Wangari@80: Remembering Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai

Nobel laureate for peace Wangari Maathai would have been 80 years old today. Executive Director Mia MacDonald wrote this tribute (Wangari_Remembered) to her mentor and friend. Along with our colleagues in Kenya at the Wangari Maathai Foundation and the Green Belt Movement, we’re celebrating Wangari’s life, legacy and the values that propelled her work, which still have huge relevance today. To join in or learn more about the Wangari@80 initiative, please visit @WangariMaathai in social media. Mia’s tribute begins this way: Purpose: that for me was the essence of Wangari Maathai. She worked long hours, didn’t waste time, and maintained a punishing travel schedule, particularly after 2004 when she became the first African woman and first environmental campaigner to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.