond the day the rape in committed. This violence that can be classified as torture and mutilation aims to break down the women and the society both physically and emotionally and is in some cases so sever that it makes further procreation impossible. These rapes can therefore be seen as a gradual genocide. These atrocities are carried out by rebel groups as well as military and sometimes in form of a forced intercourse between family members. The long-term damage is carried over to future generations among the raped, those that where forced to witness the abuse, those that live with the abused, as well as the children that are sometimes born as a result of the rapes. The armed forces that seek to cause the greatest possible damage and destruction are aware that rape is an efficient weapon that undermines and destroys entire societies.
This project is one of many necessary steps towards peace and stability in DRC. The purpose of the project is to create the conditions for the construction of a safe society with hope for the future. This is achieved by actions directed to the affected individuals such as trauma therapy and social support, as well as education of people with public professions such as medical personal, police, army and religious leaders regarding how to best relate to and support the raped women and their families in order to not deepen the trauma and stigma, but empower and give the tools to go forward together.
The purpose of the rapes is to shatter the families. When this is made clear it becomes easier to stick together and support one another. The war criminals must not be allowed to achieve their goal.
Ce projet est d’une importance capitale pour les communautés victimes de cette guerre dont la femme est la cible principale. Cela est d’autant plus important que les communautés victimes ne comprennent généralement pas que c’est une forme de destruction des structures qui fondent sa cohésion, qui a été conçue, planifiée et savamment exécutée. Elles ne sont pas conscientes que cela ne résulte pas d’une violence aveugle.
Aussi, elles ne savent pas s’en prémunir ni en soigner les effets. Il est important que des hommes et des femmes de bonne volonté s’attellent à cette lutte car la beauté et la grandeur de l’humanité résulte de cette diversité des cultures qui la compose, et sauver ces communautés de l’anéantissement surtout quand l’arme s’attaque à la femme, berceau de l’humanité est une entreprise véritablement noble.
Le docteur Mukwege, qui par ses prouesses parvient à sauver les corps meurtris a besoin que d’autres s’attellent à sauver les âmes meurtries, non seulement celles des victimes directes, mais aussi celles des parents et des proches qui ont assistés impuissantes à ces drames et qui en subissent aussi les traumatismes.
M. J. BOJI
It is unbelievable that the world has not colled Congo’s ongoing war a third world war!! More than ten countries have been invading the country just because one has to satisfy own wants. There’s even alliances for killing, raping and dividing the country. It has now come to the attention of many that rapes and killings are only allowed to take part in that end of the world just because not a single individual has been brought to just for about 10 years on!! We are preparing to launch a massive campaign here in London and around the world as Congo resources are being powering world economy for more than a decade. The blood of Congolese people should never be forgotten as many nations have benefited from it. This is why my organisation and many others will be behind you.
Thank you for your strong statement – it is needed and the war must indeed stop! And we are all responsible to do what we can! Please let us know how your work is going and how we can join you!