The last discussion in the "Proving the Power of One" BookTalk series at Bismarck State College takes place Sunday, March 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the BSC Library.
"Unbowed: a Memoir" by Wangari Maathai is the story of the Kenyan environmental and political activist who founded the Green Belt Movement, now a global initiative focusing on conservation and women's rights.
Jean Rolandelli, BSC associate professor of biology, leads discussion of this sweeping account by Maathai, the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. It was awarded to her in 2004 for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace."
Maathai recounts her extraordinary journey from her childhood in rural Kenya to the world stage. Educated in the United States where she received degrees in biology, she earned her doctorate at the University of Nairobi, the first eastern African woman to do so. Work at an environmental center associated with a United Nations program proved to her that the root of Kenya's problems was environmental degradation. Her idea of community-based tree planting in her native Kenya eventually led to founding of the Green Belt Movement.
Persevering through run-ins with the Kenyan government and personal losses, and jailed and beaten on numerous occasions, Maathai fought to save Kenya's forests and to restore democracy in Kenya. She became an elected member of Parliament and served as assistant minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the government of President Mwai Kibaki between January 2003 and November 2005.
BookTalk discussions are open to all and include refreshments. The program is funded by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.
"Unbowed: a Memoir" by Wangari Maathai is the story of the Kenyan environmental and political activist who founded the Green Belt Movement, now a global initiative focusing on conservation and women's rights.
Jean Rolandelli, BSC associate professor of biology, leads discussion of this sweeping account by Maathai, the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. It was awarded to her in 2004 for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace."
Maathai recounts her extraordinary journey from her childhood in rural Kenya to the world stage. Educated in the United States where she received degrees in biology, she earned her doctorate at the University of Nairobi, the first eastern African woman to do so. Work at an environmental center associated with a United Nations program proved to her that the root of Kenya's problems was environmental degradation. Her idea of community-based tree planting in her native Kenya eventually led to founding of the Green Belt Movement.
Persevering through run-ins with the Kenyan government and personal losses, and jailed and beaten on numerous occasions, Maathai fought to save Kenya's forests and to restore democracy in Kenya. She became an elected member of Parliament and served as assistant minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the government of President Mwai Kibaki between January 2003 and November 2005.
BookTalk discussions are open to all and include refreshments. The program is funded by the BSC Library and a grant from the BSC Foundation.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.