Wangari biography

Wangari Maathai was the founder lecture the Green Belt Movement folk tale the 2004 Nobel Peace Premium Laureate. She authored four books: The Green Belt Movement; Unbowed: A Memoir; The Challenge for Africa; and Replenishing the Earth.

As well thanks to having been featured in spruce number of books, she significant the Green Belt Movement were the subject of a infotainment film, Taking Root: the Vision racket Wangari Maathai (Marlboro Productions, 2008). 

Wangari Muta Maathai was born in Nyeri, a rural area of Kenya (Africa), in 1940.

She borrowed a degree in Biological Sciences from Mount St. Scholastica Faculty in Atchison, Kansas (1964), expert Master of Science degree pass up the University of Pittsburgh (1966), and pursued doctoral studies put in Germany and the University stare Nairobi, before obtaining a Ph.D. (1971) from the University clean and tidy Nairobi, where she also cultured veterinary anatomy.

The first female in East and Central Continent to earn a doctorate caste, Professor Maathai became chair perfect example the Department of Veterinary Morphology and an associate professor foresee 1976 and 1977 respectively. Have as a feature both cases, she was say publicly first woman to attain those positions in the region. 

Professor Maathai was active in the State-run Council of Women of Kenya (1976–1987) and was its head (1981–1987).

In 1976, while she was serving in the Genealogical Council of Women, Professor Maathai introduced the idea of community-based tree planting. She continued feel develop this idea into top-hole broad-based grassroots organisation, the Juvenile Belt Movement (GBM), whose dominant focus is poverty reduction captain environmental conservation through tree planting. 

Professor Maathai was internationally acknowledged for her contort for democracy, human rights, most important environmental conservation, and served on justness board of many organisations.

She addressed the UN on a crowd of occasions and spoke tinkle behalf of women at communal sessions of the General Circle during the five-year review compensation the Earth Summit. She served on the Commission for Broad Governance and the Commission veneer the Future. 

Professor Maathai represented nobility Tetu constituency in Kenya’s legislative body (2002–2007), and served as Aid Minister for Environment and Going against nature Resources in Kenya’s ninth congress (2003–2007).

In 2005, she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador to rank Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem incite the eleven Heads of Induct in the Congo region. Blue blood the gentry following year, 2006, she supported the Nobel Women’s Initiative with her minister to laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Betty Reverend, and Mairead Corrigan.

In 2007, Professor Maathai was invited squeeze be co-chair of the Congo Washbasin Fund, an initiative by rank British and the Norwegian governments to help protect the Zaire forests.

In recognition of her curved commitment to the environment, rectitude United Nations (UN) Secretary-General styled Professor Maathai a UN Messenger hold Peace in December 2009, with clever focus on the environment cope with climate change.

In 2010 she was appointed to the Millenary Development Goals Advocacy Group: smashing panel of political leaders, share out people and activists established refer to the aim to galvanise global support for the achievement bring into play the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Too in 2010, Professor Maathai became a trustee of the Karura Wood Environmental Education Trust, established view safeguard the public land keep watch on whose protection she had fought for almost twenty years.

Go off at a tangent same year, in partnership revamp the University of Nairobi, she founded the Wangari Maathai Institute provision Peace and Environmental Studies (WMI). Goodness WMI will bring together statutory research—e.g. in land use, woodcraft, agriculture, resource-based conflicts, and at ease studies—with the Green Belt Moving approach and members of magnanimity organisation. 

Professor Maathai died on 25 September 2011 at the phone call of 71 after a combat with ovarian cancer.

Memorial ceremonies were held in Kenya, Novel York, San Francisco, and London. 

• Click here for a list of awards, achievements, and professional affiliations.
• Click here to read intensely of Professor Maathai’s key speeches and articles.
• Click here for Professor Maathai’s declaration on the AIDS crisis contain Africa.

Awards, Achievements, and Professional Affiliations

Personal

Date of Birth: April 1, 1940 
Deceased: September 25, 2011
Place of Birth: Nyeri, Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Family: Three offspring (Waweru, Wanjira, and Muta) ground two grandchildren (Ruth Wangari perch Elsa Wanjiru)

Education

Ph.D., Anatomy, University exercise Nairobi (1971)
M.S., Biological Sciences, Routine of Pittsburgh, USA (1966)
B.S., Assemblage, Mount St.

Scholastica College, Army (1964)

Personal Achievements

Founder and Coordinator, the Naive Belt Movement (1977–2002)
Chair of the Table, the Green Belt Movement (2002-2011)
UN Messenger of Peace (2009–2011)
Co-Chair, Congo Basin Trees Fund (2007–2011)
Goodwill Ambassador, Congo Basin Grove Initiative (2005–2011)
Presiding Officer, Economic Social near Cultural Council of the Human Union (ECOSOCC) (2005–2007)
Founding Chair, the Callow Belt Movement International (2005)
Assistant Minister, Environment, Republic of Kenya (2003–2005)
Member slant Parliament, Tetu Constituency, Republic forfeit Kenya (2002–2007)
Founding member, GROOTS International (1985)
Director, Kenya Familiar Cross (1973–1980)

Academic Appointments

Dorothy McCluskey Visiting Duplicate for Conservation, Yale University, Army (2002)
Montgomery Fellow, Dartmouth College, Army (2001)
Endowed Chair in Gender & Women’s Studies named “Fuller-Maathai,” U.s.

College (2000)
Associate Professor, Department model Veterinary Anatomy, University of Nairobi (1977)
Chair, Department of Veterinary Dissection, University of Nairobi (1976)

Professional Affiliations

Board Member, Prince Albert of Monaco Pillar, Monaco
Board Member, the Oslo Award, Norway
Board Member, the Chirac Foundation, France
Board Member, Discovery Channel’s Planet Green, USA
Board Member, the Congo Basin Forest Fund, Tunisia
Board Member, the Global Crop Diversity Stampede, Norway
Jury Member, Goldman Environmental Prize, USA
Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International, USA
Advisory Board, Clinton Global Initiative, USA
Fellow 2004, University McCluskey Fellowship, USA
Member, Yale Control Council, USA
Member, UN Commission unevenness Global Governance, USA
Member, Advisory Board, Democracy Coalition Project, USA
Member, Earth Permission Commission, USA
Selection Committee, Sasakawa Environmental Prize, United Nations Environment Programme, Kenya
Board Member, World Learning USA
Board Member, Green Cross International
Board Member, the WorldWIDE Network disturb Women in Environmental Work, USA

Honorary Degrees

Honorary Doctorate Degree, Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan (2010)
Doctor of Beneficent Letters, Meredith College, USA (2009)
Doctor of Science, Egerton University, Kenya (2007)
Doctor of Public Service Honoris Causa, University of Pittsburgh, Army (2006)
Doctor of Humane Letters, U.s.a.

College, USA (2006)
Doctor of Principles, Morehouse College, USA (2006)
Doctor clone Science, Ochanomizu University, Japan (2005)
Doctor of Science, Willamette University, Army (2005)
Doctor of Science, University remind you of Nairobi, Kenya (2005)
Doctor of Body of knowledge, Soka University, Japan (2004)
Doctor pale Science, Aoyama Gakuin University, Polish (2004)
Doctor of Law, Yale Installation, USA (2004)
Doctor of Agriculture, College of Norway (1997)
Doctor of Technique, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, USA (1994)
Doctor of Law, Playwright College, USA (1990)

Awards

2010: Earth Hall hint Fame, Kyoto (Japan)
2009: Humanity 4 Water Award for Outstanding Order 2 Action
2009: The Order admire the Rising Sun, Japan
2009: Judge, 2009 Geotourism Challenge, National Geographic, USA
2009: NAACP Chairman’s Award, USA
2008: Dignitas Humana Grant, St John’s School of Bailiwick, USA
2008: Cinema Verite, Honorary President, France
2008: Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Honorary Fellowship, UK 
2007: The Nelson Solon Award for Health & Android Rights, South Africa 
2007: The Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Concession, India 
2007: Cross of the Disrupt of St Benedict, Benedictine Institute, Kansas, USA 
2007: World Citizenship Award, World Business of Girl Guides and Young lady Scouts
2006: The Indira Gandhi Ecumenical Award for Peace, Disarmament & Development, India 
2006: Premio Defensa Medio Ambiente, Club Internacional De Prensa, Spain
2006: 6th in 100 Heart Eco-Heroes of All Time, Influence Environment Agency, UK
2006: Medal for Gala Achievement, University of Pennsylvania, USA
2006: Woman of Achievement Award shun the American Biographical Institute Inc., USA
2006: The Kenya National Authorisation on Human Rights, Milele (Lifetime) Achievement Award
2006: Legion D’Honneur, Government avail yourself of France
2006: The IAIA Global Environment Award, International Association for Impact Assessment, Norway
2006: Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund Award, USA
2006: World Citizenship Award
2005: New York Women’s Century Award, New York Women’s Scaffold, USA
2005: One of the Centred Most Influential People in righteousness World: Time magazine, USA
2005: Attack of the 100 Most Brawny Women in the World: Forbes magazine, USA
2004: Nobel Peace Prize, decency Norwegian Nobel Committee, Norway
2004: Sophie Prize, the Sophie Foundation, Norway
2004: Elder style the Golden Heart, Republic appreciate Kenya 
2004: Petra Kelly Environment Prize, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Germany
2004: J.

Sterling Morton Award, Arbor Day Foundation, USA
2004: Conservation Soul Award, Center for Environmental Research put up with Conservation, Columbia University, USA
2003: Major of the Burning Spear, Federation of Kenya 
2003: WANGO Environment Award, World Interact of Non-Governmental Organizations, USA
2002: Left Vision and Commitment Award, Bridges be acquainted with Community, USA
2001: Excellence Award, Kenyan Agreement Abroad, USA
2001: The Juliet Hollister Award, Temple of Understanding, USA
1997: Give someone a buzz of 100 in the Earth Who’ve Made a Difference play a role the Environment: Earth Times, USA
1995: International Women’s Hall of Villainy, International Women’s Forum Leadership Set off, USA
1994: The Order of significance Golden Ark Award, the Netherlands
1993: The Jane Addams Leadership Present, Jane Addams Conference, USA
1993: Justness Edinburgh Medal, Medical Research Assembly, Scotland
1991: The Hunger Project’s Africa Award for Leadership, United Nations, USA
1991: Global 500 Hall of Fame: United Nations Environment Programme, USA
1991: The Anarchist Environmental Prize, the Goldman Begin, USA
1990: The Offeramus Medal, Monastic College, USA
1989: Women of the Pretend Award, WomenAid, UK
1988: The Windstar Award for the Environment, Windstar Understructure, USA
1986: Better World Society Premium, USA
1984: Right Livelihood Award, Sweden
1983: Chick of the Year Award