Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was the first African woman and first environmentalist to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. In 1977 in Kenya, she started the Green Belt Movement. Wangari's goals had been to use tree planting to restore the environment while providing income and resources to African women. The group's objectives broadened to the protection of human and environmental rights, civic education, and the promotion of democratic values while valuing the cultural heritage of Africa. The GBM has now planted tens of millions of trees. In her acceptance speech, Wangari explains that "the state of any country's environment is a reflection of the kind of governance in place, and without good governance there can be no peace." The efforts of the GBM and other organizations led to the peaceful transition to a democratic society in Kenya, and the tree became a symbol of the democratic struggle. Her speech is strikingly illustrated and followed by an analysis written by Laia de Ahumada. The Speak Out series publishes the most inspiring speeches of our times, then deconstructs them to give young readers a deeper understanding of global issues and the power of language to influence them. Key Text Features biographical information definitions explanation facts headings historical context illustrations informational note Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS. ELA-LITERACY. RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. CCSS. ELA-LITERACY. RI.6.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes). CCSS. ELA-LITERACY. RI.6.6 Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. CCSS. ELA-LITERACY. RI.6.9 Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

In twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement. From the Congo Basin to the traditions of the Kikuyu people, the lucid, incisive writings in The World We Once Lived In explore the sacred power of trees, and why humans lay waste to the forests that keep us alive. Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

In this groundbreaking work, the Nobel Peace Prize-winner and founder of the Green Belt Movement offers a new perspective on the troubles facing Africa today. Too often these challenges are portrayed by the media in extreme terms connoting poverty, dependence, and desperation. Wangari Maathai, the author of Unbowed, sees things differently, and here she argues for a moral revolution among Africans themselves. Illuminating the complex and dynamic nature of the continent, Maathai offers "hardheaded hope" and "realistic options" for change and improvement. She deftly describes what Africans can and need to do for themselves, stressing all the while responsibility and accountability. Impassioned and empathetic, The Challenge for Africa is a book of immense importance.

This inspiring children's book is based on a South American indigenous story about a courageous hummingbird who defies fear and expectations in her attempt to save the forest from fire. The illustrated story is supplemented by a natural and cultural history of hummingbirds, as well as an inspiring message from Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. The evocative artwork by internationally renowned Haida artist Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas complements this optimistic tale that encourages everyone to take responsibility for their home and the planet.

In this urgent yet optimistic new work, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai provides a unique perspective on the fate of Africa.

She tells of her numerous run-ins with the brutal government of Daniel arap Moi and of the political and personal reasons that compelled her, in 1977, to establish the Green Belt Movement, which spread from Kenya across Africa, and which helps restore indigenous forests while assisting rural women by paying them to plant trees in their villages.

NOBEL PRIZE WINNER - A remarkable memoir of courage, faith, and the power of persistence about one woman's extraodinary journey from her childhood in rural Kenya to the world stage. " Maathai's] story provides uplifting proof of the power of perseverance--and of the power of principled, passionate people to change their countries and inspire the world." --The Washington Post In Unbowed, Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai recounts her extraordinary life. When Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, she began a vital poor people's environmental movement, focused on the empowerment of women, that soon spread across Africa. Persevering through run-ins with the Kenyan government and personal losses, and jailed and beaten on numerous occasions, Maathai continued to fight tirelessly to save Kenya's forests and to restore democracy to her beloved country.

'A book for children from 8 to 80. I love the humanity of this story and how one man's efforts can change the future for so many.' Michael Morpurgo, Independent '[This] simple classic may just hold the secret to meaningful existence.' Richard Powers, author of The Overstory The Man Who Planted Trees was first published by Chelsea Green twenty years ago and it became a timeless classic. Now this beautiful gift edition is available for the first time in the UK, complete with reproductions of the original woodcut engravings. In this ageless eco-fable about what one person can do to restore the earth, Elze´ard Bouffier spends his life planting one hundred acorns a day in a desolate, barren section of Provence in the south of France. The result is a total transformation of the landscape - from one devoid of life, with miserable, contentious inhabitants, to one filled with the scent of flowers, the songs of birds and fresh, flowing water. Since our first publication, The Man Who Planted Trees has sold over a quarter of a million copies and inspired countless numbers of people around the world to take action and plant trees. This edition includes a foreword by Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the African Green Belt Movement. 'It has given me much joy to reread this story.' Wendell Berry