Martti Ahtisaari Biography
Martti Ahtisaari was born in 1937 in the city of Viipuri, in Finnish Karelia, an area that was lost to the Soviet Union in 1939. His family had to flee their home and finally settled in the city of Kuopio. This childhood experience as a refugee in his own country shaped his perspectives on global issues and his choices to pursue a career in conflict resolution.
His long career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland began in 1965 with work in technical cooperation and international development. In 1973 he was appointed ambassador to Tanzania, which included Zambia, Somalia, and Mozambique.
In 1977 Ahtisaari began a 13-year involvement with Namibia as United Nations commissioner and then special representative of the UN secretary-general. He led the UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG) in Namibia from 1989–90, the first UN operation to include both a traditional peacekeeping force and a civilian component. His work resulted in the independence of Namibia in 1990.
In 1992 Ahtisaari’s work in the Balkans began when he chaired the Bosnia-Herzegovina Working Group of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia and was the secretary-general’s special representative. In 1999 he joined with Russia and the U.S. to negotiate the withdrawal of Yugoslav/Serbian forces from Kosovo and established both international security and a civil presence there.
In 1994, Ahtisaari was elected president of the Republic of Finland and served in that office until February 2000.
Upon leaving the presidency, Ahtisaari continued his work in peace mediation and conflict resolution with the founding of Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), a non-governmental organization (NGO). In 2005 Ahtisaari and CMI facilitated the peace process between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh movement, which led to a memo of understanding.
In 2005 Ahtisaari returned to the Balkans as special envoy of the UN secretary-general, charged to lead the political process to determine Kosovo’s future status, which resulted in a settlement proposal to the UN secretary general in 2007.
Ahtisaari remains active in numerious NGOs. Among other tasks, he chairs the independent commission examining the challenges and opportunities presented by Turkey's possible membership in the European Union.
A graduate of the University of Oulu, Finland, Ahtisaari has been recognized with 19 honorary doctorates from universities around the world. In September 2009 he became a member of The Elders.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee Announcement
10 October 2008
The Nobel Lecture by Martti Ahtisaari
Presentation Speech by Ole Danbolt Mjøs, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee
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Forum History
In cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, five Midwestern colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America sponsor the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum. This prestigious event is the Norwegian Nobel Institute's only such program or academic affiliation outside Norway. MORE >>
Schedule
Full schedule, including locations and Saturday seminars (PDF)
Friday, March 5
- 5-7 p.m. - Artist receptions
- 7:30 p.m. - Opening ceremony and first plenary session: Striving for Peace: A Question of Will, featuring Martti Ahtisaari
- 9 p.m. - Festivities featuring music of Dustin Thomas and the African Marimba Band
Saturday, March 6
- 9-10:15 a.m. - Second plenary session: A Deliberative Dialogue on the Role of Small States in Strategic Peacebuilding, featuring Martti Ahtisaari and Kjell Magne Bondevik
- 10:45 a.m.-noon - Concurrent sessions: panels & speakers
- 12:30-3 p.m. - Saturday seminars
- 1:45-3 p.m. - Film screening: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
- 3:15-4 p.m. - Film screening and discussion: Ana's Playground
- 4:15-5:30 p.m. - Third plenary session and closing ceremony: Call to Action: The Role of Citizens and Civil Society in Peacebuilding, featuring Leymah Gbowee