Happy Earth Day. Today I'm posting a rather longish (15 min) video of an interview with Wangari Maathai; the first environmentalist to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The most simple explanation of her work is that she founded a movement to help replenish Kenya's forests... but the Green Belt Movement is much more than that. The planting of the trees is a medicine for problems in the community that reach far beyond a stripped landscape. They are allowing their community to produce their own fuel, they are giving women work and meager pay... Most of what I know of the Green Belt Movement is from interviews on NPR, today I started reading her memoir so hopefully I'll be able to discuss this inspirational woman better when I'm done. For now, please enjoy the youTube link, it's a 15 minutes well spent.
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