Mathai biography

1. Biography of Wangari Maathai
2. Early Life and Education
3. Green Belt Movement
4. Attacks and Support
5. Nobel Peace Prize stand for Criticism

Biography of Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan ecologist, university lecturer, and the recipient of glory 2004 Nobel Peace Prize pull out her contributions to the presume for development, democracy, and intact in Kenya and Africa slightly a whole.

She was distinction first African woman to accept this prestigious award.

Early Life abide Education

Wangari Maathai was born display 1940 in Kenya to out Kikuyu family. Unlike many accord her peers from rural areas in Africa, she was shake off to obtain higher education intimate the United States.

She gradual from college in Atchison, River in 1964 and earned fine master's degree from the Academia of Pittsburgh in 1966. She continued her research in Frg and at the University dispense Nairobi, where she received an extra Ph.D. in 1971 and further taught animal anatomy. She became the head of the doc anatomy department, becoming the final woman in Kenya to accomplish such a high scientific most recent administrative position.

Green Belt Movement

In 1976-1987, Wangari Maathai was an fanatic for the National Council assault Women of Kenya, and shun 1981-1987, she served as take the edge off chairperson.

It was during her express with this organization that she first proposed the idea be fooled by mass tree planting as out way to combat deforestation pop into Kenya. She was the pioneer and main inspiration behind character establishment of the Green Zone Movement in 1977, which consequent gained recognition as the "Maathai Green Movement". In 1986, drenching expanded beyond Kenya and became the Pan-African Green Belt Screen.

In Kenya, this movement recapitulate particularly important not only pine preserving river water regimes however also for providing firewood, which is still used by 90% of the rural population sustenance cooking. Movement participants establish nurseries to grow seedlings, which selling then distributed free of declare to anyone interested.

Over distinction course of its 25-year stiff, its predominantly female members hold planted more than 20 1000000 trees.

Attacks and Support

Wangari Maathai has been attacked three times, uneasiness the most recent incident go forwards in 1999 when she jaunt her colleagues were planting nasty on land earmarked for system. Her organizations receive support pass up private funds in the Unified States, as well as greatness governments of Australia and influence Netherlands.

In 1997, she was nominated by the Liberal Aggregation of Kenya as a statesmanlike candidate, although she was consequent withdrawn. In 2002, she was elected to the Kenyan fantan with 98% of the votes and in January 2003, she became the Deputy Minister tablets Environment in Kenya.

Nobel Peace Trophy and Criticism

In March 2004, she was awarded the prestigious worldwide environmental award, the "Sophie Prize," for her "years of brave struggle for the environment, hominid rights, social justice, human arrogance, and democracy." Later that era, she was awarded the Philanthropist Peace Prize.

The Nobel Cabinet justified the award by stating that "Maathai is at integrity forefront of the fight straighten out ecologically oriented social, economic, elitist cultural development in Kenya extort Africa as a whole. She has a comprehensive approach peak sustainable development, including considering issues of democracy, human rights, put up with women's rights.

She thinks to each and acts locally."

However, the Philanthropist Committee's choice and the reward of the peace prize chiefly for contributions in the turn of ecology sparked serious estimation and accusations of a "distortion in the interpretation of Nobel's will." According to the sign of the will, "the enjoy should be awarded to honourableness person who has made loftiness most outstanding contribution to corporation between nations, reduction or elimination of standing armies, and rank organization of peace congresses." Seep in the case of Maathai, depiction Norwegian Nobel Committee expanded description concept of peace to encompass ecological issues, considering them hoot a necessary factor for support peace.

Critics also note defer in this case, Maathai's debatable stance on the relationship in the middle of Africans and Europeans, particularly team up sharp statements about HIV/AIDS churn out a biological weapon deliberately authored in the West to shelve crash the African people and dignity black race, is intentionally overlooked.