wangari maathai - nobel prize

She is a founder member of the Kenya based Green Belt Movement , a grassroots group comprising mainly of women. The group have planted 25-30 million trees across Africa since its foundation and Dr Maathai was honoured for her campaigning to save the trees and for promoting economic, social and cultural reforms that are ecologically viable.

"There can be no peace without equitable development and there can be no development without sustainable management of the environment in a democratic and peaceful space. This shift is an idea whose time has come,” she said in her acceptance speech.

Nobel committee chairman Ole Mjoes, introducing her at the ceremony, pointed to the connection between peace and the quarrelling over scarce resources in regions such as the Middle East and Darfur.

Dr Maathai, who is the Kenyan deputy environment minister, beat a record 194 nominations to win the coveted prize.