World Learning trustee, Nobel Peace laureate, speaks at NAFSA
Thursday, June 1, 2006
By: Holly Peterson

Wangari Maathai discusses international education, need for commitment to environment

Wangari Maathai, Ph.D., winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize for Peace and a member of the World Learning Board of Trustees, gave the first plenary address at the 2006 NAFSA conference, held May 19-26 in Montreal, Quebec.

Dr. Maathai's speech focused on the need for international and intercultural understanding, and the need to conserve natural resources for future generations. She spoke of the value of her experiences as an international student, and thanked former president John F. Kennedy, whose initiatives in international education allowed her to earn her undergraduate degree in the United States.

Dr. Maathai also shared a story to encourage those in the audience to keep working, however small their efforts may seem. "There was a huge forest, and there was this burning, raging, fire," she said. "All the animals were running out of the forest, coming to the edge, to watch the raging fire, overwhelmed, unable to think of what they could do. They stood there watching, in desperation, in a state of helplessness, except this little hummingbird. It decided, 'I'm going to do something about this fire.' So it flew to the nearest stream, brought a drop of water in its little beak, and put it on the fire. And it ran again and brought another drop, and ran again and brought another drop, without tiring (you know how fast they move). And all the time these other animals are out here at the edge, very safe, wondering whether the hummingbird is crazy, gone mad. They said, 'You are too little, too small. You have such a small beak, your wings are so small, you will never be able to deal with this raging fire. Just come here and join us; don't bother.' As the little bird kept going and bringing a drop at a time, some of the animals said, 'What do you think you are doing? Who do you think you are? What do you think you can accomplish?' And without wasting its time, the little hummingbird turned to these animals and said, 'I'm doing the best I can.' And that's all we can do, ladies and gentlemen. Whatever we come across, however big the problem is, all we can do is be little hummingbirds, and do the best we can. When you go home, don't be overwhelmed, just be a hummingbird. Do the best you can."

You can listen to Dr. Maathai online:
Windows Media format
MP3 player format

Or watch a video of this and other plenaries, thanks to Canada's Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC). We thank Dr. Maathai for sharing her words with alumni and friends of World Learning.

You can also read more about the award given to Dr. Humphrey Tonkin, a former trustee of World Learning, who won The Cassandra Pyle Award for Leadership and Collaboration in International Educational Exchange, which was presented at the opening plenary.

See photos of the plenary

See photos from the SIT reception at NAFSA and other NAFSA moments

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