More inspiration from Professor Wangari Maathai, an amazing woman from Kenya who founded the Green Belt Movement there 30 years ago and won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. Since Prof. Maathai started it in 1977, the Movement has organized poor rural women in Kenya to plant over 30 million trees. This is turn combats deforestation, restores their main source of fuel for cooking, generates income, and stops soil erosion. The Green Belt Movement incorporates advocacy and empowerment for women, eco-tourism, and economic justice into the simple act of planting trees.
In this video, Prof. Maathai talks about whether one person can make a difference. She is certainly proof that one dedicated and inspired person can transform the world!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw]
Here is an interview with Prof. Maathai, from 2008.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIedCFXU6yI]
To go to The Green Belt Movement’s website, click here.
To go to Professor Maathai’s Facebook page, click here.
Click here to go to Tree-Nation.com, the biggest free Internet social network with the objective of planting trees in order to fight poverty, desertification, deforestation and climate change. For every 10 people that join, a tree is planted.
Now go out and get your hands dirty – plant a real tree!
the hummingbird story was a favourite of a Brasilian guy called Betinho, Herbert de Souza, a courageous man in many ways, beija-flor is portugues for hummingbird – literally, ‘kisses flower’
Betinho’s version ends with the hummingbird saying, “eu estou fazendo a minha parte” – I am doing my part
Nice!