The Green Belt Movement Blog

Oh, happy day! It was a most amazing day yesterday when Americans went to the polls and “loudly” elected Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States. Words simply cannot describe the joy we feel at GBM! – just in August 2006, we were fortunate to host then-Senator Obama in a tree-planting ceremony in Uhuru Park.



Today, we went back to Uhuru Park to plant yet another tree for President-elect Obama. Yes, the tree he planted in 2006 is doing very well as you can see in the photos taken today. The new tree was planted with even greater enthusiasm – men, women, children and even a group of visiting Norwegian students joined in the celebrations.



As you can imagine, Kenyans just won’t stop celebrating! Today was even declared a public holiday to facilitate continued celebrations. A few of our friends from around the world have sent reflective messages, and on some occasions we have even been congratulated! What a moment in history.

Today, I was watching the news and a young boy (no older than 10 years old) was asked what he felt about the Obama victory… his response was for me a reflection of how deep the impact of this historical moment is. He said, “It is great that Barack Obama won the election. Maybe then I, too……” He could not finish his sentence before his words were chocked by tears. Enough said.

A good friend of GBM also described it as a collective weight that was lifted… a new day has come indeed.

Donatella and I joined seven other international NGOs in our office building in London to Stand Up Against Poverty on the 17th October.

We joined the global effort to campaign and stand up and take action against poverty between 17-19 October. This year over 100 million people stood up in more than 100 countries against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals. First we sat and then stood together. We also took action by sending a letter to our local MP, Meg Hillier, asking the UK government to honor its commitments to the MDGs.

Turin, ITALY, 19th October 2008.

Last Sunday, the award-winning documentary 'Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai' by Lisa Merton & Alan Dater debuted in Europe at the 11th Environmental Film Festival in Turin, Italy.

Although not in Turin, I too watched the documentary on Friday evening and have had the privilege to be among the first in Europe to watch it.

I enjoyed this powerful documentary a lot, and through this well conceived film, I was, once more, inspired by the extraordinary life of Wangari Maathai and her fight for the environment.

If you have the chance, I would recommend watching it, and joining the Green Belt Movement in planting trees and saving our forests and their inhabitants.

NEW YORK, Sep 22, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Nobel Peace Prize laureates Al Gore and Wangari Maathai today called upon the United States to combat rapidly accelerating tropical deforestation as a central element in the fight against global poverty, climate change and international instability.

At a luncheon hosted by the Avoided Deforestation Partners, Former Vice President Gore joined Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and 2004 Peace Prize winner, to emphasize the role deforestation plays in poverty, conflict and increasing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. The Nobel laureates were joined by leaders from the environmental and development communities, who stressed the scientific and social importance of these resources to global well-being.

Full text at
Avoided Deforestation Partners Event

Founder of GBM and 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai today joined the Nobel Womens Initiative (NWI) delegation to Ethiopia, Sudan and Chad. The delegation which includes Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams and Activist/Actress Mia Farrow aims to support and encourage women in the region to continue their search for peace, particularly in Dafur. The delegation appealed to the President of Sudan to allow UN Resolution 1769 to be fully and rapidly implemented for the sake of the people of Sudan. In 2005, at the UN World Summit, an earlier resolution regarding the responsibility to protect was unanimously adopted, including by the Government of Sudan.

The Africa leg of the trip follows a week in Thailand, at the Thai-Burma border, where the delegation met with survivors of cyclone Nargis as well as women's groups and community organizations. We will have more about how NWI will add energy to these critical situations. Stay tuned. In the meantime, keep up with the mission on the NWI blog.

The Nobel Women's Initiative was established in 2006 by sister Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan Maguire. Through the initiative the six women - representing North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa -bring their extraordinary experiences together in a united effort for peace with justice and equality.

For the past nine years enthusiasts have taken to the streets of London, and the river Thames, to participate in the London Triathlon. Many compete for the thrill of the race and others, like Rachel Carless, for the benefit of their chosen charity and the hope of raising funds for their cause. Rachel is dedicating her efforts this year towards raising £1500 for the Green Belt Movement.

Rachel will compete in the Olympic Distance Race: 1500m swim, 40km bike, and 10km run on 9th August. Recent training included completing the Southend Bike ride 59 miles in 5.5 hours, and her first open water swim using “polo front crawl”- swimming with your head above water to see where you are going!

Rachel says her motivation is “the Green Belt Movement does things that are very close to my heart, I’m an environmentalist by profession. I just love the things they achieve. It’s inspiring what Wangari Maathai has done, taking a simple idea of planting trees and creating these amazing social benefits.”

If you would like to support Rachel, and help her raise funds for GBM, you can do so easily by visiting her Just Giving site.

Wangari Maathai’s whirlwind visit to London in June included not only the launch of the Congo Basin Fund. The rest of the week was filled with various speaking engagements and media appearances including interviews with BBC Radio’s Woman’s Hour, the Independent Newspaper and CNN’s 'Revealed' program.

Two highlights from the week that deserve special mention were the Ashden Awards and the Tree Planting Ceremony.

The Ashden Awards for sustainable energy are presented to outstanding entrepreneurs from both the UK and around the globe who show dedication and ingenuity in developing alternate energy solutions. Prof Maathai was on hand to present awards to the international winners and give a short speech to conclude the presentation. An enjoyable good night was had by all with the Royal Geographical Society being a perfect location for such an event.

The other stand out event from the week, was the Tree Planting Ceremony at Spitalfields City Farm. To help commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the farm, Prof Maathai was invited to take part in a short tour of the farm and plant a tree in a new section of the farm. Contrary to the weather forecast it was a pleasant day which gave all involved a chance to get outside and enjoy a unique part of inner city London.

Ellesmere College became the first UK school to be a partner of the Green Belt Movement by supporting the “Monduli Green” project in Tanzania.

Friday, June 20th saw a great day of fundraising events at the Ellesmere College campus. Students took part in a sponsored walk, cooked and sold food from different parts of the world, dressed up in an array of dazzling costumes and took part in a talent show. Students showed off their musical and acting talents to an audience of parents, teachers and fellow students. There was a great buzz after the talent show with students, parents and teachers alike agreeing it would be great to go to Kenya and see the projects firsthand.

The support and enthusiasm for the Monduli Green project could be seen in the energy and motivation of the students. The project began after a year 6 student visited Kenya and wanted to do something for the children she saw. This idea has blossomed into the Monduli Green project with the help of Cathy Allen, English language teacher and co-ordinator for international students.

The Monduli Green project is supporting four people from Monduli in Tanzania to be trained at the GBM Sharing the Approach workshops Nairobi, Kenya. This training will allow them to be able to start their own tree planting projects in Tanzania as a part of GBM Pan-African programme, which shares our grass roots development approach across different regions in Africa and the world.

Thank you for the lovely welcome and hospitality GBM received at Ellesmere College. It’s now down to other schools in the UK and around the world to follow the steps of Ellesmere College and help GBM to support people in Africa to change their lives.

Guest blogger - Alex Baine

The Diocese of Salisbury in southern England is twinned with the Diocese of southern Sudan. In celebration of the visit of the Bishop of Sudan, the parishioners of the church of St. Lawrence in Stratford-sub-Castle near Salisbury arranged a fete and fundraiser to increase awareness of poverty in Africa and to raise money for children's education in Sudan.

The event coincided with a visit of Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Salisbury as part of the Salisbury International Festival.

My mother, Helen, who happens to be a big fan of Wangari Maathai, put together this flower display in the St. Lawrence's to celebrate Prof.'s life and work. The leaves at the bottom of the display are from fig trees; the pot just seen to the left of the photo is a seedling and the pot says "Kenya."

Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai saw a dream come true on Tuesday June 17th with the launch of the Congo Basin Forest Fund (CBFF). The fund will support projects that make the forest worth more, as a living resource, than it would be cut down.

In the presence of Prime Ministers Jens Stoltenberg of Norway and Gordon Brown or Britain, the multi-donor fund was launched by Ministers of Forests from the 10 Central African countries surrounding the forest ecosystem. Said Prof Maathai “it was an historic day. I know that for Africa and the globe, the Congo forest is not negotiable. We need to secure its survival if we ourselves are to survive”.

The two Prime Ministers each committed 50 million British Pounds (equivalent to 200 Million USD) to the Congo Basin Forest Fund. The initiative was launched in cooperation with the Commission for the Forests of Central Africa (COMIFAC) and the African Development Bank (ADB). The ADB will host the fund in Tunis.
The Congo Forest covers an area twice the size of France and is the second largest tropical forest in the world – home to more than 50 million people, 10,000 species of plants , 1000 species of birds and 400 species of mammals.

The Congo Basin Forest Fund will be run by a governing council chaired by Professor Wangari Maathai - Nobel Peace Laureate and goodwill ambassador for the Congo Basin Forest, and the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin - former Prime Minister of Canada. To learn more about this exciting initiative, please visit www.cbf-fund.org

Today people around the world will be celebrating Earth Day together - a day aimed at inspiring awareness, appreciation and action for our planet Earth.

Why not join the Green Belt Movement's growing international network today by signing up to our facebook group. Here you can join discussions, access photos and videos, share your ideas and make friends with fellow environmentalists and GBM supporters.

We now also have our own GBM channel on YouTube. Subscribe to see videos of Wangari Maathai and GBM.

Happy Earth Day!

Today Prof. Maathai on behalf of all Kenyans, presented to the former United Nations Secretary General, H.E. Kofi Annan a gift of appreciation towards his efforts in spearheading the peace process in Kenya.

Prof Maathai expressed her deep gratitude, pleasure and humility to H.E. Koffi Annan and through him to the other members of the Panel of Eminent African Personalities namely, Madam Graça Machel, H. E Benjamin Mkapa and Honorable Oluyeni Adeniji who continues the work that started some months ago.

She acknowledged the complex and sensitive mission that Koffi Annan and his team undertook. She said "We lost so much as a country – many lives were lost and thousands displaced. Today, most Kenyans are ready to begin the business of healing this nation and we want you to know that we shall remain for ever grateful for you and your team.

Today we celebrate your efforts and those of your fellow panelists and want to express our deepest appreciation for restoring our hope in our country and giving us back a sense of pride.

It is therefore my pleasure to present this small gift to you as a token of our appreciation and on behalf of all the many Kenyans who may never be able to thank you in person. May it always remind you of the deep appreciation Kenya will always attach to your person. You will always be part of our history."

The Green Belt Movement has today launched a page on the Alternative Channel - an independent online channel focusing on environmental issues and sustainable development.

You can watch excerpts from 'Taking Root: the vision of Wangari Maathai' a film by Lisa Merton and Alan Dater (Marlboro Productions) which tells the story of Wangari and GBM.




Keep an eye on our Alternative Channel site for more films, and sign up to join in discussions, rate films and share them with friends.

The Green Belt Movement today launched an initiative aimed at facilitating healing and reconciliation following almost 3 weeks of inter-communal ethnic clashes, where members of various communities attacked members of other communities, especially those perceived to have voted for the President in the just concluded and controversial Presidential Elections.

In her statement during the launch, Prof Maathai pointed out that, “The resurgence of ethnic clashes is particularly painful and frustrating. It is a beast that appears especially during General Elections… Understanding the root causes of these clashes would help those who ask the question ‘Why would Kenyans who have lived together as neighbors suddenly turn on each other with such hatred and destructive intent?’”

She added that “there can be no healing and reconciliation until and unless the truth is laid bare and justice is administered. This time round we, as Kenyans, must not sweep the truth under the carpet. We must let it be known!”

With this statement (full text in is posted on the homepage under 'GBM in the News'), the tent was declared open to the public. Over the next days, weeks and probably months, the tent will host various activities aimed at bringing about a better understanding of the current situation, its genesis, and how we can begin the healing process. The first GBM sponsored event is planned for next week where some of those affected in the clashes are expected to testify as to what happened. At the tent GBM will also be collecting signatures for solidarity with the victims of the clashes.

The Peace Tent is likely to be the beginning of a life-changing process. Most important, it is hoped that those who come to the tent will find peace in the knowledge that “someone” is listening and healing is a real possibility. Thank you, GBM!

Below is a copy of the special e-newsletter that was sent out yesterday.

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Many of you have been in touch in recent days to ask about Wangari and the Green Belt Movement. We have all been very concerned about the violence in Kenya that erupted after the elections in late December. The events that have unfolded in Kenya are tragic and we watch with deep concern and sorrow.

Unfortunately a few of our staff have suffered displacement and loss of property. Because GBM is active in areas of the Rift Valley most affected by the tension, we are exploring interventions that would support those displaced at this difficult time. Emotionally, everyone is deeply affected and this will take time to heal.

Wangari has been working tirelessly since the election results were announced. She has been involved in various groups that are working hard to find a lasting solution to this crisis. This has included meetings with religious leaders (most notably a meeting with fellow Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu), politicians, and with other representatives from Kenya’s strong and vibrant civil society. She has also given many interviews to local and international press explaining the genesis of the conflict and in support of dialogue and reconciliation. Several of these pieces are on our website.

Members of staff have also been following the events with great interest and concern. Upon the opening of the office on January 8, the management team decided to postpone our Annual Program Review meeting to next month, to allow time for staff to return to Nairobi and settle their families. The current situation has also resulted in the postponement of school openings. As a result, staff have requested additional time off to manage this change.

We do not know yet how these events will impact our programs, as some rural areas where GBM is active are still experiencing unrest. However, GBM’s approach of bringing communities together to resolve problems becomes even more critical at times like this. As the violence continues to subside, there will be plans to visit the affected areas and begin a process that will bring healing and reconciliation. We hope and believe that GBM communities will continue building upon their programs and planting more trees to help bring about peace.

Staff and supporters of GBM will continue to do everything in their power to support the communities to make sure this happens.

Once again, we would like to thank all our friends around the world for their concern and support. We will continue to post information on the website as the situation unfolds.



If you would like to receive our quarterly e-newsletter please enter your email address on our homepage.

Looking for a great holiday gift? The ABC Home and Planet Foundation has partnered with the Green Belt Movement to offer a Billion Trees for a Better World. You can plant 100 trees to support Green Belt Movement’s innovative community based programs to support sustainable development and women’s empowerment. With your donation, you will receive a beautiful silk sari envelope, which holds a personalized certificate of appreciation. Please visit the link for ABC Home and Planet Foundation at abchomeandplanet.org/GB/BillionTrees.aspx to find out more about this partnership.

It’s a day of celebration for GBM and the whole planet today as it was officially announced that the Billion Tree Campaign has reached its goal of planting one billion trees worldwide. The campaign was launched by Wangari Maathai and Prince Albert II of Monaco at the beginning of 2007 and is a joint initiative between UNEP, ICRAF and the Green Belt Movement. Thank you from GBM to everyone around the world who has planted a tree!

It all started when a corporate group in the US told Prof. Maathai it was planning to plant a million trees. Her response: “That’s great, but what we really need is to plant a billion trees”. This comment was the inspiration for a global effort, which has brought together individuals, communities, organisations, governments and corporations all over the world with the same purpose. And now the billionth tree has been planted!

At a time when the full effect of our negative impact on the environment is being realised, this is a great achievement and sign that with the vision and mobilisation of enough people, change CAN happen.

The announcement also comes just in advance of the next Climate Change Conference in Bali, drawing attention to the role that reforestation and protection of forests can have in tackling climate change.

We hope that the success of the campaign is just the beginning of further efforts to restore and protect our environment. So do as Prof. Maathai suggests and “plant another tree today in celebration’.

For more information visit Billion Tree Campaign

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai yesterday received the Indira Gandhi International Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2006 at Rashtrapati Bhavan in India.
While presenting the award, President Pratibha Singh Patil congratulated Maathai on her contribution to development and for her passionate commitment to the protection of the environment.
Professor Maathai was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding earlier this year.
In his opening speech, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called on the developed world to join hands in adopting eco-friendly practices and tackle climate change and green house gas emissions by pursuing development based on reducing the per capita emissions.
“She understood the need for environmental care. In 1972, at the First World Summit on Environment, Indiraji, Gandhi expressed concern about the environment when global interest on the issue was raw” said President Patil.

“It is befitting that the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize is being conferred to Professor Wangari Muta Maathai, whose commitment to the cause of development, women's rights and the environment are praiseworthy. Her Green Belt Movement has succeeded in planting 300 million trees across Kenya to prevent soil erosion. She is now spearheading the United Nations Billion Tree Campaign. I am hopeful that India will contribute to increasing the forest cover on the Planet. We will be launching a major a forestation program called "Green India" for planting trees in 6 million hectares of degraded forest land. This will probably be one of the world's largest a forestation efforts in recent times,” Added Mrs. Patil.

While receiving the Prize, Professor Maathai called for “giving back to our children a world of beauty and wonder".
She noted that for this to be achieved, all the citizens of the world would need to collectively join their hands and adopt eco-friendly practices.
“In tackling climate change and Green House Gas emissions, we must work together to find pragmatic and practical solutions, which are for the benefit of the entire humankind. No strategy to deal with Climate Change should foreclose the developing countries from the possibilities of accelerated social and economic development.” Prof. Maathai said.
The Nobel Laureate who is also the President of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (ECOSSOC- AU) noted the urgent need to address the "development deficit" in the global agenda.
Developing countries, whether in Asia or Africa, need economic growth to provide to their people opportunities for decent lives. The needs and concerns of developing countries should be addressed in global trade negotiations as also in climate change discussions,” the Laureate noted.

On Friday, November 2nd Unbowed was recognized at the Hurston/Wright Legacy Awards in Washington, DC where it won in the non-fiction category! Although Prof was unable to attend and accept the award onstage at the National Press Club, the judges spoke very highly and said that her book should make her feel “warrior proud!” Indeed, news of the award has made all of us at GBM feel proud and grateful for the public appreciation of Prof’s memoir!

In accepting this distinguished award Prof wrote, “Working on Unbowed was a wonderful journey for me… tracing my past and especially honoring those who made such a difference in my life. I believe it is critical for our positive stories to be told to inspire the next generation. Thank you for your recognition of this journey.”

Friends near and far have been contacting our GBM offices this week to congratulate her on the award. Since 1990 the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award is the first national award presented to published writers of African descent. It is sponsored by Borders Books & Music and consists of prizes for the highest quality writing in the categories of Fiction, Debut Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Another wonderful milestone for Unbowed!

GBM was very pleased to read in last weekend's Observer that Prince Charles is launching a Rainforest Initiative bringing together expertise from around the world to address this neglected area.

At a recent event the Prince of Wales argued that a tree is a more valuable contribution to the planet standing in a forest than if chopped down.

The message that we share is the need to do more to conserve the standing forests of the world such as the Amazon, the Congo Forest and the forests of South East Asia.

This is a central element of Professor Wangari Maathai's work as the Goodwill Ambassador to the Congo Forests, and will help us to broaden the argument from carbon offsetting as a means to combat climate change, to focus on the need to restore and protecting ecosystems and the environment.