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Planting the Seeds of Peace |
Wangari Maathai gestures to cheering crowds in Nairobi
on her return from Norway with the Nobel Prize
Photo: © Radu Sigheti/Reuters
on her return from Norway with the Nobel Prize
Photo: © Radu Sigheti/Reuters
"I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and uplifted by the honour of being the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate," said Wangari Maathai after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. Kenya's Assistant Environment Minister went on:
As the first African woman to receive this prize, I accept it on behalf of the people of Kenya and Africa, and indeed the world. I am especially mindful of women and the girl child. I hope it will encourage them to raise their voices and take more space for leadership. I know the honour also gives a deep sense of pride to our men, both old and young. As a mother, I appreciate the inspiration this brings to the youth and urge them to use it to pursue their dreams. In 1977, when we started the Green Belt Movement, I was partly responding to needs identified by rural women, namely lack of firewood, clean water, balanced diets, shelter and income.
Throughout Africa, women are the primary caretakers, holding significant responsibility for tilling the land and feeding their families. As a result, they are often the first to become aware of environmental damage, as resources become scarce and incapable of sustaining their families.
We have planted over 30 million trees providing fuel, food, shelter and income to support education and household needs. Planting trees also creates employment and improves soils and watersheds. Through their involvement, women gain some degree of power over their lives, especially their social and economic position and relevance in the family. This work continues.
Historically our people have been persuaded to believe that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also the knowledge and skills to address their challenges. They are conditioned to believe that solutions to problems must come from 'outside'. Further, women did not realise that meeting their needs depended on their environment being healthy and wellmanaged. They were also unaware that a degraded environment leads to a scramble for scarce resources and may culminate in poverty and even conflict. Also, they were unaware of the injustices of international economic arrangements.
In the process, the participants discover they must be part of the solutions. They realise their hidden potential, are empowered to overcome inertia and take action. They come to recognise that they are the primary custodians and beneficiaries of the environment that sustains them.
Entire communities also come to understand that while it is necessary to hold their governments accountable, it is equally important that in their own relationships with each other, they exemplify the leadership values they wish to see in their own leaders, namely justice, integrity and trust.
It is 30 years since we started this work. Activities that devastate the environment continue unabated. Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its lifesupport system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process, heal our own – indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder. This will happen if we see the need to revive our sense of belonging to a larger family of life, with which we have shared our evolutionary process.
In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.
To read the speech in full contact:
Website: www.wangarimaathi.or.ke
As the first African woman to receive this prize, I accept it on behalf of the people of Kenya and Africa, and indeed the world. I am especially mindful of women and the girl child. I hope it will encourage them to raise their voices and take more space for leadership. I know the honour also gives a deep sense of pride to our men, both old and young. As a mother, I appreciate the inspiration this brings to the youth and urge them to use it to pursue their dreams. In 1977, when we started the Green Belt Movement, I was partly responding to needs identified by rural women, namely lack of firewood, clean water, balanced diets, shelter and income.
Throughout Africa, women are the primary caretakers, holding significant responsibility for tilling the land and feeding their families. As a result, they are often the first to become aware of environmental damage, as resources become scarce and incapable of sustaining their families.
We have planted over 30 million trees providing fuel, food, shelter and income to support education and household needs. Planting trees also creates employment and improves soils and watersheds. Through their involvement, women gain some degree of power over their lives, especially their social and economic position and relevance in the family. This work continues.
Historically our people have been persuaded to believe that because they are poor, they lack not only capital, but also the knowledge and skills to address their challenges. They are conditioned to believe that solutions to problems must come from 'outside'. Further, women did not realise that meeting their needs depended on their environment being healthy and wellmanaged. They were also unaware that a degraded environment leads to a scramble for scarce resources and may culminate in poverty and even conflict. Also, they were unaware of the injustices of international economic arrangements.
In the process, the participants discover they must be part of the solutions. They realise their hidden potential, are empowered to overcome inertia and take action. They come to recognise that they are the primary custodians and beneficiaries of the environment that sustains them.
Entire communities also come to understand that while it is necessary to hold their governments accountable, it is equally important that in their own relationships with each other, they exemplify the leadership values they wish to see in their own leaders, namely justice, integrity and trust.
It is 30 years since we started this work. Activities that devastate the environment continue unabated. Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its lifesupport system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process, heal our own – indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder. This will happen if we see the need to revive our sense of belonging to a larger family of life, with which we have shared our evolutionary process.
In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.
To read the speech in full contact:
Website: www.wangarimaathi.or.ke
