The Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai: Key Speeches and Articles, November 11, 2020. With hindsight this move was misguided and diversionary. With the reduced role of the state and increased indebtedness of African countries, new spaces for other development actors emerged. Fresh Air Weekend Fresh Air Weekend: NPR host Mary Louise Kelly; Josh Groban. It also gave her increased international exposure which provided some degree of political protection and a platform to highlight issues related to the environment. Wangari Maathai Lesson Plan: Individual's Contributions Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8 *Click to open and customize your own copy of the Wangari Maathai Lesson Plan . Maathai had the unique opportunity of going to school when girls in her age group were typically not given the opportunity of doing so. In 2005 ten heads of state of countries bordering Congo Basin recognized her by giving her the title of goodwill ambassador for the Congo Basin rainforest ecosystema responsibility which she cherished.61 I remember once visiting her office to find her immersed in the study of French so as to discharge the responsibilities of the new position. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. In her lifetime, Dr. Wangari Maathai authored four books and numerous scientific publications. This was a joint program between the University of Giessen and University College, Nairobi. Her family was of Kikuyu origin, and her father was polygamous. Further information about these conferences can be found in the Links to Digital Materials section. Aid agencies distrusted state actors and channeled more resources to nonstate actors.56. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. stream Wangari Maathai obtained a degree in Biological Sciences from Mount . 27 0 obj Use these quotes in discussing Wangari Maathai's life and how her views and activities changed over the course of her lifetime. During the period when Maathai was acquiring her education in Kenya and the United States (19521966), the respective colonial and independent governments were undertaking far-reaching agricultural reforms in central Kenya. Wangari Maathai: storyteller Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. (Nairobi, Kenya: Leadership Institute, 2011); and Wangari Maathai, Unbowed: One Womans Story (London: Arrow Books, 2006). Local experiences also infused global thinking and appreciation of struggles for democratic governance, peace, and sustainable development. Colonialism in Kenya was a major force for social differentiation. The interplay of these dynamics served in critical ways to shape the life work of Prof. Wangari Maathai which was recognized and awarded in 2004 with the Nobel Peace Prize. << /Contents 27 0 R /MediaBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] /Parent 43 0 R /Resources << /ExtGState << /G3 38 0 R >> /Font << /F4 39 0 R /F5 40 0 R /F6 41 0 R /F7 42 0 R >> /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text /ImageB /ImageC /ImageI ] >> /StructParents 0 /Type /Page >> I'm very conscious of the fact that you can't do it alone. The GBM is thus credited with developing a culture of planting trees during important family, community, and national events. Maathai had been successful in building a grassroots movement, but she fell into the trap of competitive politics as the best way forward. Later in life, as she became more engaged with various communities, her respect and appreciation of Gikuyu language, culture, and indigenous knowledge deepened and widened.17. When she won the Nobel Prize in 2004, the committee commended her holistic approach to sustainable development that embraces democracy, human rights, and womens rights in particular. Her first book, The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience (1988; rev. Maathai was born in polygamous family. 33. 56. Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), the first woman to obtain a PhD in East and Central Africa, was a scholar, and an environmental and human rights activist. Forest cover was also decimated as large-scale farms were subdivided and select forest reserves were hived off for settlement purposes. Unbowed: A Memoir . Wangari Maathai. As a national school, Loreto High School provided Maathai with the opportunity to interact with girls from other ethnic groups in Kenya. Wangari Maathai, Noble Lecture, during the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo, Norway, December 10, 2004; Maathai, Unbowed; and Maathai, Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World (New York: Doubleday, 2010). They are, however, not responsible for the views expressed herein or the interpretations given in the article. Wangari Maathai was born as Wangari Muta on 1 April 1940 in the village of Ihithe in the central highlands of the colony of Kenya. Wangari Maathai Lesson Plan: Write and Deliver a Persuasive Speech Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8 In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, students explore BrainPOP resources to learn about Wangari Maathai, a global leader for women's rights and conservation. Wanyiri Kihoro, Never Say Die: The Chronicle of a Political Prisoner (Nairobi, Kenya: East African Education Publishers, 1998). Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) was the founder of the Green Belt Movement and the Wangari Maathai Institute. 34. 50. On Sunday, Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, died. As an alternative, she chose to further her education, which led to a doctorate in the field of veterinary science from the University of Giessen, a first for an eastern African woman, for which she was widely recognized. That she accompanied mothers of political detainees at the Freedom Corner to fight for the release of their incarcerated children is indicative of how she identified with the struggles of ordinary Kenyans in confronting an authoritarian regime. Wangari's Trees of Peace is based on the true story of Wangari Maathai, an environmentalist in Kenya and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Maathais campaigns to empower women may have been rooted in these experiences of gender inequalities and marginalization.53, In the 80s most African countries underwent structural adjustment policies leading to economic and social reforms, the privatization of state enterprises, and the limitation of the role of the state in development activities.54 These externally initiated reforms impacted negatively on the provision of health, education, and other social services. The Ndegwa Report of 1971 legitimized such practices.46 These practices tended to concentrate wealth and power among few elites, predominantly from one ethnic group. The prevailing cultural attitudes toward Western education and especially education for girls were hostile. First, it is necessary to interrogate and appreciate the less than ideal circumstances under which the GBM rose and flourished. 44. 24 0 obj 2003), detailed the history of the organization. Justin Chang reviews Showing Up.Groban first auditioned to . These changes started with the alienation of large tracts of land for white settlement at the onset of British colonialism. Most studies have focused on the societal importance of marriage and the negative effects of divorce on families. When she was growing up, her father, a truck driver, made sure she was brought into family discussions and valued her opinions. M. P. K. Sorrenson, Land Reform in Kikuyu Country (London: Oxford University Press, 1967). She observed: Working for justice and freedom is often a lonely and dispirited business. [i] She was born in Nyeri, part of the rural region of Kenya on the 1st of April 1940. Wangari Muta was born on April 1, 1940, in Ihithe, Nyeri Province, Kenya during British colonial rule. The life of Wangari Muta Maathai (19402011) was strongly shaped by her rural environment, missionary education, and exposure to university education in the United States and Germany. The Green Belt Movement, an organization she founded in 1977, had by the early 21st century planted some 30 million trees. 54. As elites, they were keen to build careers, and acquire wealth and status in the emerging society. However, some people who had early contact with colonialists and missionaries lost valuable land and were displaced, while others were relegated to migrant labor. The GBM was launched under the auspices of the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK), an umbrella organization which brought grassroots womens organizations together for the advancement of women. The subsequent handling of the divorce proceedings by the judiciary and the press seem to point out the quandary of how marriages of educated women were then perceived. I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and uplifted by the honour of being the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate. Individual ownership of land and the introduction of cash crops drastically altered how people related to their environment.25 The indigenous trees were cut to prepare ground for planting coffee, tea, and wetlands; sacred groves and common grazing areas were subdivided, shared, and privatized.26 The consequences of these changes were observed by the young Maathai and responded to by the GBM in the 80s and 90s. Wangari Maathai, the most prominent environmental activist in Africa, was the 2004 recipient of the Alfred Nobel Peace Prize. She sat for the Kenya Primary Examination in 1951 and scored Grade One. The NCWK nurtured this initiative, enabling it to reach out and empower rural women. It focused on the value of tree-planting programs, as well as dealing with environmental deterioration in rural areas resulting from the intensified cultivation of cash crops and population growth. Located between the Aberdares Mountains and Mount Kenya, the Nyeri District was well known as the epicenter of Gikuyu resistance to colonialism and the imposition of colonial taxation. The couple had their upbringing and initial education in colonial Kenya before going to the United States for university education. This source is a well-written and detailed autobiography from the topic, Wangari Maathai. Interviews held on various dates in 2018 and 2019 with Prof. Wanjiku Kabira, Rev. Researching ticks at the University of Nairobi also exposed Maathai to the environmental degradation taking place in rural Kenya and its impact on the livelihoods of rural women. An interview with Joshua S. Muiru, November 2019. In her writings, Maathai refers to Maasai influence on her mothers side.3. Maathai was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree. Wangari Maathai, in full Wangari Muta Maathai, (born April 1, 1940, Nyeri, Kenyadied September 25, 2011, Nairobi), Kenyan politician and environmental activist who was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize for Peace, becoming the first Black African woman to win a Nobel Prize. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Kenya, Bridging Ethnic Divides: A Commissioners Experience on Cohesion and Integration (Nairobi, Kenya: Mdahalo Bridging Divides, 2018). endstream Maathai, Unbowed, 7. << /Filter /FlateDecode /S 128 /Length 115 >> Then she assumed the position of full-time coordinator of the GBM.36. ed. Dr. Samuel Kobia, Annetta Miller, Harold Miller, Ms. Lillian W. Mwaura, Mr. Joshua S. Muiru, Ms. Njeri Muhoro, Prof. Gideon Cyrus Mutiso, and Mr. Titus K. Muya. 46. This experience exposed her, perhaps for the first time, to ethnic discrimination practiced by a lecturer at the college, who had originally given her the job offer.22 Later on, when employed by the university, she encountered gender discrimination with regard to salary and benefits, against which she fought energetically with her women colleagues. The life of Wangari Muta Maathai (19402011) demonstrates the complex interaction of constructive historical circumstances with the development of an individual. They energized governments, development agencies, civil society organizations and, in particular, womens movements and environmental activists all over the world. She was given a scholarship for PhD studies and research in Kenya and Germany. As more funds were secured and more international attention gained, the GBM was assured of survival, both financially and politically. She summarized her experiences at Mount St. Scholastica College in the following manner: My four years at the Mount, and experiences I had both on and off campus, nurtured in me a willingness to listen and learn, to think critically and analytically, and to ask questions. The United Nations (UN) conferences in the 70s provided the base for global debates on environment and equality for women that dominated the rest of the 20th century and beyond. Further information about these conferences can be found in the Links to Digital Materials section. At the insistence of her mother and her brother Nderitu, Maathai was enrolled at a Presbyterian church Primary School, Ihitheand there began her exposure to Western education.8 This experience ignited a passion for education, which Maathai captured in later writings: How I longed to be able to write something and rub it out. By becoming a full-time paid coordinator, Maathai brought much needed energy and courage into the movement at a critical time of its development. Kibicho, God and Revelation, 72168. Accounts from friends indicate that both parents were devoted to the well-being and education of their children. In the midst of enormous challenges and obstacles, she created a formidable Green Belt Movement (GBM) to empower grassroots women. 16. He also discusses the place of indigenous languages in liberation from cultural enslavement in Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature (Nairobi, Kenya: Heinemann Educational, 1986). There was an aspect of independence in the women Maathai associated with. Dr. Wangar Muta Maathai was a Kenyan social, environmental and political activist and the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This left the NCWK in a precarious financial situation and effected the severing of relationships with many grassroots organizations. 61. Such strengths also helped to secure funding for the GBM and to ensure, in some measure, Maathais personal security. She is the recipient of 15 honorary degrees in science, law, humane letters, and public service, and 50+ awards and recognitions . In 2007, the region would explode into postelection violence, something which she had foreseen and tried hard to mitigate by cultivating a culture of peace for almost two decades. The culture of planting trees took root everywhere in Kenya toward the end of last decade of the 20th century. Maathai seems to have been aware of these tensions as she juggled the roles of mother, politicians wife, and university teacher, as well as affirming herself as an African womanin manner of dressing, hospitality at home, and speaking local languages to meet the expectations of her husbands constituents.28 Hence her marriage might have become a theater of contestations of different perceptions of womanhood in independent Kenya. Childhood & Early Life. Although seen by some as an ill-advised move, in retrospect it proved a boon for the development of the GBM and the career of Maathai in environmental advocacy. Perchance they helped Maathai consolidate her thinking and understanding of environmental issues in Kenya and helped her to identify follow up actions that needed to be taken. Tutu described how it emerged and was contextualized in the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC); see Desmond Tutu, No Future without Forgiveness: A Personal Overview of South Africas Truth and Reconciliation Commission (New York: Doubleday, 1999), 3032 and 165167. Under colonialism, indigenous Kenyan cultures were besieged. Maendeleo ya Wanawake, an organization for the progress of women, started during the colonial period, was dedicated to support the welfare of African women, but in the postcolonial period became a vehicle for the participation of women in development. Once again finding her options limited, she went on to pursue a doctorate from the University of Giessen in Germany. She was baptized Miriam at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Ihithe, to become Miriam Wangari. The death of Wangari Muta Maathai on September 25, 2011, left a rich heritage that continues to inspire men and women, old and young, and indeed the entire world as it grapples with the challenges of sustainable development goals and climate change. She had already won many awards and was eventually awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. Her position at the university also opened opportunities to venture into other fields of service and leadership for which she was to become well known in addition to her academic pursuits. It is imperative to appreciate how engagement with the GBM widened Maathais horizons and capacity to confront authoritarianism, interrogate democratic governance, gender inequality, conflicts and peace, and engage with broader concerns of sustainable development and climate change. In 2004, Prof. Maathai became the first African woman to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize "for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace". The concept of Ubuntu has been widely discussed in South Africa, but here it refers to Desmond Tutus rendering of it in his book, God Is Not a Christian: Speaking Truth in Times of Crisis (London: Rider, 2013), 2124. The women formed an important constituency of this work which politicians could not ignore. Wangari Maathai is a young woman who saw deforestation turn the lush lands of Kenya into a barren desert. Maathai is still remembered for her determined and persistent efforts to safeguard Uhuru Park and the Karura Forest for future generations, for her solidarity with mothers of political detainees, as well as her relentless efforts for peace and to end election-related violence in the Rift Valley region and in the country since 1992 when multiparty politics were allowed. It's teamwork. She was tasked with domestic chores as was expected of young girls in traditional society. Interviews held on various dates in 2018 and 2019 with Prof. Wanjiku Kabira, Rev. She was presented by Professor Ole Danbolt Mjs, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. By the time that the GBM had spread out to other African countries, acquiring a pan-African perspective and reputation, it had already taken deep roots in rural Kenya. The relevant conferences included: Environment and Development (Stockholm, Sweden, 1972), Hunger and World Food Problems (Rome, Italy, 1974), Population Growth and Development (Cairo, Egypt, 1974), Human Settlements (Vancouver, Canada, 1976), Science and Technology for Development (Vienna, Austria, 1979), and Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979). Maathai played an active part in the struggle for democracy in Kenya, and belonged to the opposition . Maathai was of Kikuyu ethnicity. Henry Okullu, The Quest for Justice: An Autobiography of Bishop John Henry Okullu (Kisumu, Kenya: Shalom Publishers and Computer Training Centre, 1997); and Kabiru Kinyanjui, The Christian Churches and Civil Society in Kenya, in Local Ownership, Global Change: Will Civil Society Save the World? 11. A church allied to President Moi withdrew from the NCCK in similar circumstances.34 Thereafter Maendeleo ya Wanawake was integrated within the ruling party, the Kenya African National Union (KANU), until the overwhelming defeat of the party in the general elections of 2002.35, Secondly, in 1982 for the first time, Maathai ventured into electoral politics. The Third Annual Nelson Mandela Lecture, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 19, 2005; Sustained Development, Democracy, and Peace in Africa, Gwangju, South Korea, June 16, 2006; and the Keynote Address at the Second World Congress of Agroforestry, Nairobi, Kenya, August 24, 2009. In 1955, people were moved to concentration villages to pacify the region and to sever access to vital supply lines and community support that had supported the resistance fighters.18 It was in the context of the Mau Mau freedom struggle that Maathai received her education at St. Cecilia Intermediate Primary School and later Loreto High School, Limuru. Her entire life was thus characterized by learning, critical observations, engagement, interactions with people, and advocacy for change. In the midst of her demanding career as an environmental and political activist, Maathai enjoyed motherhood and was very protective of her children. Her adage that when we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope remains an inspiration. in biology, 1964) and at the University of Pittsburgh (M.S., 1966). At times she utilized these international alliances and networks to expose the atrocities and injustices that people had suffered under the auspices of their own government. It became known as the home of renowned Mau Mau freedom fighters, outstanding postcolonial leaders, and intellectuals.4 Leaders such as the legendary freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi, former President Mwai Kibaki, and Wangari Maathai had their beginnings in the district. The document argued that by creating a class of privileged rural farmers, the radicalization of peasants would be minimized, thus denying support for Mau Mau and other radical political elements. In the United States Maathai landed at another Roman Catholic institution, known as Mount St. Scholastica College (later Benedictine College) where she majored in biology and minored in chemistry and German.19 Characteristically, Maathai was a keen learner in both the classroom and beyond. She had a job offer in the Department of Zoology at University College, Nairobi, only to discover the shocking news that the job had meanwhile been given to another person who was not even in the country. Under the auspices of the NCWK, the GBM, with limited donor funding, gradually evolved into a platform to educate and empower rural communities and Kenyans in general. It was evident that there were no clear ideas on how to bring about change to authoritarian leadership and poor governance in Kenya.38 There was no major political plank that distinguished her from the other Kenyan elites vying to wrestle power from Moi.39 She displayed an emerging Kenyan practice whereby a leader who is successful in one specialized field of activity identifies the next challenge as a venture into elective politics. To build careers, and acquire wealth and status in the midst of enormous challenges and obstacles, she a. A major force for social differentiation not responsible for the GBM and to ensure, particular! From the topic, Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize of divorce families. Limited, she created a formidable Green Belt Movement wangari maathai primary sources an organization she in! And a platform to highlight issues related to the well-being and education of their children the Wangari Maathai a! 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wangari maathai primary sources