[05.10.2018] The King Baudouin Foundation is delighted to learn that the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Dr Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad, and sends its warmest congratulations to both winners. Dr Denis Mukwege, a Congolese doctor who is Director of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu in eastern DRC, received the King Baudouin Development Prize in 2011.
The 2018 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Iraqi human rights worker Nadia Murad, for their work in combatting sexual violence as a weapon of war.
Dr Mukwege has devoted his life to the medical, psychological and social care of thousands of victims of sexual violence in Kivu. In addition to his work at Panzi Hospital, he has received recognition as a tireless advocate for these victims and for his efforts to bring back peace to the country.
In 2011, the International Selection Committee of the King Baudouin Prize already stressed that the Prize was being awarded to Dr Denis Mukwege “… for his commitment to his native country, pleading endlessly for a return to peace in a region where terror and fear are destroying the very fabric of society.”
Denis Mukwege is a Congolese citizen who took the initiative of bringing some practical solutions to his country’s problems. Those who were present at the award ceremony of the King Baudouin Prize, on May 23rd 2011 at the Royal Palace in Brussels, remember with great emotion the incredible power of his speech. Moreover, receiving the King Baudouin Prize provided Dr Mukwege with the opportunity to give widespread resonance to the cause of women and peace in eastern Congo.
Denis Mukwege decided to create the Dr Denis Mukwege – Panzi Hospital Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, to help restore dignity to victims of sexual violence, provide access to healthcare and peace in the DRC. To reach these objectives, the Fund provides support for projects that finance material and training, as well as the provision of study grants. It also supports projects of social reintegration and activities that generate income or provide more structural support.
The King Baudouin Foundation continues to support Dr Mukwege in developing his activities in eastern Congo. The Foundation also calls upon the Congolese authorities and international partners of the DRC to guarantee Dr Mukwege’s safety and that of his family. Such protection is an essential condition to ensuring that the vital work carried out at the Panzi Hospital can be continued.
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