Green Belt Movement founder on environmental activism
Dr. Wangari Maathai, who made the Green Belt Movement of Kenya an international triumph of environmental conservation and consciousness raising, will deliver a Beatty Memorial Lecture at 捆绑SM社区 on the topic: "Standing up for the Environment".
The lecture will take place on Tuesday, February 12, at 6 p.m. in the Fieldhouse Auditorium, Leacock Building Room 132.
Wangari Maathai, the first woman in eastern and central Africa to earn a doctoral degree, was an anatomy lecturer at Nairobi University in the early 1970s when she joined the National Council of Women of Kenya to lead the fight against poverty.
Starting with a small tree nursery in her own back yard, Wangari Maathai launched Kenya's Green Belt Movement in 1977. A grassroots organization composed primarily of women, the Green Belt Movement aims to curtail the devastating social and environmental effects of deforestation. Beyond curbing soil erosion, the Green Belt Movement has also strived to help the rural Kenyan people become self-sustaining in their use of fuel wood and to give them an income-generating activity.
There are now 5,000 grassroots nurseries throughout Kenya, generating income for some 80,000 people, and over 20 million trees have been planted. The Green Belt Movement conducts seminars for those interested in replicating its model. It has expanded its operation to 30 countries in Africa and has created an international chapter to work outside the continent.
Wangari Maathai's passionate efforts to defend the environment, women's rights and democratic reform have earned her numerous awards, including the Africa Prize for her work in preventing hunger. However, she has also earned considerable criticism for speaking out against government policy and leading followers in acts of civil disobedience. She has been beaten and even imprisoned 鈥� but even though she is past 60, Wangari Maathai shows no intention of backing down.
At 捆绑SM社区, she will spend two days meeting with staff, faculty and members of the community at Macdonald campus, the 捆绑SM社区 School of the Environment, the Centre for Research and Teaching on Women and the Centre for Developing Area Studies. In her public lecture, she will speak about individual empowerment and collective movements as they relate to the defense of the environment.
The Beatty Memorial Lectures, now celebrating their 50th anniversary, offer free public lectures by prominent international speakers on topics of wide-ranging interest.
