Wangari Maathai Quotes

79 quotes in 1256 categories

• We all share one planet and are one hummanity, there is no escaping this reality.
• It gradually became clear that the Green Belt Movement's work with communities to repair the degraded environment could not be done effectively without participants embracing…
• The essential role of the environment is still marginal in discussions about poverty. While we continue to debate these initiatives, environmental degradation, including the loss…
• We have a responsibility to protect the rights of generations, of all species, that cannot speak for themselves today. The global challenge of climate change…
• People need open space. People need to bring their children into an area where they can play without restriction." And I was told, "This is…
• You can make a lot of speeches, but the real thing is when you dig a hole, plant a tree, give it water, and make…
• As long as there is no trust and confidence that there will be justice and fairness in resource distribution, political positioning will remain more important…
• Anybody can dig a hole and plant a tree. But make sure it survives. You have to nurture it, you have to water it, you…
• It is wonderful when you don't have the fear, and a lot of the time I don't ... I focus on what needs to be…
• Those of us who have been privileged to receive education, skills, and experiences and even power must be role models for the next generation of…
• Using trees as a symbol of peace is in keeping with a widespread African tradition. For example, the elders of the Kikuyu carried a staff…
• Every person who has ever achieved anything has been knocked down many times. But all of them picked themselves up and kept going, and that…
• You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own, that they…
• I stand before you and the world humbled by this recognition and uplifted by the honour of being the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate. As the…
• I would like to call on young people to commit themselves to activities that contribute toward achieving their long-term dreams. They have the energy and…
• We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own – indeed, to embrace the whole creation…
• Culture is coded wisdom
• When I went back home, I was constantly being reminded, I'm an African woman, and so there are certain things I shouldn't do, certain ambitions…
• You cannot enslave a mind that knows itself. That values itself. That understands itself.
• It is very important for young people not to be afraid of engaging in areas that are not common to the youth. Get involved in…

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