Thumbprints of Hope, Footsteps of Joy: Belinda Bauman

Belinda Bauman has traveled the world to raise awareness about violence against women. In this candid conversation, she discusses her recent book, Brave Souls: Experiencing the Audacious Power of Empathy

Bauman was living a comfortable life as a wife, mother, and nonprofit leader―but her soul was checked out. Then she met Esperance. An assault survivor living in one of the poorest, most dangerous countries in the world, Esperance and other Congolese women shared their harrowing stories with Belinda. Their vulnerability set Belinda on a path of embracing empathy. If Esperance could love in the face of so much pain, maybe there is hope for the world too.From the top of Mount Kilimanjaro to the borders of war-torn Syria, Belinda takes readers along her journey to empathy. 

Educator turned advocate, Belinda Bauman seeks to bring hope to women in crisis. After living internationally for a decade in conflict and post-conflict zones, Belinda experienced what she calls a “beautiful collision” with brave women who survive in the most dangerous places in the world. Belinda is the founder of One Million Thumbprints, a movement of peacemakers advocating with women in the world’s worst conflict zones, and the visionary behind #SilenceIsNotSpiritual, a global campaign calling churches to break the silence on violence against women.