In memory of Wangari Maathai
September 25, 2011 Honorary Board Member and the eminent environmentalist, Wangari Maathai passed away. She fought for democracy in Kenya, combining the work in the sphere of environmental protection and politics. Owing to her activity desertification of African forests was stopped. She was an initiator and the main inspirer of the founded in 1977 Green Belt Movement that later was known as Maathai Green Movement.
In March 2004 she received prestigious international ecology Sophie Prize for “a long-term fearless fight for environment, human rights and social justice, human dignity and democracy”.
At the end of 2004 she was awarded Nobel Peace Prize. Maathai actively fought for ecologically oriented social, economic and cultural development in Kenya and Africa in whole. She had integral approach to the problems of sustainable development that consists in considering democracy, human rights and women rights problems. Through Maathai’s activity Norwegian Nobel Committee developed the notion of peace for it to embrace ecology issues considering them as factor essential for peace maintenance.
In 2009 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon nominated Wangari Maathai as UN ambassador of peace. She was authorized to deal with climate change issues.
