Healing Women and Restoring Lives

We are bombarded by news stories following ISIS, the refugee crisis in Syria, ebola outbreak in West Africa... It's easy to become news weary. To either want to curl up and never listen to the news again or fall back into our lives where none of that violence, that pain exists. But we can't live in others pain day to day either. Where is the balance point? Is there one?

In the midst of all this uncertainty, conflict and violence we simply do our best to stay informed, bring awareness to these issues and contribute to them in whatever way we can. We simply do the best we can and always strive to do more. It’s trying to find a balance between being deeply humbled and just as deeply inspired.

There was a conference in London in July, 2014 addressing the need for rape used as a weapon of war to become a war crime. A weapon of war that John Kerry says IS a war crime but that can still carry with it deeper shame and stronger justice in the international courts.

"Bosnia, Congo, Rwanda and Syria are among the places where sexual violence has been systematically used to terrorize and control or drive out the population. Reporting and collecting data on such attacks in war time are incredibly difficult, but human rights groups say that more people in war zones and refugee camps experience sexual violence every year than are injured by land mines and bombs." You can read more about the conference here - http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/john-kerry-at-conference-in-london-to-address-ending-rape-as-weapon-of-war/2014/06/12/feddc4d2-f245-11e3-bf76-447a5df6411f_story.html

There are many groups working to help these survivors of rape. Not victims but survivors. These are strong women. Women who many times live in a culture where rape carries with it deep, deep shame. Where many husbands blame their wives for the rape, where they will leave their wife rather than carry that shame with her. And many of these women believe that no one will take them seriously if they come forward, that no will be convicted for their crime.

One group helping these women in the Congo is Sinergy. Matika the founder reports that they've welcomed over 8,000 women into their shelter since 2002. Of this 8,000 only 286 reported their rape and only 76 have been convicted. Everywhere in the world rape is under reported out of fear, out of shame, out of a distrust of the justice system… We may not know the true number of women who have been assaulted but we can hope that they are giving themselves the compassion they deserve and receiving the support from others that they have every right to.

Another group working to help these women is the Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was built in response to the increasing number of sexual violence victims. The hospital has specialized in treating gynecological disorders, specifically those due to reproductive trauma and trauma from sexual violence, as well as holistic clinical treatment for survivors. Dr Mukwege and his gynecological surgical team are internationally recognized experts in fistula and incontinence repair and the long time healing and community reintegration associated with fistula care. Dr Wukwege has been the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of his work at Panzi Hospital and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

And the Panzi Foundation was created by Dr Mukwege to specifically support the work of the Panzi Hospital. You can read more about the work they’re dedicated to by visiting http://www.panzifoundation.org/

Using rape as a weapon of war is happening now and it is brutal and uncontainable.

We are all of us connected. I hope you take the time to read Mateso’s story on the Panzi Foundation website. I hope you feel you can reach across and through the page and touch her hand, feel its warmth and feel the scars on her skin and embedded in her bones. Her story is one of too many.

These women may live halfway across the world but their stories, their lives should affect us all. I want people to understand what they have had to endure, continue to endure and for them to recognize these survivor’s immense will and strength.

You can help support these women by coming to Karma Yoga this month, Sunday March 22 at the Cultural Arts Building, 9 to 10:30 am.

And for those of you coffee lovers, you can further support the Panzi Hospital. Ten Thousand Villages is selling some delicious whole bean coffee that directly supports the Panzi Foundation.