sustainablog: "There can be no peace without sustainable management of resources, justice and fairness."

Via WorldChanging, openDemocracy has published an essay by Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai on African development. Maathai returns to her model of a "three-legged stool" of sustainable development, democratic governance and peace, and makes a compelling case for actions that African nations, as well as regional and continental coalitions, can take to address the continent's poverty. As you might imagine, I was particularly drawn to Maathai's comment on the role of environmental stewardship in continuing African development:

One cannot build democracy in order later to manage resources sustainably and create peace. Managing resources accountably and responsibly, and sharing them more equitably, are essential to nurturing a culture of peace. This in turn is possible only if there is adequate democratic space for everybody; space where the rule of law and the rights of all, including the weak and vulnerable, are respected.