Wangari Maathai Environmentalist, Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Dates: April 1, 1940 - September 25, 2011 Also Known as: Wangari Muta Maathai Fields:  ecology, sustainable development, self-help, tree planting, environment, member of Parliament in Kenya, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife Firsts:  first woman in central or eastern Africa to hold a Ph.D., the first woman head of a university department in Kenya, first African woman to win the Nobel Prize in Peace About Wangari Maathai Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt movement in Kenya in 1977, which has planted more than 10 million trees to prevent soil erosion and provide firewood for cooking fires. A 1989 United Nations report noted that only 9 trees were being replanted in Africa for every 100 that were cut down, causing serious problems with deforestation: soil runoff, water pollution, difficulty finding firewood, lack of animal nutrition, etc. The program has been carried out primarily by women in the villages of Kenya, who through protecting their environment and through the paid employment for planting the trees are able to better care for their children and their childrens future. Born in  1940 in Nyeri, Wangari Maathai was able to pursue higher education, a rarity for girls in rural areas of Kenya. Studying in the United States, she earned her biology degree from Mount St. Scholastica College in Kansas and a masters degree at the University of Pittsburgh. When she returned to Kenya, Wangari Maathai worked in veterinary medicine research at the University of Nairobi, and eventually, despite the skepticism and even opposition of the male students and faculty, was able to earn a Ph.D. there. She worked her way up through the academic ranks, becoming head of the veterinary medicine faculty, a first for a woman at any department at that university. Wangari Maathais husband ran for Parliament in the 1970s, and Wangari Maathai became involved in organizing work for poor people and eventually, this became a national grass-roots organization, providing work and improving the environment at the same time. The project has made significant headway against Kenyas deforestation. Wangari Maathai continued her work with the Green Belt Movement and working for environmental and womens causes. She also served as national chairperson for the National Council of Women of Kenya. In 1997 Wangari Maathai ran for the presidency of Kenya, though the party withdrew her candidacy a few days before the election without letting her know; she was defeated for a seat in Parliament in the same election. In 1998, Wangari Maathai gained worldwide attention when the Kenyan President backed development of a luxury housing project and building began by clearing hundreds of acres of Kenya forest. In 1991, Wangari Maathai was arrested and imprisoned; an Amnesty International letter-writing campaign helped free her. In 1999 she suffered head injuries when attacked while planting trees in the Karura Public Forest in Nairobi, part of a protest against continuing deforestation. She was arrested numerous times by the government of Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi. In January 2002, Wangari Maathai accepted a position as Visiting Fellow at Yale Universitys Global Institute for Sustainable Forestry. And in December 2002, Wangari Maathai was elected to Parliament, as Mwai Kibaki defeated Maathais long-time political nemesis, Daniel arap Moi, for 24 years the President of Kenya. Kibaki named Maathai as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife in January 2003. Wangari Maathai died in Nairobi in 2011 of cancer. More About Wangari Maathai Wangari Maathai and Jason Bock. The Green Belt Movement: Sharing the Approach and the Experience. 2003.Wallace, Aubrey. Eco-Heroes: Twelve Tales of Environmental Victory. Mercury House. 1993.Dianne Rocheleau, Barbara Thomas-Slayter and Esther Wangari, editors. Feminist Political Ecology: Global Issues and Local Experiences.

The Power of Persuasion in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...

From the power of persuasion to the value of honor and beyond, one can witness many facets of human nature played out among the pages of â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight†. No theme of which can be seen more impeccably than the showcase of virtue verses sin. As Gawain is launched into tests of courtesy it is clear that much more is being examined than just his execution of courteous behavior, it is the nature of those around him that is also being taken into account. It is interesting how an author uses the combination of a negatively imbued foe and a positively inspired hero to highlight the traits most desirable for the mere mortals reading such a tale. In â€Å"Sir Gawain† the author uses some of the seven deadly sins to poetically draw†¦show more content†¦Pride is the chief of the seven deadly sins because it is the hardest sin to overcome. No matter how pious a person’s actions are the knowledge that they’re being holy can contribute to the inflation of their pride in their piety. Such a case is highlighted for us in â€Å"Sir Gawain† after the Green Knight makes his challenge to Arthur’s court. No one in Arthur’s court steps up to take the challenge set before them .The Green Knight takes this as cowardice and berates them asking where their arrogance and pride is now. Arthur, of course, is upset by this taunting and takes to the duty asked. (Lines 309-342) Here the reader is shown how much Arthur values the reputation of his courtesy. It is this pride and arrogance that gets him in a pinch of trouble. Luckily, Gawain beseeches Arthur by asking if he â€Å"Would grant (him) the grace† to come down and take over the fight in his stead. (Lines 343-361) This is an example of Gawain’s famous courtesy. Gawain swoops in and asks to release his boss from the contract of a dual in the most eloquent and almost shy manner imaginable. This relates to pride in that Gawain is the most courteous of the knights and thus is the jewel of his king’s court, but he asks humbly if his Lord and Lady would allow him the privilege of his request. It is Arthur’s pride that gets him into trouble and Gawain’s courtesy that gets him out of it. Though Gawain’s courtesy is an excellent trait it is also aShow MoreRelated Sir Gawain and The Green Knight Essay1602 Words   |  7 PagesSir Gawain and The Green Knight Summary The story begins in King Arthurs court, where he and the Knights of the Round Table are celebrating New Years. While they are enjoying their feast, a gigantic Green Knight rides in on a green horse with an immense axe in his hand to offer them a challenge. His offer is: I shall bide the fist blow, as bare as I sit†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.., but in twelve month and one day he shall have of me the same. (Norton Anthology,208) After a moment of consideration, Sir GawainRead MoreSir Gawain and The Green Knight Essay1342 Words   |  6 PagesSir Gawain and The Green Knight In literature, insights into characters, places, and events are often communicated to the reader through the use of imagery within the text. Thus is the case with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Pearl Poets use of imagery runs rampant within the work culminating to set forth the theme of mysticism and/or the supernatural. In this Medieval romance, the types of imagery used are that of the season or climate, the colors and textures of fabrics and jewelryRead MorePropaganda In Beowulf1007 Words   |  5 Pagesmonsters/thoughts that try to control everything in its way to cause complete destruction and terror across the land. The very notion of God in the story exhibits Christian beliefs and shows that Beowulf’s fight against the devil would be backed by God’s power and love toward his creations and the good word professes. The truth he represents is displayed in Beowulf’s character as well as his morals. The legend suggests that pagan beliefs surrounded it and the ancient mythological gods were replaced byRead MoreThe Noble Chivalric Code And The Middle Class1489 Words   |  6 Pagessix very different pieces written by six very different authors, who represented very different ideas of class division based on the timeframe in which they lived. From chivalry as a knight to ideals of the middle class, this theme is presented thoughout. Chivalry was an ambition, an alluring ideal to which young knights might aspire. â€Å"While Chivalry definitely existed, there was no exact â€Å"Code of Chivalry.† Like a lovely dream, it had many interpretations. Because of this, the definition of chivalryRead MorePerceptions Remain Unchanged By Marie De France Essay1918 Words   |  8 Pages Perceptions Remain Unchanged Marie de France, Geoffrey Chaucer, and the Pearl Poet share one important personal commonality—they all are products of the Medieval Period. During this time, men hold the power and dominate all aspects of everyday life. Women are suppressed and are expected to support men by learning and performing wifely duties, and attending to the needs of the men close to them. There is no opportunity for women to place themselves in positions of authority or influence without

Twenty-One free essay sample

Johnson and Housman both characterize coming of age as a part of life. In To Sir John Lade , Johnson welcomes getting older in line 1, long-expected one and twenty. Housman ties coming of age with finding love. He mentions love several times throughout the poem, but not your heart away (line 4), but keep your fancy free (line 6). Housman states his point of becoming older through his first-person point of view and a regretful tone. He reminisces about when he was twenty-one. He looks back and he wishes he had heeded the counsel of the wise man. The wise man said, Give crowns and pounds but not your heart away (line 3-4), meaning material possessions come and go, but love should be kept. He notes that love is worth more than any amount of money. The wise man also warned, The heart out of the bosom was never given in vain, meaning love can entrap one. We will write a custom essay sample on Twenty-One or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Line 13-14 states, Tis paid with sighs a plenty and sold for endless rue, shows that Housman thinks love can leave one in misery or heartbroken. He is now twenty-two and agrees with the wise mans counsel by saying, tis true. Johnson brings about his point of growing older by his use of a nonchalant tone and his use of a third-person point of view. Johnson describes the coming of age as a lively time in ones life. Sir John has turned twenty-one and he has inherited a great deal of money. John was admonished to show the spirit of an heir (line 12) and to call the Bettys, Kates, and Jennys (line 9). Johnsons view on adulthood is very relaxed and he views it as a time to experience life. In line 17-18, John was told that Wealth was made to wander, let it wander as it will. Johnson shows that John should enjoy his newfound wealth and allow it to spend. Scorn their counsel and their pother, John was advised to overlook any fuss made about his wilful waste (line 26). Johnson had the ambition to live life as if it were to end the next day. The two poems captured getting older in two separate points of views. Housman had a sense of regret and doubt about his decisions made when he was twenty-one. Johnson depicted John as experiencing life to the fullest when he was twenty-one

The History and Development of English free essay sample

A look at the development of the English language. This paper presents an examination of the English language and its origins. The author traces through the three stages of Old English, Middle English, and Modern English and examines the development of language. The English Language has been built on the backs of great nations and as these nations rose they brought with them a language that has evolved over many generations and is spoken all over the world. The history of the English language is an extensive and colorful one that has filled the lives of the linguistic scholars who have studied it with many hours of reading material. The English language and its origins will be traced through the three stages of Old English, Middle English, and Modern English. The stages will be studied in order to understand what influences have played a key role in the development of English. We will write a custom essay sample on The History and Development of English or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Also in this paper a look will be taken at the ways slang, jargon, and Colloquialism continue to the changes that English is even now under going.