In 1977, Wangari Maathai was a professor in Kenya when she launched a campaign, the Green Belt Movement, to safeguard the environment and promote human rights by organizing women to plant trees throughout the country. In subsequent years, she led a hunger strike to free political prisoners, prodded the dictator of 24 years to hold elections, organized seminars to train Kenyans in governance and civil society, and was elected to Parliament with 98 percent of the vote. In 2004 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Price. To date, the Green Belt Movement has planted more than 35 million trees. “People in forestry didn’t understand what we were doing. They said to plant a tree, you need a diploma. I don’t think you need a diploma to plant a tree.” “The movement started with planting trees, but it’s more than the planting of trees, it’s planting ideas.” 2008, 60 minutes.