Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace & Environmental Studies

The remarkable clarity and strategic scope of Professor Wangari Maathai’s vision for the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace & Environmental Studies (WMI) might be summed up in a single, but richly resonant, idea: To transfer knowledge and skills on sustainable use of natural resources from academic halls and laboratories to the citizenry in villages and rural communities throughout Africa. And, in doing so, encourage transformational leadership grounded and focused on improving people’s livelihoods and sharing cultures of peace. 



The successful fusion of university research and traditional training requires the provision not only of academic resources, but of experiential learning opportunities, community mentoring, and the utilization of indigenous knowledge. Therefore, core purpose of WMI is to spearhead holistic multi-disciplinary research, training and community empowerment and outreach services. WMI will also host a permanent exhibition demonstrating the success of the Green Belt Movement and the work of its founder, Professor Wangari Maathai.

Located on 50 acres of beautifully landscaped land within the University of Nairobi, the Institute will forge regional and international partnerships. It will create a center of excellence for academic enquiry into sustainable management of natural resources and community adaptation practices to climate change. WMI will establish a forum for leaders from East Africa and internationally to exchange ideas and interrogate issues that affect the socio-economic transformation of societies through sustainable natural resource utilization practices and better conflict resolution mechanisms.

Read more about the vision of the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace & Environmental Studies (PDF). 

Visit the official Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace & Environmental Studies website.

The latest newsletter from WMI- 2012: A Year in Review provides a summary of the highlights of WMI from 2012 and includes articles from 4 Kenyan students on their experiences during a 3-month Study Visit to the University of Copenhagen and the account of a Danish student visiting Kenya. Alongside student experiences the newsletter presents new and exciting partnerships that will help continue the work of WMI into 2013.