Stories from the UN Archive: Kissing trees and protecting the natural world

stories-from-the-un-archive:-kissing-trees-and-protecting-the-natural-world


United Nations

Global perspective Human stories

Famed primatologist and environmental activist, Jane Goodall kisses a tree just planted by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Mrs. Annan, in Soweto, South Africa in 2002. (file)

Peace and Security

A pioneer in the study of chimpanzees and a vocal environmental activist, Jane Goodall became a UN Messenger of Peace in 2002.

On the heels of the International Day of Neutrality, marked annually on 12 December, we took a look at Ms. Goodall’s contributions as a Messenger of Peace.

Launched in 1997, the UN Messengers of Peace programme has designated more than a dozen influential individuals, including Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai and superstar Stevie Wonder.

Watch how Ms. Goodall became a Messenger of Peace here, part of our #ThrowbackThursday series showcasing epic moments across UN history, cultivated from the UN Audiovisual Library’s 49,400 hours of video and 18,000 hours of audio recordings.

Catch up on our series here, and watch episodes from UN Video’s Stories from the UN Archive playlist here. Join us next Thursday for another dive into history.