GREEN BELT MOVEMENT

Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement



Wangari Maathai's Green Belt Movement

Wangari Maathai, founder of the movement "The Green Belt

The grass roots movement The Green Belt Movement is an international non-governmental organization, which is mainly due to environmental focus and the development of social communities. It was founded in 1977, under the auspices of the national Kenyan Women's Council from the Kenyan Wangari Maathai founded (Green Belt Movement, 2007).

The movement was concentrated in the first decades of its existence on tree planting activities to the deforestation and thus the soil erosion in Kenya; and counteracts the availability of the main energy source for cooking. Since, 1977 have been planted by the GBM more than 30 million trees and over 30,000 women in forestry beekeeping trained, food processing and other ways of earning. Maathai established the movement in its use for the empowerment of women in society, eco-tourism and economic development. For her work in the Green Belt Movement, she was in 2004 with the Nobel Peace Prize awarded.

Founding Of the First Movement and Actions

Maathai talk about their concerns at the National Women's Council of Kenya in 1977. A few months later, Maathai was a member of the environmental committee of the Women's Council and suggested a meeting at the forestation campaign. After initial hesitation, they decided on the project that you save the country (Nash, 1989). The aim was to bring the Kenyans to actively participate in the forestation and reforestation, and so the threat of desertification to meet.

About the Green Belt Movement

"Planting trees is planting ideas. Starting simply by planting a tree, we give hope to ourselves and to future generations" Wangari Maathai.

Success and Expansion

In 1990, the Green Belt Movement had already planted more than 39,000 members and more than seven million trees. Nine years later, there were 6000 tree nurseries in 23 districts. In 2002, the Green Belt Movement in Kenya more than million supporters.

In 1986, Pan African Green Belt Movement was founded. Meanwhile, the Green Belt Movement is active in 13 African countries, so including in Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Lesotho, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe and has planted more than 30 million trees.

Since, 2004, working the Green Belt Movement, together with the Kenyan armed forces, just as it engaged in prisons. In 2006, Maathai undertook jointly with Albert of Monaco under the patronage of the One Billion Trees Campaign of the UNEP. The campaign is great successes until the ...