Wangari Maathai

Natural History Kenyan 1940 – 2011 99 quotes

Nobel laureate who planted trees, saying it's the little things that citizens do that make a difference.

Quotes by Wangari Maathai

We are 21st century people who need, really, 17th century qualities.

Interview 2004

Education is a powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Attributed

No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.

Memoir 2006

Fathers have a unique and irreplaceable role in the lives of children.

Memoir 2006

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Attributed

Women are the backbone of society.

Speech 1980

Healing of the land cannot happen without healing of the people.

Book 2005

I am always the first to say that fame and fortune don't mean everything.

Memoir 2006

Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish.

Nobel Speech 2004

We need to promote a culture of peace.

Speech 2004

The generation that destroys the environment is not the generation that pays the price.

Interview 2005

Every one of us can make a difference.

Speech 2004

I didn't know what a tree was until I was 9 years old.

Memoir 2006

Conservation is not just about saving trees; it's about saving ourselves.

Speech 1977

Women have the power to change the world if they unite.

Speech 1990

The earth is not ours; we are just borrowing it from our children.

Attributed

Activism is the rent I pay for living on this planet.

Attributed

Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.

Speech 1980

It's wrong to think that women are the weaker sex.

Memoir 2006

Change starts with one small step.

Interview 2004