Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist, won the Nobel Peace Prize in October of last year. She was the first African woman to do so and her life-story is truly an " epiphane " - a manifestation of God at work in the world. She is a wonderful symbol of hope for "little people" and shows us that hard work and commitment combined with faith can transform our environment and our communities.

Wangari's struggles remind us that the values of the world often conflict with the values of the gospel. The world tells us that to effect changes in our communities we must have help from outside; we must seek out powerful people with large amounts of money and become dependent on the latest technologies. The world tells us that "little people" are powerless. Today's gospel says the opposite: " And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you will come a leader to shepherd my people Israel. " Like Jesus, Wangari came from a little known village - Nyeri in Kenya . Yet out of Nyeri came a leader who for twenty-seven years would shepherd the people of Kenya , not with guns and machetes, but with trees.

Wangari's struggle has lessons for all peoples who hope for a better world, and for us who long for a better T&T. Her struggle tells us that care for human beings must go hand in hand with care for the environment. One hears the echo of Paul VI in her strategy: "Development is the new name for peace" ( Populorm Progresio ). In planting millions of trees in Kenya since 1997 Wangari sought to halt soil erosion, provide food and fuel, and improve the lot of the poorest communities.

TRUE DEVELOPMENT

She sought to create peace by developing her country using both human and environmental capital. That Wangari was not fully recognised for her work until last year is another important lesson: real transformation takes time so we must be patient. This goes against the wisdom of the world which tells us we must get things done right away and be recognised overnight.

The "soldiers" Wangari used in her struggle were mainly women, including the disabled. Her practical wisdom tells us that true development is inclusive: everyone has his/her part to play, unlike much developmental philosophy today which excludes the poor as architects of their own destiny. Wangari also had to taste " myrrh "; in her struggles against wealthy land developers with powerful political connections she was threatened, beaten and jailed. With a touch of divine irony, she shared in the sufferings of the one whom they " executed by hanging on a tree " (Acts 5:30 ). Yet when she appeared in Oslo , Norway , to collect her Nobel Prize, she was not vanquished but confident and cheerful. As she said on learning of her award: "When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope."

As we start 2005, let us learn from Wangari Maathai. Let us not be too grandiose in our expectations for 2005. Let us all work together over a period of years caring for our environment, cultivating good family values, emphasising the importance of education, and placing God at the centre of all our struggles. In this way we create a better society for tomorrow for our children to inherit. Happy New Year to all our readers!