tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/nobel-peace-prize-2015-21300/articlesNobel Peace Prize 2015 – The Conversation2016-03-09T04:40:39Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/555252016-03-09T04:40:39Z2016-03-09T04:40:39ZA vibrant civil society is central to democratic consolidation in Tunisia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/113952/original/image-20160306-17740-808na8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Unemployed graduates in Tunisia demonstrate to demand that the government provides job opportunities.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reuters/Zoubeir Souissi</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In late 2010 demonstrations in Tunisia sparked a popular push for democratisation through the Arab world in what became known as the <a href="http://global.britannica.com/event/Jasmine-Revolution">Arab Spring</a>. The uprisings saw Tunisia emerge from 23 years of despotic rule under President <a href="http://global.britannica.com/biography/Zine-al-Abidine-Ben-Ali">Zine El Abidine Ben Ali</a>. Though the country has made substantial gains since its transition, it still needs to safeguard its fledgling democracy.</p>
<p>Political reform and democratic transition in Tunisia – including the adoption of a <a href="http://democracy-reporting.org/news/latest-news/tunisia-and-its-new-constitution-model-for-north-africa.html">landmark constitution</a> – was lauded by the international community. Where democratic reversals occurred in other <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-12482291">Arab Spring countries</a>, the country was considered a lone success story. </p>
<p>But it is now facing a plethora of <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21678787-rift-ruling-party-may-be-least-tunisias-problems-great-arab?zid=304&ah=e5690753dc78ce91909083042ad12e30">challenges</a> to its democratic gains. These include corruption, terrorism, youth unemployment of about <a href="http://www.tunisia-live.net/2015/03/12/oecd-report-youth-unemployment-in-tunisia-a-true-social-tragedy/">40%</a> and weak <a href="https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2016/cr1647.pdf">economic growth</a> prospects. </p>
<p>The failure to meet rising expectations and address growing discontent, particularly among <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/jan/13/tunisia-youth-revolution">the youth</a>, were key causes of the Ben Ali regime’s downfall. More specifically, the corrosive <a href="http://ppc.unl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Tay-Herian-Diener-2014-Detrimental-effects-of-corruption-and-societal-well-being-Whether-how-and-when.pdf">effect of corruption</a>, including its deleterious effect on trust for political authority, catalysed change. </p>
<p>In this context, reform remains a tenuous and fragile process. </p>
<h2>Explaining Tunisia’s success</h2>
<p>Several factors explain Tunisia’s successful transition. The military <a href="http://journal.dresmara.ro/issues/volume6_issue2/01_townsend.pdf">showed restraint</a> during the transition process, and there was a general willingness to reach a <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2014/11/19-historic-compromise-tunisia-laurence">political compromise</a>. Most important was the proactive approach taken by Tunisian civil society. </p>
<p>Four civil society groups, known as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-tunisian-national-dialogue-saved-a-country-from-collapse-48921">Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet</a>, were instrumental in pulling the country back from the brink of civil war. </p>
<p>By building consensus across political groups, the quartet paved the way for a peaceful transition. This included drafting a new constitution and setting out a programme for bureaucratic reform. The group received the <a href="https://theconversation.com/quiet-quartet-wins-nobel-peace-prize-for-laying-a-democratic-path-despite-troubles-in-tunisia-48764">2015 Nobel Peace Prize</a> in recognition of its efforts.</p>
<h2>A show of political will</h2>
<p>In 2013 Tunisia affirmed its commitment to open and transparent government when it joined the <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/about">Open Government Partnership</a> (OGP). The global, citizen-centred initiative aims to enhance transparency and public accountability in government. Access to information, citizen participation and accountability are the central tenets of open government. </p>
<p>Most of the 69 participating countries are in South, Central and North America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Africa. They include Brazil, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine and South Africa. </p>
<p>Tunisia’s commitment to political reform is recognised as being in line with the OGP mandate to “<a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/blog/blog-editor/2014/01/14/tunisia-joins-ogp#sthash.X7Ze2ZpC.dpuf">improve the quality of governance and public services</a>”.</p>
<p>The country has adopted a pragmatic approach to its <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/country/tunisia">participation</a> in the initiative. It has made a range of commitments to enhance access to information and improve public accountability. These include publishing audit report findings and training civil servants in ethics.</p>
<p>But challenges remain.</p>
<h2>Ongoing challenges</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/06/economic-arab-egypt-region">Government corruption</a>, one of the main drivers of the Arab Spring, remains an issue. Civil society organisations say rent-seeking is <a href="http://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/Politics/2015/10/4/Petty-corruption-plagues-Tunisian-economy">pervasive</a>, particularly at local government level.</p>
<p>Jazem Halioui, a researcher for the <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/irm/about-irm">Independent Reporting Mechanism</a> of the OGP, notes <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/Tunisia2014-15_IRM%20Progress%20Report_Eng_0.pdf">in a progress report</a> that:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>… under [the] Ben Ali dictatorship, the regime used state corruption as a means for illicit enrichment and silencing dissent.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The report has highlighted concerns around the country’s handling of the issue and calls for implementation of anti-corruption legislation. </p>
<p>The state faces further threats to democratic consolidation. </p>
<p>The tabling of the draft <a href="http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/will-tunisia-s-economic-reconciliation-law-turn-the-page">Economic Reconciliation Law</a> in July 2015 was <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/09/15/in-tunisia-a-new-reconciliation-law-stokes-protest-and-conflict-instead/">widely condemned</a>. The law, which would indemnify corrupt Ben Ali-era public officials from prosecution, marked a <a href="http://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-lines/16695/tunisia-s-economic-reconciliation-law-could-derail-transitional-justice">low point</a> of the transition. </p>
<p>Recent <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/tunisia-tourism-struggles-to-survive-after-terror-attack-a-1056400.html">terror attacks</a> have added to the woes, further revealing the fragility of the gains the state has made.</p>
<p>The OGP <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/country/tunisia/irm">report</a> notes that an ongoing state of emergency, which was declared after the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33287978">Sousse beach attack</a> last June, has made the climate difficult for civil protests. And human rights organisations have <a href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/tunisia">reported</a> torture of detainees, a hallmark of the Ben Ali era.</p>
<h2>Optimism about the future</h2>
<p>Civil society organisations are optimistic about the role the OGP can play in deepening democratic reform in Tunisia. </p>
<p>The country has <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/Tunisia%20OGP%20NAP_0.pdf">committed to</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>improving transparency in its administrative system;</p></li>
<li><p>developing an open budget system;</p></li>
<li><p>improving transparency in public infrastructure projects; and</p></li>
<li><p>regulating natural resources in a transparent manner.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Halioui’s <a href="http://www.opengovpartnership.org/sites/default/files/Tunisia2014-15_IRM%20Progress%20Report_Eng_0.pdf">report</a> further calls for the government to improve transparency in areas such as the judicial system and the security forces.</p>
<p>In July 2014 the <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/07/24/world-bank-300-million-program-strengthen-local-governments-tunisia">World Bank</a> approved a US$300 million program to improve local governance. The program aims to strengthen service delivery and public accountability. But continued public-sector reform, especially at the sub-national level, is vital to ensure stability in the country.</p>
<p>Tunisia’s path towards democratic consolidation is important, both domestically and for the region. A key litmus test for the fledgling democracy will be whether the formal political process, set against a turbulent regional political economy, can sustain reform efforts. </p>
<p>This will require safeguarding the space for a robust and vibrant civil society to participate meaningfully, and to push through the reforms that are so badly needed.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>The author, an independent governance consultant, reviewed the Tunisian OGP Progress Report.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/55525/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Filitz is an independent governance researcher and is a consultant to the Independent Reporting Mechanism of the Open Governance Partnership.</span></em></p>In the wake of the Arab Spring the international community lauded Tunisia’s political transition to democracy. But a plethora of challenges may threaten democratic consolidation in the country.John Filitz, Wits City Institute Research Fellow, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/489212015-10-09T16:13:22Z2015-10-09T16:13:22ZHow the Tunisian national dialogue saved a country from collapse<p>The award of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize to a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34485865">collection of civil society organisations in Tunisia</a> is welcome news all round. This isn’t just a good day for Tunisia and its fledgling democracy – it’s a potent recognition of the bravery of millions of citizens across the Arab world who took to the streets in 2011-2012, fighting for freedom, equality, social justice and human dignity. </p>
<p>This truly radical expression of people power has forever changed perceptions of authority and popular sovereignty across the region. At a time when authoritarian re-entrenchment and political violence is rife across the “Arab Spring” countries, this award sends a much needed signal of hope to all those seeking a more plural, accountable and peaceful politics in the region.</p>
<h2>Deadlock broken</h2>
<p>A cross-section of Tunisian civil society groups, the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet played a significant role as a domestic mediator in the political crisis that engulfed the country in 2013 and that threatened to derail its transition to democracy. </p>
<p>The 2013 crisis was triggered by the growing polarisation of Tunisian politics, which were divided between an Islamist-led coalition government and its secular opponents. The two sides were deadlocked over the drafting of a new democratic constitution. </p>
<p>With the institutional process faltering, the quartet stepped in to mediate between the conflicting parties, proposing a detailed “political road map” out of the crisis and towards the completion of the transition process. </p>
<p>Among other things, this road map provided for the establishment of a technocratic government and set up a mechanism for the completion and ratification of the draft constitution.</p>
<p>Ultimately, of course, this proved successful. It led to the ratification of <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-three-years-of-turmoil-tunisia-has-the-arab-worlds-most-progressive-constitution-22511">one of the region’s most progressive constitutions</a> and the subsequent election of a new parliament and coalition government. Put simply, the quartet deserves credit for providing Tunisia’s political establishment with a viable route out of the crisis.</p>
<p>The road map’s success, of course, was not solely down to the diplomatic skills of the quartet. At minimum, it certainly had something to do with context and timing. As Owen Frazer has rightly <a href="http://isnblog.ethz.ch/conflict/mediation-perspectives-the-tunisian-national-dialogue">pointed out</a>, the triumph of pragmatism and compromise did not happen in a vacuum. </p>
<p>Impetus enough was provided by a spate of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21366235">political assassinations</a> of leftist politicians at home in early and mid-2013. Then, of course, there was the Egyptian armed forces’ <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/04/world/middleeast/egypt.html">coup</a> against the short-lived Morsi government in June 2013.</p>
<p>For the moderate Islamist <a href="https://theconversation.com/islamist-party-lost-tunisia-elections-but-it-has-won-the-countrys-trust-33697">Ennhada party</a> in particular, these developments seem to have played crucially into their decision calculus to participate in, and support, the national dialogue process and road map out of the constitutional crisis.</p>
<p>Finally, as significant as the 2013 developments are in Tunisia’s political history, they’re only small steps on the long and rocky road to a secure, established democracy. Indeed, the challenges for this fledgling democracy are still formidable, as the country seeks to normalise democratic politics amid a deep economic crisis and serious challenges to its domestic stability.</p>
<p>But that doesn’t mean the remarkable steps Tunisia has taken were for nothing – and it’s high time they were recognised.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48921/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hendrik Kraetzschmar has received funding from the British Academy. </span></em></p>Arguably the Arab spring’s one true success story, Tunisia is getting the recognition it deserves.Hendrik Kraetzschmar, Associate Professor in the Comparative Politics of the Middle East and North Africa, Director of Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/487642015-10-09T15:30:56Z2015-10-09T15:30:56ZQuiet quartet wins Nobel Peace Prize for laying a democratic path despite troubles in Tunisia<p>It is a fitting that in a tumultuous year for global peacemaking, <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/">the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded</a> to the little-known Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet. Over the past few years, the Quartet has been quietly shepherding in democracy in the country that lit the fuse that sparked the Arab revolutions. In part thanks to the efforts of this <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/09/who-are-the-tunisia-national-dialogue-quartet-nobel-peace-prize-winner">broad cross-section of civil society</a>, Tunisia has stayed the course in transitioning from an authoritarian past to a democratic future, even in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/tunisia-terror-attack-tests-fledgling-democracy-39026">face of terrorist violence</a> and as other revolutions in the region have faltered.</p>
<p>The award comes at a time of escalating sectarian conflicts in Syria, Libya and Yemen. Islamic State’s campaign of terror has uprooted <a href="https://theconversation.com/report-from-iraq-religion-lends-yazidis-a-profound-resilience-in-the-face-of-persecution-48127">Iraqis</a> and Syrians alike, <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/migrant-crisis">driving desperate refugees</a> into small boats to battle the waves of the Mediterranean. They join others fleeing to Europe from political and economic crises in Africa and Asia, forming a stream of humanity symbolising failures in leadership in three continents. </p>
<p>Among all this, it is not hard to identify why the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the world’s most coveted peace prize to the Tunisian Quartet. </p>
<p>The first reason is that Tunisia deserves to be celebrated for its <a href="https://theconversation.com/tunisia-was-attacked-for-its-success-not-its-challenges-39159">momentous achievements</a> in consolidating democracy. Unlike other countries in the region, it has trodden a path that is slow but solid, adopting a comprehensive and consensus-building approach to decision-making. </p>
<p>In this it provides a rare and extremely important example, not only for the region but also for the world. Thanks to Tunisia, it is no longer possible to argue that the Middle East and North Africa is inherently undemocratic or prone to violence. </p>
<h2>Civil society steps up</h2>
<p>Second, the role of civil society is fundamental for bringing about sustainable peace. Political leadership is important, but the scale of the challenge in transitional societies means that we cannot simply leave things to political leaders to sort out. </p>
<p>At local level especially, peace feels a lot more real when it comes with <a href="http://www.un.org/en/peacebuilding/pbso/pdf/peace_dividends.pdf">tangible improvements to quality of life</a>. Citizens want to see the economy motoring again and to have confidence in the state’s institutions. They want to know that they can sleep soundly and safely, without fear of violence, persecution or poverty. Governments often lack the capacity and credibility to deliver these dividends alone. Civil society must step up to the plate – particularly the associations of trade, justice and human rights of which the Quartet is formed. </p>
<p>And third, the Quartet’s work relies heavily on forming constructive relationships across the political spectrum – from secularists to fundamentalists. It has walked a fine line, keeping disparate groups with diverging interests invested in an inclusive national process of dialogue. It has, in the words of the <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2015/press.html">Norwegian Nobel Committee</a>, laid the “groundwork for a national fraternity”.</p>
<p>Politicians are often the most cynical of creatures, yet the Quartet has managed to build a sense of collective endeavour among them. It has encouraged them to put the country’s best interest ahead of personal or sectarian interests, making this the guiding principle for decision-making. </p>
<h2>Other bright spots</h2>
<p>The transition in Tunisia is a work in progress and there will be more setbacks and successes. The country was left reeling from two terrorist attacks earlier this year, when <a href="https://theconversation.com/tunisia-terror-attack-tests-fledgling-democracy-39026">22 people were killed</a> at the Bardo Museum in Tunis, and another 39 people died during an attack on a <a href="https://theconversation.com/terror-in-tunisia-tourist-deaths-on-the-beaches-of-sousse-will-kick-start-a-crisis-43957">tourist resort in Sousse</a>.
But the message today is clear – Tunisia has made remarkable progress since 2010, despite the odds. This is in large part due to a credible and engaged civil society, a remarkable achievement in a new democracy. The country has forged a path of inclusive national dialogue from which many lessons can be learned. </p>
<p>Elsewhere this year, Myanmar <a href="curveballs%20and%20surprises">goes to the polls</a> in November – the country’s first free national ballot since 1990. <a href="https://theconversation.com/colombias-deal-with-the-farc-could-bring-peace-or-create-a-power-vacuum-48130">Colombia is closer</a> to lasting peace than ever, ending half a century of war that has taken 220,00 lives and uprooted six million people. </p>
<p>The US <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/20/politics/cuba-u-s-embassies-opening/">restored diplomatic relationships</a> with Cuba, and also struck a landmark <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-the-iran-nuclear-deal-means-and-what-it-doesnt-44685">agreement with Iran</a> over its nuclear programmes. And the UN has adopted the <a href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/peace-justice/">sustainable development goals</a>, explicitly recognising peaceful and inclusive societies as a development priority for the first time. Behind every step forward there is an individual or institution worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, but only one can win and the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet is a worthy laureate.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48764/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Payne has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, the British Council and Making All Voices Count. She is a Research Fellow at Coventry University's Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations and the Director of RISING Global Peace Forum, Coventry.</span></em></p>By forging to dialogue to achieve consensus, Tunisia’s Quartet are worthy winners.Laura Payne, Research Fellow and Director of RISING Global Peace Forum, Coventry UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/484892015-10-08T22:58:45Z2015-10-08T22:58:45ZDenis Mukwege deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in Congo<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97716/original/image-20151008-9664-gh4y7n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Denis Mukwege</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Torleif Svensson/Panzi Hospital</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Regardless of who wins the Nobel Peace Prize this year, Denis Mukwege deserves the award for his important work in Congo.</p>
<p>Mukwege is a Congolese physician who heals broken bodies and restores dignity to survivors of sexualized violence at Panzi Hospital. </p>
<p>According to hospital records, he has personally treated over 20,000 women, girls, men and boys who have suffered the physical and psychological wounds of traumatic rape. </p>
<p>As a scholar-activist and the cofounder of Panzi Foundation USA, I travel regularly to the hospital in eastern Congo to conduct research, develop programs for rape survivors, and inform my advocacy work in the US. </p>
<h2>Mukwege’s vision</h2>
<p>Mukwege founded the Panzi Hospital in 1999 to stem the high maternal mortality rates driven by the war that raged near his home. His first patient, however, was a rape survivor who had suffered horrific internal injuries due to the perpetrator’s assault with a knife. </p>
<p>As the war continued, so did the number of women coming to him in desperate need of medical treatment for illness or wounds from sexualized violence. </p>
<p>Today, under Mukwege’s leadership, the hospital and its staff are known worldwide for their specialized care of survivors, including the surgical repair of fistula caused by traumatic rape or pregnancy. </p>
<p>The current staff totals 370 people, including 40 physicians, who provide world-class care for over 18,000 patients a year in <a href="https://www.hrw.org/africa/democratic-republic-congo">an environment</a> characterized by continued violence, poverty and a lack of basic services such as consistent water, electricity, sanitation and passable roads.</p>
<p>The need in eastern Congo is great. Over the last 20 years, nearly six million people have died and <a href="http://www.womenundersiegeproject.org/conflicts/profile/democratic-republic-of-congo">tens of thousands</a> of women have been raped due to the ongoing armed conflicts. </p>
<p>These mass atrocities are a symptom of failed economic, social and political structures rooted in the legacy of colonization, gender disparities, the geopolitics of the region – and a scramble for “conflict minerals” made profitable by the first world’s consumption of electronic devices such as cellphones. </p>
<h2>‘Tell others’</h2>
<p>I first met Mukwege during a three-week research trip to his hospital during the summer of 2009. I was there to interview women about their experiences of gender-based violence, the resulting stigma and their hopes for the future. I also conducted a research methodology workshop for medical students completing their residencies at Panzi. </p>
<p>While there, I met 14-year-old Mateso – just one of the over 1,900 recipients of medical treatment at Panzi that year for injuries due to sexualized violence. She shared unspeakable horrors that were masked by her confident demeanor, ease and quick smile. </p>
<p>I asked Mateso why she thought it important to share her experience with me. She said, “I tell you my story because so many people don’t know. I want you to tell others.”</p>
<p>A year later, Mukwege and I joined forces, along with Peter Frantz, to cofound Panzi Foundation USA. The mission of our nonprofit organization is based on Mukwege’s vision and objective to raise awareness about the challenges in eastern Congo. We are engaged in strategic advocacy to end violence against women and support Panzi’s programs to heal women and restore lives. </p>
<h2>Empowering women</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97714/original/image-20151008-9685-o6nfhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/97714/original/image-20151008-9685-o6nfhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97714/original/image-20151008-9685-o6nfhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97714/original/image-20151008-9685-o6nfhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97714/original/image-20151008-9685-o6nfhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97714/original/image-20151008-9685-o6nfhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/97714/original/image-20151008-9685-o6nfhj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Maison Dorcas.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Lee Ann De Reus</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A unique aspect of the hospital is Maison Dorcas, an after-care facility for survivors of gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Following discharge from Panzi, many women are unable to return to their homes. Some need follow-up care. Some have have been displaced from their communities because of the conflicts. Others have been cast out of their families due to the heavy social stigma associated with rape. </p>
<p>At Maison Dorcas, 200 women can extend their stay and receive counseling for the treatment of trauma, legal assistance for prosecution of perpetrators, literacy instruction and skill-based training. The programs are designed to enhance a woman’s ability to heal, provide for herself and her family, and take an active role in her community. </p>
<p>Panzi Foundation USA has also initiated a petition calling on Secretary of State John Kerry and other US officials to pressure the Congolese government to hold free and fair elections in 2016 that <a href="http://www.panzifoundation.org/take-action-1/">include women</a> as candidates, advocates and voters. </p>
<p>Our work is informed by the belief that the restoration of women’s lives strengthens civil society and is one essential measure for stemming mass atrocities. </p>
<h2>Indigenous voices</h2>
<p>As one woman, Mwamaroyi, a survivor turned advocate, told me in an interview: “If I were given the floor, I would speak up and tell people that rape and violence have had terrible consequences. Please, it is time for the violence to stop.” </p>
<p>Persistent oversimplifications by media, aid agencies, development organizations, advocacy groups, academics and other well-meaning parties often distort the world’s perceptions of Congo. In order to break this cycle, the voices of survivors and the Congolese who work with them must be heard. </p>
<p>Mukwege is a tireless and outspoken advocate for women such as Mateso and Mwamaroyi – but not without personal cost. He receives death threats, and there have been serious <a href="http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/pmu_interlife/pressreleases/assassination-attempt-on-dr-denis-mukwege-prominent-congolese-doctor-and-activist-807101">attempts</a> on his life. </p>
<p>Awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize will amplify an often overlooked indigenous voice, draw global attention to Congo, and help Mukwege confront the complex causes of suffering in DRC.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/48489/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lee Ann De Reus is on the Board of Panzi Foundation USA. She has also received funding for research conducted at Panzi Hospital.
</span></em></p>The Congolese physician has treated over 20,000 victims of traumatic rape in a conflict fueled in part by ‘conflict minerals’ used to make cellphones.Lee Ann De Reus, Associate Professor of Human Development & Family Studies; Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies, Penn StateLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.