“One World VIP-Award“ for Wangari Maathai

The late Prof. Wangari Maathai had accepted the ‘One World VIP-Award’ 2010 for her outstanding achievements. Last year she was not able to receive the prize personally. Her award ceremony was scheduled at the occasion of the IFOAM International Organic Agriculture conference at UNEP in Nairobi on 15 November 2011, Rapunzel reports. “Mama Miti” (mother of trees) passed away just a few weeks prior to the award ceremony.
 

The “One World Award” jury had chosen Wangari Maathai as she personifies with her outstanding engagement all objectives of the “One World Award”, but especially the aspect of “peaceful community building”. All of her work was solidly built on the three pillars of sustainability. As a tireless campaigner and activist for environment conservation, democracy, human and especially women rights, peace and justice, she has put the objectives of the “One World Award” into action on a global level and with the greatest of impacts.
 

The partners of the “One World Award” (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) and the pioneering German organic company Rapunzel Naturkost have presented at the UNEP headquarter in Nairobi the award with the beautiful statue to Wangari Maathai’s daughter Wanjira Maathai. The festive award ceremony with the presence of conference participants  and distinguished guests from all over the world was a heart-moving tribute to this courageous woman and hero of the environmental movements. In her laudation speech, the member of the German federal parliament (Green Party) and former agricultural minister of North Rhine Westphalia, Bärbel Höhn, highlighted the work of Wangari Maathai in her laudation. “Wangari Maathai was not only ‘Mama Miti’ – the Mother of Trees. She also was an irrepressible voice of democracy, an inexhaustible source of inspiration, a beacon of hope!”, said Bärbel Höhn.
 

IFOAM commemorated Wangari Matthai’s heritage at its very recent General Assembly in Korea. “She deserves the highest acknowledgment we can provide”, said Markus Arbenz, IFOAM’s Executive Director. “Just like the Organic Movement, Wangari Matthai was not always popular, since she fought loud and clear for the right cause: for the planet and for the people, particularly the disadvantaged.”

Rapunzel Naturkost AG