Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies

INTRODUCTION

In a world fractured by the effects of environmental degradation, political turmoil, and economic crises, it is easy to forget that cultures of peace depend on good governance and equitable management of our natural resources. Sustainable development from the grassroots up can only happen if these three core issues are addressed.Furthermore, the connection between environmental challenges and local conflicts cannot be assessed separately. They must be understood and acted upon not just by academics, but by as many different kinds of people as possible – bustling city-dwellers, hard-working villagers and farmers, children, poets, dreamers – and by those who visit our country and carry away with them a sense of our key cultural developments and aspirations. Moreover, successful fusion of university research and traditional training requires the provision not only of academic resources, but of experiential learning opportunities, community mentoring, and utilization of indigenous knowledge.

Therefore, the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies (WMI) core purpose will be to spearhead holistic multi-disciplinary research, training and community empowerment and outreach services. An inspiring, interactive permanent exhibition demonstrating the work and ideals of Professor Wangari Muta Maathai at the Institute will be an essential element of WMI’s work. Further, there will be deliberate emphasis by WMI to forge regional and international partnerships, for the purpose of creating other centers of excellence for sustainable management of environmental resources.