If you don’t accept failure as a possibility, you don’t set high goals, you don’t branch out, you don’t try - you don’t take the risk.
-Rosalynn Carter, 1927-2023, First Lady of the United States
Four brave women, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, serve as a great inspiration to the World Forum's Working Groups focusing on nature, gender equity, and advocacy:
- Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, and best known as the Tree Mother of Africa, was the first African woman to win the Nobel prize when she received that award in 2004. She believed that a healthy environment helped improve lives by providing clean water and firewood for cooking and thereby decreased conflict. Her organization planted 30 million trees and inspired a generation of women in Kenya to exert their rights. She died last week at the age of 71.
This year three women activists were Nobel Prize winners:
- Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was the first African female elected head of state. Known as Liberia's "Iron Lady," Sirleaf pledged to bring "motherly sensitivity and emotion to the presidency."
- Leyman Gbowee mobilized women across ethnic and religious lines in peace activism and female electoral participation. In 2003 she led a march through Liberia's capital, Monrovia, demanding the end to the rape of women by soldiers.
- Tawakul Karman is an irrepressible force and one of the pivotal figures in Yemen's pro-democracy protests. Karman, described as the foremost role model for women in Yemen, is the first Arab woman to win the Peace Prize.

This book contains stories of hope and encouragement, and just what early childhood practitioners can do and achieve in the face of adversity. Contained are chapters from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Chad, Colombia, Nepal, Northern Ireland, Palestine, and the United States.
From Conflict to Peace Building shows us that it is possible to make a real difference in the lives of children and families in societies affected by conflict.
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Comments (4)
Displaying All 4 CommentsSacramento State University
Sacramento, CA, United States
I am sad to hear of Wangari's passing. She came to our campus and spoke about her work with women in Kenya. My son and I had just returned from Tanzania where we also planted trees with school children. Wangari was so kind to talk with that day and so inspiring and seemingly tireless in her passion for the planet. There is a wonderful children's book about Wangari's work: Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeanette Winter ISBN 978-0-15-206545-4. It tells the story of her work to reforest Kenya by organizing the women to plant trees. It is a picture book suitable for age 4 and up. Let's all try to continue her peaceful ways and caring for the planet and its people.
Denver, CO, United States
Thank you so much for bringing attention to these great women. Their example is part of the reason I am so passionate about women and children's rights, and too often the importance of women such as these is overlooked. And thanks for the book recommendation: I am looking forward to reading it!
Young at art with donna kaye
Bethesda, MD, United States
Thank you for this article and recommendation for the book. Too often United States is insular in it's thinking and approach to problems. Lack of diversity in our programs build islands instead of villages. We as Americans too often think we have all the answers, yet there are many more approaches and wonderful minds in the world to tap.
As our world becomes more globalized, those caring and teaching our children need to be aware of the great knowledge and resources we have across the oceans. We who work with families and children need to learn about the on-going struggles of of other cultures and how their stories connect to all of us. We have much to learn from others, and we need to find ways to share these stories with our children.
women's action group ... chelsea
Delhi, Delhi. India, India
great ladies I salute you.
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