ARMENIA TREE PROJECT
65 Main Street
Watertown, MA 02472 USA
(617) 926-TREE (8733)
PRESS RELEASE
December 31, 2004
ATP SALUTES 2004 NOBEL PEACE PRIZE RECIPIENT WANGARI MAATHAI
— Grassroots leader inspired planting of 30 million trees in 30 years by
women in Kenya
WATERTOWN, MA–For the first time, the Nobel Peace Prize has been linked
with environmental issues, broadening the definition of peace and sending a
message to the world that peace must grow out of the soil of democracy and
environmental health. In response, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) has offered
its congratulations to Wangari Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace
Prize.
Maathai is currently Kenya’s Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural
Resources. As founder of the Green Belt Movement, she inspired the planting
of 30 million trees in 30 years by women in Kenya, winning the support of
the United Nations, governments of several European countries, and hundreds
of individuals around the world.
Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this month in Oslo, Maathai
acknowledged the work of `countless individuals and groups across the globe’
who `work quietly and often without recognition to protect the environment,
promote democracy, defend human rights, and ensure equality between women
and men.’
`By so doing, they plant seeds of peace,’ she said. `To all who feel
represented by this prize I say use it to advance your mission and meet the
high expectations the world will place on us. In this year’s prize, the
Norwegian Nobel Committee has placed the critical issue of environment and
its linkage to democracy and peace before the world.’
Maathai closed her Nobel lecture with a warning: `Activities that devastate
the environment and societies continue unabated. Today we are faced with a
challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops
threatening its life-support system. We are called to assist the Earth to
heal her wounds and in the process heal our own – indeed, to embrace the whole
creation in all its diversity, beauty, and wonder. This will happen if we
see the need to revive our sense of belonging to a larger family of life.’
`Like Wangari Maathai, we at ATP acknowledge the work of countless Armenians
across the globe who are fighting to protect our life-support system – in all
its diversity, beauty, and wonder. As we begin our second decade of
commitment to the land, people, and environment of Armenia, our cause is
more pressing than ever,’ stated ATP Executive Director Jeff Masarjian.
`Celebrate Wangari’s victory by helping us expand our work in Armenia
through vital environmental education, critical mountainous reforestation,
sustainable socio-economic development, and collaborative community tree
planting,’ added Masarjian.
ATP was founded in 1994 with the vision of securing Armenia’s future by
protecting its environment and advancing Armenia’s socio-economic
development by mobilizing resources to fund reforestation and community tree
planting. ATP uses trees to improve the standard of living of Armenians,
promoting self-sufficiency and aiding those with fewest resources first. In
its first 10 years, ATP has planted and rejuvenated 573,000 trees at more
than 500 sites in 11 regions of Armenia.
For additional information or to support ATP, visit the Web site
, write to 65 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472, or call
(617) 926-TREE.
PHOTO CAPTION (ATP Nursery in Vanadzor.jpg): ATP’s new tree nursery in
Vanadzor is a central component of the organization’s goal of planting one
million trees per year in Armenia beginning in 2006