Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Featured in WAPTE’s Program at Pentecostal World Conference
The 25th Annual Pentecostal World Conference (PWC) is coming to Calgary, Alberta, and the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Dr. Denis Mukwege has just been added to the roster of 70 speakers from 55 countries.
In 2002 Denis Mukwege became the Chief Medical Officer of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The hospital was built with support from the relief and development arm of the Swedish Pentecostal Church.
In collaboration with the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), the Survivors of Sexual Violence Project (SSV) began in 2004. The program was initiated to support women who had been subjected to sexual violence.
In 2012, Dr. Mukwege survived an attempt on his life. After the incident, Mukwege left the DRC, only to return after thousands of women wrote letters to the president, demonstrating and even raising money for his return.
When asked about why he does what he does, his answer is simple, “To repay hatred with even more love, to show that evil will never win.” For Dr. Mukwege, showing love means caring for victims of sexual violence and giving them hope. “The Panzi Hospital is a place of peace where everyone is welcome, and I will continue my work here. I will never stop preaching peace,” says Dr. Mukwege.
Dr. Mukwege will play a prominent role in WAPTE’s overall program, presenting in both our Affinity Group presentations and our forum discussion. We are excited to feature such an influential voice for global Pentecostalism in our attempt to awaken the Pentecostal church to its role in Community Transformation.
