Walter Waldman

“We are called to assist the earth, to heal her wounds, and in the process heal our own.” After becoming the first woman to earn a doctorate degree in East and Central Africa, Wangari Maathai started a movement that led to the planting of 50 million trees, a more democratic society and the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1976, Wangari Maathai became involved with the National Council of Women in Kenya. She suggested that they should start community-based tree planting to combat deforestation and desertification. In 1977, she developed her idea into a grassroots movement organisation called the Green Belt Movement (GBM). Maathai began the project by planting nine trees in her own yard – as it grew it became the largest tree planting project Africa had ever seen, encouraging women to plant trees in “green belts” around their towns and villages and to think ecologically. Her movement grew and spread to other African countries. With the GBM, Maathai hoped to promote sustainability as well as create jobs for women and empower them to gain economic and social power. Besides giving jobs to women and planting more than 50 million trees, the movement also became a symbol for a democratic struggle and a token of peace. According to widespread African tradition, trees are used as white flags during disputes. In Wangari Maathai’s own words: “The tree also became a symbol for peace and conflict resolution, especially during ethnic conflicts in Kenya when the Green Belt Movement used peace trees to reconcile disputing communities.” In 2004, Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace." She was the first African woman to receive the peace prize. Photo by Micheline Pelletier / Getty Images