Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 07NAIROBI3209, KENYA'S WANGARI MAATHAI CONTINUES TO SPEAK OUT

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #07NAIROBI3209.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07NAIROBI3209 2007-08-09 06:01 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Nairobi
VZCZCXRO5454
RR RUEHGI RUEHRN
DE RUEHNR #3209/01 2210601
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090601Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1598
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 003209 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/E 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG ECON PGOV KCOR KE
SUBJECT: KENYA'S WANGARI MAATHAI CONTINUES TO SPEAK OUT 
 
1.  Summary: Kenya's Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, 
recipient of the 2007 Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human 
Rights, continues to be a forceful advocate for better governance as 
a path to environmentally sustainable economic development in Kenya 
and across Africa.  Her ability to influence policy and practice on 
the ground, however, is limited at times by the short-sighted nature 
of Kenyan politics.  Maathai is continually finding new avenues to 
advance an agenda shared by the United States. Even if she loses her 
Parliamentary seat in the December election, Maathai will remain an 
influential voice for conservation.  End summary. 
 
------------------------- 
Passion for Tree Planting 
------------------------- 
 
2.  In a July 26 meeting with Econoff, Prof. Wangari Maathai, who is 
also an elected Member of Parliament (MP), spoke passionately about 
a range of environmental concerns, but primarily focused on 
tree-planting and reclaiming environmentally degraded areas. 
Maathai said that local communities needed responsible leadership 
and improved educational outreach to fully understand the importance 
of sustainable management of resources.  Lamenting the uncontrolled 
development of Nairobi's river catchment areas, she said her Green 
Belt Movement (GBM) is "ready to do battle" to protect the 
watersheds.  She recently challenged African nations to "ring the 
bell" and confront the threat of global climate change.  She 
challenged community development projects that do not consider 
environmental ramifications such as road building, and supported 
community-based reclamation of degraded forests in western Kenya. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
Education and Involvement at Ground Level 
----------------------------------------- 
 
3.  According to Prof. Maathai, education is needed to build 
farm-level awareness and understanding of environmental concerns 
such as deforestation and desertification.  Information does not 
reach enough people because it is often disseminated in English or 
Kiswahili, rather than in local languages more farmers understand. 
Many subsistence farmers are poor people who are not thinking about 
tomorrow, but are just trying to meet the needs of today.  Maathai 
believes that by increasing their awareness of environmental 
degradation, they will become involved in the solutions. 
 
-------------------------- 
Planting, Prayers, Promise 
-------------------------- 
 
4.  Under the Plant a Billion Tree Campaign initiated by the GBM and 
the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), GBM 
pledged to plant two million trees in Kenya.  Maathai also advocates 
planting a green belt of trees across the Sahara Desert from Dakar 
to Djibouti to combat global climate change and desertification, and 
to contribute to soil stabilization and watershed management. 
 
5.  Closer to home, Maathai passionately addressed some of the 
environmental challenges in development and building in riverine 
areas of Nairobi, and the loss of parks and green space in the city. 
 She became very zealous when describing sites in Nairobi where 
building and development along the riverbed is exposing the bright 
red soil to erosion, damaging water quality.  Her GBM has placed 
signs near these grim sites, imploring people to stop grabbing and 
degrading public lands.  She is amazed that people continue to do so 
in the shadow of these signs, attributing this to greed and 
corruption. She left the interview with EconOff to meet with the 
Mayor of Nairobi and let him know that "we are ready for battle" 
over some of the sites.  She explained that GBM is planning to have 
a planting event of hope and promise, beginning with prayers and 
then planting trees to reclaim recently disturbed river catchment 
regions in Nairobi, inviting Econoff to participate in planting. 
 
--------------- 
Good Governance 
--------------- 
 
6.  Prof. Maathai commented that good governance is essential to 
environmental health, and good management of resources contributes 
to peace.  She explained that sometimes greed gets the better of 
people, giving the example that corruption allows building in 
riverbeds.  Prof. Maathai also cited the example of the public works 
department sometimes clear-cutting all vegetation along roads to 
remove obstructions to vision that can cause accidents, which also 
accelerates erosion.  Prof. Maathai was quoted in a local press 
report saying, "We need to protect our water catchments by planting 
more trees. If we destroy the environment, we will have no food." 
Maathai's views sometimes mobilize local communities to action. 
Residents of Nakuru in western Kenya are protesting the felling of 
over 1,000 trees in a road improvement project, according to a local 
press report. 
 
7.   Prof. Maathai promotes good governance and community 
 
NAIROBI 00003209  002 OF 002 
 
 
involvement as keys to effective and sustainable economic 
development, a key area the Mission supports.  The popularity of a 
music festival last week highlighting conservation topics such as 
desertification and deforestation exemplifies the grassroots support 
for Prof. Maathai's work and interest in a better environment. 
 
--------------------------- 
The Food Security Conundrum 
--------------------------- 
 
8. Prof. Maathai is embarrassed when Kenyans need food aid, adding 
that population growth is not so much the issue as the capacity to 
manage it.  She believes that Kenya could feed itself on a 
sustainable basis if farmers were trained to move from subsistence 
to sustainable, technology based-farming systems and cultivated 
unplanted land outside environmentally sensitive areas. 
 
9. Prof. Maathai acknowledges that biotechnology could increase 
agricultural production and food supplies.  However, in the context 
of the Parliament's discussion of the Biosafety Bill to regulate the 
use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), she highlighted the 
moral and ethical responsibility of government and scientists to 
regulate biotechnology. "We can do damage to ourselves if we are not 
careful.  We have a moral obligation to not put people in danger. 
People trust the government and scientists; they have a moral 
responsibility to protect the people." 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Global Vision Can Conflict With Local Needs 
------------------------------------------- 
 
10. Prof. Maathai appears regularly in the local news and speaks 
publicly on a variety of environmental topics. She recently 
criticized African countries for not responding to climate change, 
challenging them to take action to mitigate the likely significant 
impacts of climate change in Africa.  On the other hand, Maathai's 
global perspective is often at odds with her constituents, who are 
more concerned about personal issues such as paying their children's 
school fees and basic survival. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
11.  Professor Maathai's influence over the Kenyan government is 
limited by her decision to decline President Kibaki's appointment to 
be the Assistant Minister for Environment, and by the general 
short-sightedness of Kenya's politicians at the national and local 
levels.  However, even if she loses her seat in Parliament in 
elections scheduled for later this year, she will remain an 
influential voice for conservation in Kenya and indeed around the 
world. 
RANNEBERGER