Joonas Haverinen 
During the first week of June, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege visited Finland at the invitation of Fida. He met with government leaders, handed over Fida’s Congo petition to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and spoke at the Pentecostal World Conference in Helsinki.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Denis Mukwege’s visit began on Monday with a meeting at the Finnish Parliament (Pikkuparlamentti) with the Parliament’s Human Rights Network and the Sexual Rights and Development Group. Following this, Mukwege gave interviews to several Finnish media outlets.
On Tuesday, Dr. Mukwege met with President Alexander Stubb at the presidential residence in Munkkiniemi. During the meeting, Mukwege described the situation in his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a conflict ongoing for over 30 years has claimed more than six million lives. He reminded President Stubb that this is a grave but often forgotten crisis, and urged Finland to take an active role in promoting the peace process.
Christians Should Work to Build a Fairer World
On Wednesday, Mukwege addressed an international audience at the Pentecostal World Conference. At a press conference held at the Helsinki Ice Hall, his message was clear:
– The Church of Christ has a role to play in ending this tragedy. The Church cannot remain silent. We must build a more equal and just world, especially in the heart of Africa, which is bleeding, Mukwege emphasized.
One of the core root causes of the decades-long conflict in the Congo is the competition for valuable raw materials. The rapid development of technology, with electric cars and smart devices, is driving the global demand for precious minerals. A large portion of the raw materials needed to manufacture these devices comes from the Congo.
Petition to Strengthen Finland’s Support
On Thursday, Fida and Dr. Mukwege presented a petition to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen, urging Finland to actively participate in resolving the situation in the Congo and to promote justice and human dignity both nationally and through the EU.
The petition was open for signatures on Fida’s website for two months and was signed by 1,938 people in addition to Mukwege. Upon receiving the petition, Minister for Foreign Affairs Valtonen stated that Finland supports the promotion of peace and justice in the Congo.
After the meeting, Valtonen wrote on social media that Finland supports the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Victims’ Fund, of which Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation is a long-term partner.
– Finland is involved in this important work both as a funder and through policy measures, nationally and as part of the EU. It is crucial that this work continues, Minister Valtonen wrote in her social media post.
Efforts to Achieve Peace
At the end of the week, Dr. Mukwege explored the work of fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate when the peace organization CMI, founded by President Martti Ahtisaari, welcomed him to their office. Together with CMI’s Executive Director Janne Taalas, Dr. Mukwege discussed ways to achieve peace in the Congo.
After a week-long visit to Helsinki, Dr. Mukwege continued his journey to Geneva, where the relentless work for peace and justice goes on.
Although Mukwege’s visit to Finland was brief, it left a mark. The decades-long forgotten conflict resurfaced in Finnish media. In addition, Dr. Mukwege planted seeds of peace among Finnish decision-makers. Time will tell when we will witness the harvest.
In the meantime, we have a duty not to forget the people of the Congo and the ongoing conflict. We must build a more just world, promote a more responsible electronics industry, and support the development of ethical value chains. We must speak out about forgotten crises.
Fida continues its development cooperation in the Congo together with the CEPAC Pentecostal Church and the health department led by Dr. Mukwege. The work for peace and human rights together with the Congolese people continues every day.
