Martti Ahtisaari

On the basis of his reputation as an avid peacemaker who had been

sent by the United Nations to many parts of the globe to help resolve

conflicts and support international peace efforts, Martti Ahtisaari was

awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008.

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Catholics and Protestants fighting in Northern Ireland... tensions between Kosovo and
Serbia in Central Europe... battles between nations and tribes in Africa... bloodshed in
Indonesia - all of these conflicts have one thing in common - in each case, the opposing
sides were brought closer to peace by the same man: Martti Ahtisaari.
Who would have thought that Martti was destined to be a global peacemaker when he
was born in a small village in Finland just before World War II? But as a young man,
Martti showed a special talent for languages and for teaching - he seemed to be able to
reach out to people and help them understand things.
When he took a teaching job in Pakistan, giving English lessons and helping train other
teachers, Martti Ahtisaari’s eyes were opened to the power of nations to help one another.
Upon returning to Finland, he started working for the government, first helping
diplomats, and then becoming one himself.
That was when Ahtisaari’s ability to speak five languages and his capacity to see all sides
of an issue really began to shine. Soon, he was traveling the world, helping to support
international peace efforts. At first, he represented his home nation of Finland, but the
United Nations soon recognized his talents and sent him to many parts of the world to
help resolve conflicts.