Ahtisaari’s work was challenging and sometimes dangerous; he often had to persuade
armed and angry groups to calm down enough to talk to one another. On one mission in
South Africa, he narrowly escaped being attacked by government agents.
At one point, he turned from peacemaker to politician and was elected president of
Finland for six years. He used his position to work with other nations and urge more
international cooperation.
Since then, Martti Ahtisaari has continued to work tirelessly for peace, and has created a
non-profit group dedicated to ending conflict. In recognition of his success in helping to
end violence and to get opposing groups talking, he has been given many major awards.
In 2008, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in resolving international
conflicts.
Ahtisaari likes to point out that conflict is part of everyday life, but so are mediation and
the desire for peace. It just depends, he says, on which path you choose to follow.
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