Kwansei Gakuin Univ. confers doctorate on Nobel laureate Maathai

KOBE, Japan, Feb. 20 Kyodo -
Kwansei Gakuin University conferred an honorary doctorate on visiting Kenyan
environmentalist and Nobel Prize laureate Wangari Maathai on Saturday to
commend her for her feats in the field of education for peace and the
environment, the private university said.
The university said it conferred the degree on the 69-year-old winner of the
2004 Nobel Peace Prize to ''commend her for her accomplishments as a
trailblazer'' in the field.
Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, a nongovernmental organization, in
1977 to expedite tree-planting activities in African countries.
The activist has made efforts to promote the human rights of African women,
while appealing for the international community to step up efforts to preserve
the environment and combat deforestation.
==Kyodo