On International Women’s Day, one month from today, Madison’s David Lippiatt plans to be on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He’s leading a group of climbers with his long-time friend and former colleague Belinda Bauman, the founder of One Million Thumbprints, a campaign to end gender violence in the war zones of South Sudan, Syria/Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Lippiatt is the director of Madison-based NGO We International. He founded We International in 2007 “to serve the most vulnerable in developing countries through economic development, advocacy, anti-trafficking efforts, and peace-building.”
A couple of decades earlier, Lippiatt was doing similar work on the local level, helping at-risk youth in the Broadway Simpson neighborhood and other troubled areas with alternative activities such as team-building adventures and summer recreation options. Bauman was one of his team leaders.
Bauman and her husband Stephan decided on careers in international Christian missions while attending Madison Gospel Tabernacle (now City Church). They left Madison to work first with the ministry Youth With a Mission. After years of experience, together, with several organizations, Stephan Bauman became the president of World Relief, an international relief and development agency.
The story of how Belinda Bauman came to found the One Million Thumbprints movement is told on the website. While visiting the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo four years ago, she and a group of women met Esperance, a woman who was raped and left to die after her husband was killed.
“Across a blank sheet of paper, Esperance, who can’t read or write, had someone write the words: “Tell the world.” Then she stamped her thumbprint underneath. Esperance’s thumbprint became Belinda’s mandate: violence against women in war is violence against me.”
The 1MT Climb for Peace is aimed at telling the story of their cause. Their news release says: “1MT seeks to aid women who’ve been affected by sexual violence in warzones in two specific ways:
- 1) Advocating the UN and other governing bodies to follow through on resolutions and laws passed to protect women in conflict zones.
- 2) Partnering with and building the capacity of proven organizations already on the ground in these countries. These programs meet practical needs (food, clothing, shelter, and trauma assistance), help stabilize communities (through training in negotiation and peacemaking), and provide sustainable long-term solutions (such as educational development, micro-savings and micro-finance, and refugee resettlement).”
- More information on financially supporting the campaign.
- Give Thumbprint
- More on the Kilimanjaro Climb
- Meet The Team