Development, democracy, peace are topics of Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai’s University Lecture, Oct. 17

Development, democracy, peace are topics of Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai’s University Lecture, Oct. 17October 11, 2006Patrick Farrellpmfarrel@syr.edu

The University Lectures and The College of Arts and Sciences’ Geoffrey O. Seltzer Lecture Series will present 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Green Belt Movement (GBM) founder Wangari Maathai, Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 4:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

In 2004, Maathai became the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, acknowledging her contributions to sustainable development, democracy and peace. This recognition stemmed from her work on community empowerment and environmental conservation. As a member of the National Council of Women of Kenya (NCWK), she introduced the idea of engaging ordinary Kenyans to plant trees. She developed this idea into GBM, a broad-based grassroots organization that mobilizes women’s groups to plant trees to conserve the environment while, at the same time, empowering them to improve the quality of their own lives. Through GBM, Maathai has helped women plant more than 30 million trees on farms and in school and church compounds across Kenya.

Maathai will discuss her work in a lecture titled “Sustainable Development, Democracy and Peace: A Critical Link.” In addition to the joint presenters, the lecture is co-sponsored by SU’s Hendricks Chapel, Chancellor’s Office, Syracuse Symposium and Center for Environmental Policy and Administration of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, as well as the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF). The event is free and open to the public; parking is available in the Irving Avenue Garage.

Segments of the collaborative educational series “Onondaga Land Rights and Our Common Future” are being held Oct. 16-17 to complement Maathai’s visit. For more information, visit http://www.esf.edu/commonfuture/.

The University Lectures is a cross-disciplinary lecture series that brings to Syracuse University individuals of exceptional accomplishment in the areas of architecture and design; the humanities and the sciences; and public policy, management and communications. The series is supported by the generosity of the University’s trustees, alumni and friends. The next University Lectures event features Islamic scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. More information is available at http://provost.syr.edu/lectures/current.asp.

The College of Arts and Sciences established The Geoffrey O. Seltzer Lecture Series in 2005 to honor the memory of one of its most distinguished and beloved faculty members. Seltzer was an influential member of the Quaternary science community who, for 11 years, served on the faculty of the Department of Earth Sciences. He taught Quaternary and environmental geology and developed an internationally respected research program in paleoclimatology of the Andes Mountains. Seltzer’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration on environmental themes is reflected in a major lecture each fall, made possible by The College and his surviving family and friends. Last year’s inaugural lecturer was renowned glacial geologist Lonnie Thompson.