Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Ahtisaari
Martti Oiva Kalevi Ahtisaari; born 23 June 1937) is a Finnish politician, the tenth President of Finland, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and United Nations diplomat and mediator, noted for his international peace work...
NationalityFinnish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth23 June 1937
CityVyborg, Finland
CountryFinland
Perhaps it's a curse, but when you are a Lutheran, you have a sense of responsibility.
consulting difficult forward help issues mediator medical midwife open parties peace role task teacher
The task of the mediator is to help the parties to open difficult issues and nudge them forward in the peace process. The mediator's role combines those of a ship's pilot, consulting medical doctor, midwife and teacher.
appeal concerned entering exercise parties restraint sensitive talks utmost
As the talks are entering a sensitive phase, I appeal to all parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint on the ground.
agreement describe difficult execution taken
Considering what has taken place during the negotiations and in the execution of the agreement, it would be difficult not to describe this as a success.
caused conflicts human wars
Wars and conflicts are not inevitable. They are caused by human beings.
became borders caused country fellow finland great home hundred left politics power refugees several soviet thousand town
Like several hundred thousand fellow Karelians, we became refugees in our own country as great power politics caused the borders of Finland to be redrawn and left my home town as part of the Soviet Union.
clarity point sought
We have now come to the point when the clarity has to be sought from Yugoslavia,
continue effect expect negative process
I expect that we will continue with the process and I don't think that it will have any negative effect on our process.
based became conflicts involved parties trust
Mediators do not choose the conflicts they became involved in, but the parties to the conflict choose the mediator. Their participation as intermediaries is based on the trust of all the conflicting parties.
coming generation government growing influence people policies power talk time
No country's policies are eternal; they do vary. People are growing old, and a new generation is coming to power. In a year's time, a government can look different. You can't influence them if you don't talk to them.
life
Luck has a lot to do with how your life develops.
accept excuses interests power stop war
There are always interests that are furthered by war. Therefore, those who have power and influence can also stop them... we should not accept any excuses from those in power.
along attacked became born city displaced eternally fellow found lost mediator origins peace rest soviet union
The origins of my career as a peace mediator can be found from my childhood years. I was born in the city of Viipuri, then still part of Finland. We lost Viipuri when the Soviet Union attacked my country. Along with 400,000 fellow Karelians, I became an eternally displaced person in the rest of Finland.
collect listen object trip
The object of this first trip is to listen to the parties, collect impressions,