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Soros and Mukwege to Be Honored for Human Rights Work

For Immediate Release

The philanthropist and financier George Soros and Dr. Denis Mukwege, a champion in the fight against rape as a weapon of war, will be honored by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) for their contributions to the global struggle for human rights. The awards will be presented at a gala dinner in New York City on April 28, 2015.

Soros will be recognized for a lifetime of philanthropic leadership and dedication to the cause of human rights. PHR will honor Dr. Mukwege for his fearless advocacy to end the terror of rape in conflict and his devotion to caring for survivors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“Dr. Denis Mukwege embodies the highest ideals of the medical profession, and George Soros was one of the first philanthropists to recognize the deep connection between public health and human rights,” said Donna McKay, PHR’s executive director. “Their vision, courage, and leadership have brought hope and helped to deliver justice for the many – too many – who have suffered grave violations of their fundamental rights.”

The 2015 Physicians for Human Rights honorees are:

George Soros, Founder and Chairman of the Open Society Foundations

George Soros is an investor and founder of the Open Society Foundations. Soros came of age in Hungary at a time when it was a battleground in the decades-long struggle between fascism and communism. His personal experience of this conflict, as well as a fascination with philosophy, shaped his thinking in both finance and philanthropy. Soros’s commitment to the idea of an open society – where rights are respected, government is accountable, and no one has a monopoly on the truth – makes the Open Society Foundations unlike any other private philanthropic effort in history.

Denis Mukwege, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Panzi Hospital

Dr. Denis Mukwege, a world-renowned gynecological surgeon, is the founder and medical director of Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since its founding in 1999, the hospital has treated more than 30,000 survivors of sexual violence. Despite attacks against him and his family, Dr. Mukwege has been fearless in his calls for accountability for those responsible for sexual violence. His impassioned advocacy has brought international attention to rape in war, earning him repeated nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The awardees will be honored during the 2015 Physicians for Human Rights Gala, to be held on April 28, 2015 at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.

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