Wangari Maathai

"The planting of trees is the planting of ideas. By starting with the simple act of planting a tree, we give hope to ourselves and to future generations."

"Wangari Maathai"

Dr. Wangari Maathai is an exceptional woman. Born and raised on the slopes of Mount Kenya in Nyeri, she was the first East and Central African woman to receive a Doctorate Degree. She went on to create The Greenbelt Movement, an organization that is reshaping the African continent, and the world as a whole. With over 10 Honorary Doctorate Degrees and numerous awards to her name, Dr. Maathai has fought and won a battle that has threatened to overthrow Africa's women and send them down a spiralling path to poverty, disease, famine and drought. Through her initiatives, hundreds of thousands of people all over Africa now have a future.

Formed in 1977 by Dr. Maathai, The Greenbelt Movement is one of the most prominent women's civil society organizations in Kenya. It's mission is twofold-

1. Empower communities worldwide to protect the environment


2. Promote peace and good leadership in countries all over the world

It began as a simple tree-planting program that addressed rural issues of lack of water, deforestation and soil erosion. Now, it has become a platform for women all through Africa to empower themselves and champion environmental challenges that Africans face today. These women whose voices were muted now have a megaphone with which to voice their concerns, and those of their villages and towns.

Today, over 40 Million trees have been planted across Africa!

With a goal of 1 Billion Trees Worldwide by 2018, The Greenbelt Movement is making a positive impact all over the world for the future of our environment.

2004 was a turning point in Dr. Maathai's life. It was the year that she received a phone call notifying her that she had won that year's Nobel Peace Prize. How did she celebrate? She planted a tree!

Here is her reaction to the news:

"At first, I was overwhelmed. The Peace Prize is an honor like no other. I was surprised because I had no idea that anyone was listening. I quickly realized that although I had been given this great honor, the honor was not just for me. It was also for the thousands of women who planted 30 million trees throughout Kenya as part of the Green Belt Movement. It was also for those who worked to bring back democracy to Kenya through peaceful means, which we did in 2002.

I believe the Nobel committee was sending a message that protecting and restoring the environment contributes to peace; it is peace work. That was gratifying. I always felt that our work was not simply about planting trees. It was about inspiring people to take charge of their environment, the system that governed them, their lives and their future. With the Prize I realized that the world was listening.

Just about an hour after receiving the news, I celebrated by planting a tree in Nyeri, my home region, in the face of Mount Kenya. Throughout my life, the mountain has been an inspiration, as it was to generations before me. I called on all those who care for the environment around the world to plant a tree, too. I hope millions are planted."

The true mark of a Superhero is that they win with the team, and continue with their own dream. Dr. Maathai is a true Superhero.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), along with Dr. Wangari Maathai and various other partners are targeting civil society organizations and governments to enter tree planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees worldwide each year.

UNEP has set a new goal of planting 7 billion trees by the end of 2009. Currently, there are over 2.1 Billion trees planted worldwide.



As the inspiration for the campaign, Dr. Maathai has garnered support from numerous quarters, including Toyota, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Partners

In 2007, Time in partnership with CNN named Wangari Maathai one of the Heroes Of The Environment, along with 44 others. They celebrated the most innovative and influential protectors of the planet." />

Taking Root tells Dr. Wangari Maathai story. It documents how The Greenbelt Movement began and what challenges she faced along with thousands of other women. It shows her unflinching courage as a member of parliament, and how she led The Greenbelt Movement to planting millions of trees.

Taking Root has won several awards , and is fighting to bring to light Dr. Maathai's story.

Personal
Date of birth: April 1, 1940
Place: Nyeri
Nationality: Kenyan
Family: Three children (Waweru, Wanjira and Muta)

Education
PhD, Anatomy, University of Nairobi (1971)
MS, Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, USA (1966)
BS, Biology, Mount St. Scholastica College, USA (1964)

Personal Achievements
Goodwill Ambassador, Congo Basin Forest Initiative (2005-present)
Presiding Officer, Economic Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSOCC) (2005-2007)
Founding Chair, the Green Belt Movement International (2005)
Assistant Minister, Environment, Republic of Kenya (2003-2005)
Member of Parliament, Tetu Constituency, Republic of Kenya (2002-2007)
Founding member, GROOTS International (1985)
Founder and Coordinator, the Green Belt Movement (1977-2002)
Director, Kenya Red Cross (1973-1980)

Academic Appointments
Chair, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Nairobi (1976)
Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Nairobi (1977)
Endowed Chair in Gender & Women's Studies named "Fuller-Maathai," Connecticut College (2000)
Montgomery Fellow, Dartmouth College, USA (2001)
Dorothy McCluskey Visiting Fellow for Conservation, Yale University, USA (2002)

Professional Affiliations
Board Member, Global Crop Diversity, Norway
Jury Member,
Goldman Environmental Prize, USA
Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International, USA
Advisory Board, Clinton Global Initiative, USA
Member, UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, USA
Fellow 2004, Yale McCluskey , USA
Member, Yale Leadership Council, USA
Member, UN Commission on Global Governance, USA
Member, Advisory Board, Democracy Coalition Project, USA
Member, Earth Charter Commission, USA
Selection Committee, Sasakawa Environmental Prize, United Nations Environment Programme, Kenya
Board Member, Women's and Environment Development Organization (WEDO), USA
Board Member, World Learning USA
Board Member, Green Cross International
Board Member, Environment Liaison Center International, Kenya
Board Member, the WorldWIDE Network of Women in Environmental Work, USA
Board Member, National Council of Women of Kenya, Kenya

Honorary Degrees
Doctor of Science, Egerton University, Kenya (2007)
Doctor of Public Service Honoris Causa, University of Pittsburgh, USA (2006)
Doctor of Humane Letters, Connecticut College, USA (2006)
Doctor of Science, Morehouse College, USA (2006)
Doctor of Science, Ochanomizu University, Japan (2005)
Doctor of Science, Willamette University, USA (2005)
Doctor of Science, University of Nairobi, Kenya (2005)
Doctor of Science, Soka University, Japan (2004)
Doctor of Science, Aoyama Gakuin University, Japan (2004)
Doctor of Law, Yale University, USA (2004)
Doctor of Agriculture, University of Norway (1997)
Doctor of Science, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, USA (1994)
Doctor of Law, Williams College, USA (1990)

Awards
2008: Royal Institute of British Architects(RIBA), Honorary Fellowship, UK
2007: The Nelson Mandela Award for Health & Human Rights, South Africa
2007: The Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, India
2007: Cross of the Order of St Benedict, Benedictine College, Kansas, USA
2006:The Indira Gandhi International Award for Peace, Disarmament & Development, India
2006: Premio Defensa Medio Ambiente, Club Internacional De Prensa, Spain
2006: 6th in 100 greatest eco-heroes of all time, The Environment Agency, UK
2006: Medal for Distinguished Achievement, University of Pennsylvania, USA
2006:Woman of Achievement Award from the American Biographical Institute Inc., USA
2006:The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Milele(Lifetime)Achievement Award
2006: Legion D'Honneur, Government of France
2006: The IAIA Global Environment Award, International Association for Impact Assessment, Norway
2006: Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund Award, USA
2005: New York Women's Century Award, New York Women's Foundation, USA
2005: One the 100 most influential people in the world: Time magazine, USA
2005: One of the 100 most powerful women in the world: Forbes magazine, USA
2004: Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Norway
2004: Sophie Prize, the Sophie Foundation, Norway
2004: Elder of the Golden Heart, Republic of Kenya
2004: Petra Kelly Environment Prize, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Germany
2004: J. Sterling Morton Award, Arbor Day Foundation, USA
2004: Conservation Scientist Award, Center for Environmental Research and Conservation, Columbia University, USA
2003: Elder of the Burning Spear, Republic of Kenya
2003: WANGO Environment Award, World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, USA
2002: Outstanding Vision and Commitment Award, Bridges to Community, USA
2001: Excellence Award, Kenyan Community Abroad, USA
2001: The Juliet Hollister Award, Temple of Understanding, USA
1997: One of 100 in the world who've made a difference in environment: Earth Times, USA
1995: International Women's Hall of Fame, International Women's Forum Leadership Foundation, USA
1994: The Order of the Golden Ark Award, the Netherlands
1993: The Jane Addams Leadership Award, Jane Addams Conference, USA
1993: The Edinburgh Medal, Medical Research Council, Scotland
1991: The Hunger Project's Africa Prize for Leadership, United Nations, USA
1991: Global 500 Hall of Fame: United Nations Environment Programme, USA
1991: The Goldman Environmental Prize, the Goldman Foundation, USA
1990: The Offeramus Medal, Benedictine College, USA
1989: Women of the World Award, WomenAid, UK
1988: The Windstar Award for the Environment, Windstar Foundation, USA
1986: Better World Society Award, USA
1984: Right Livelihood Award, Sweden
1983: Woman of the Year Award

On receiving the news of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 2004
"It is evident that many wars are fought over resources which are now becoming increasingly scarce. If we conserved our resources better, fighting over them would not then occur%u2026so, protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace%u2026those of us who understand the complex concept of the environment have the burden to act. We must not tire, we must not give up, we must persist."

From a statement entitled, "Fears that Threaten Our Unity," Nairobi, 2003
"As long as there is no trust and confidence that there will be justice and fairness in resource distribution, political positioning will remain more important than service."

Rededicating herself to the fight to save Karura Forest, Nairobi, 2001
"I have invested 20 years of my life in this campaign for the environment and I'm still only scratching the surface. I am confident of winning. Nobody will build anything [in the forest] as long as we live. We cannot dignify theft."

On the occasion of the mini-Beijing Women's Conference, Nairobi, 1995
"In the world there is a new collective force of people mobilising around the issue of peace but linking it to the need to protect the environment. But we must assert our collective vision and responsibility to shape that peace not only for our country but also for the whole of Africa."

From a speech at Radcliffe College, Harvard University, USA, 1994
"The women of the Green Belt Movement have learned about the causes and the symptoms of environmental degradation. They have begun to appreciate that they, rather than their government, ought to be the custodians of the environment."