The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize goes to Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, “for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts.”
Fortunately for uneducated boors like me, they provide a press release listing some of those efforts:
Throughout all his adult life, whether as a senior Finnish public servant and President or in an international capacity, often connected to the United Nations, Ahtisaari has worked for peace and reconciliation. For the past twenty years, he has figured prominently in endeavours to resolve several serious and long-lasting conflicts. In 1989-90 he played a significant part in the establishment of Namibia’s independence; in 2005 he and his organization Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) were central to the solution of the complicated Aceh question in Indonesia. In 1999 and again in 2005-07, he sought under especially difficult circumstances to find a solution to the conflict in Kosovo. In 2008, through the CMI and in cooperation with other institutions, Ahtisaari has tried to help find a peaceful conclusion to the problems in Iraq. He has also made constructive contributions to the resolution of conflicts in Northern Ireland, in Central Asia, and on the Horn of Africa.
Sounds like worthy stuff. Congratulations to him.
I merely reside in Finland, but I feel some reflected pride in this. Finns aren’t usually very demonstrative (unless they’ve just beaten Sweden in the hockey), but they’re very good at quietly getting things done.
Ahtisaari’s experience as a primary school teacher must have come in handy to get people to sit down and work together quietly.
I hear that the Russians and Serbs are not happy. It’s a shame if this is seen as a partisan choice over there. Considering his whole career it’s probably well deserved, but I’m not thrilled about some of Ahtisaari’s later statements. For instance he defended the invasion of Iraq (in 2003, I don’t know if he has updated his opinion since).
President Ahtisaari said that reason for he getting the prize was that the Nobel committee wanted to move back to a more narrow definition of a peace work.
I hear that the Russians and Serbs are not happy. It’s a shame if this is seen as a partisan choice over there. Considering his whole career it’s probably well deserved, but I’m not thrilled about some of Ahtisaari’s later statements. For instance he defended the invasion of Iraq (in 2003, I don’t know if he has updated his opinion since).
The main controversy for Russia and Serbia about President Ahtisaari getting the prize was a declaration of independence of Kosovo. Ahtisaari, even in hes years as the president of Finland wasn’t really an opinionmaker – really a politician. That’s why he didn’t try to get re-elected. Hes more a guy who rolls hes sleeves and tries to get the work done: he was awarded for hes work not for hes opinions. The opinions even he doesn’t hold in spotlights.