Talk:Fatima Jibrell/Temp

Fatima Jibrell (Fadumo Jibriil, فاطمة جبريل) is a Somali environmental activist.

Biography
Jibrell was born in 1948 in Somalia. She later moved to the United States, where she pursued her studies. She eventually obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees, followed by American citizenship. In the early 1990s, she returned to her native Somalia and founded the Horn of Africa Relief and Development Organization (Horn Relief), an environmental conservation institution that she also directs.

Anti-charcoal campaign
Through Horn Relief, Jibrell mounted a successful campaign to salvage old-growth forests of acacia trees in the northeastern part of Somalia. These trees, which can grow up to 500 years old, were being cut down to make charcoal since this so-called "black gold" is highly in demand in the Arabian Peninsula, where the region's Bedouin tribes believe the acacia to be sacred. However, while being a relatively inexpensive fuel that meets a user's needs, the production of charcoal often-times leads to the destruction of forests. As a way of addressing this problem, Jibrell and Horn Relief trained a group of youngsters to educate the public on the irreversible damage that unrestricted charcoal production can create. In 1999, Horn Relief coordinated a peace march in the northeastern Puntland region of Somalia to put an end to the so-called "charcoal wars." As a result of Jibrell's lobbying and education efforts, the Puntland government in 2000 banned the export of charcoal. The government has also since enforced the ban, which has reportedly led to an 80 percent drop in exports of the product.

Awards
Fatima was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2002 for her efforts against environmental degradation and desertification. In 2008, she also won the National Geographic Society/Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation.