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- 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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- Born in Kenya
- Educated in Kenya and in the US
- Earned a Bachelors Degree from Mt. St. Scholastica College in Kansas=
, a
Masters from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD from the Univer=
sity
of Nairobi in Kenya.
- She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctora=
te
degree
- internationally recognized for her persistent struggle for democracy,
human rights and environmental conservation.
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- In 2004, the Nobel Prize Committee recognized Wangari’s lifelo=
ng
commitment to environmental sustainability and the empowerment of wo=
men
by awarding her the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Her campaign against land grabbing and the illegal allocation of for=
est
land has made her a national hero (Saved Uhuru Park in Nairobi from
political land grabbers)
- In December 2002, Professor Maathai was elected to Kenya’s
parliament and appointed Assistant Minister for environment and natu=
ral
resources (If we can’t beat her, Let’s work with her)
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- In 1977, Professor Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya.=
- Billion Tree Grass root Campaign slogan
- She is Africa’s foremost environmental campaigner
- Now an international campaign, the Green Belt Movement has planted m=
ore
than 30 million trees throughout Africa.
- nearly 1 Million rural women have worked to establish tree nurseries=
and
plant trees to reverse the effects of deforestation.
- The United Nations Environment Programe (UNEP) is launching a major
worldwide tree planting campaign. Under the Plant for the Planet:
Billion Tree Campaign,
- "When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of
hope"
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- "Women and Girls" is the latest GBM Kenya program.
Commissioned in 2003, the program aims to:
- Assist young girls and women, to face the challenges of growing up,
making complex decisions about their sexual and reproductive health,=
and
gaining knowledge and skills to protect themselves from HIV and AIDS=
- Facilitate the establishment of income generating activities (IGAs) =
such
as tree planting, bee keeping and food processing to engender econom=
ic
empowerment
- Promote healthy eating habits, especially of indigenous food crops k=
nown
to have high nutritional value, through food production and processi=
ng
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- In addition to the Nobel Peace Prize, Professor Maathai has been awa=
rded
UNEP’s Global 500 Award, the Goldman Environment Prize and the
Sophie Prize. Other awards include:
- The Disney Conservation Fund Award (2006)
Paul Harris Fellowship (2005)
The Sophie Prize (2004)
The Petra Kelly Prize (2004)
The Conservation Scientist Award (2004)
The J. Sterling Morton Award (2004)
The WANGO Environment Award (2003)
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- Outstanding Vision and Commitment Award (2002)
The Excellence Award from the Kenyan Community Abroad
(2001)
The Juliet Hollister Award (2001)
The Golden Ark Award (1994)
The Jane Addams Leadership Award (1993)
The Edinburgh Medal (1993)
The Hunger Project’s Africa Prize for Leadership
(1991)
The Goldman Environmental Prize (1991)
Women of the World Award (1989)
The Windstar Award for the Environment (1988)
The Better World Society Award (1986)
The Right Livelihood Award (1984)
The Woman of the Year Award (1983)
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- “What I have learned over the years is that we must be patient,
persistent, and committed. When we are planting trees sometimes peop=
le
will say to me, ‘I don't want to plant this tree, because it w=
ill
not grow fast enough’. I have to keep reminding them that the
trees they are cutting today were not planted by them, but by those =
who
came before. So they must plant the trees that will benefit communit=
ies
in the future.”
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