The Green Belt Movement And How It Came About

What is the Green Belt Movement?

According to the Green Belt Movement's website it is" one of the most prominent women's civil society organizations, based in Kenya, advocating for human rights and supporting good governance and peaceful democratic change through the protection of the environment. Its mission is to empower communities worldwide to protect the environment and to promote good governance and cultures of peace.

How It All Started
The Green Belt Movement (GBM) was started in 1977 by Dr. Wangari Maathai, the first African woman and the first environmentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (in 2004). What began as a grassroots tree planting program to address the challenges of deforestation, soil erosion and lack of water is now a vehicle for empowering women. The act of planting a tree is helping women throughout Africa become stewards of the natural environment.

But that's just the first step.

By protecting the environment, these women are also becoming powerful champions for sustainable management of scarce resources such as water, equitable economic development, good political governance, and ultimately.. peace.

Our Achievements
Today, more than 40 million trees have been planted across Africa. The result: soil erosion has been reduced in critical watersheds, thousands of acres of biodiversity-rich indigenous forest have been restored and protected, and hundreds of thousands of women and their families are standing up for their rights and those of their communities and so are living healthier, more productive lives.

Yet, so much remains to be done. Forests are still being lost, democracy is fragile, and poverty is still widespread.

Our Vision for the Future
Our goal in the next decade is to plant one billion trees worldwide. A healthy natural world is at the heart of an equitable and peaceful society. And protecting the environment is something every individual can take part in"

That's the mission and the vision of the Green Belt Movement.
It is growing by leaps and bounds and they have now an International Division.

Wangari Maathai

This Squidoo Lens Was UPDATED ON Feb5/12