Meeting with the former President Mr. Martti Ahtisaari (Leticia Gasca, Mexico)

Mr. Martti Ahtisaari, the former President of Finland and receiver the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 (Photo: Vuokko Ritari, MFA)

Young Journalists' blog (FCP 2009)
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
(Leticia Gasca, Mexico)

It was a great honour to meet Mr. Martti Ahtisaari 

I have to confess that what I was expecting the most was to meet and talk to Mr. Martti Ahtisaari: he is not only the former President of Finland, he was also awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize 2008.

In 2000, when Martti Ahtisaari left the office he never imagined that by following its principles would receive eight years later the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2000, he founded Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), a nonprofit organization specializing in international conflict management.

What we were expecting the most was to meet and talk to Mr. Martti Ahtisaari...

We're listening and asking ... (Photos: Vuokko Ritari, MFA)

Mr. Ahtisaari told the FCP group that before being directly involved in politics among its first tasks he assisted in the independence of Namibia in 1990 and in negotiations for the government of Serbia to accept the terms of ceasefire in 1999.

FCP 2009 with Mr. Martti Ahtisaari (Photo: Vuokko Ritari, MFA)

Later, he was instrumental in the peace agreement between Indonesian government and Aceh separatists in 2005 and finally led the negotiations on the final status of Kosovo's independence.

"The most important of my missions was to mediate to achieve independence of Namibia, that process took me 13 years. However, Aceh and Kosovo were also very important," he said.

However, the leader recognizes that there is also much to do in his native Finland, as it has dramatically increased the number of older adults which means new challenges.

Dubious Expectations

Since my main interest is the environment I could not pass up the opportunity to ask Mr. Ahtisaari about his expectations for the the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen that will take place in December.

His answer was very relevant: he considers a priority to leave the theoretical discussions and take action as soon as possible. "Perhaps we do not know how to improve the Security Council, or optimizing the World Bank's work, but we know what to do with climate change”, he said.

"All the crises, including the one in Middle East can be resolved. The solution requires the contribution of the parties involved as well as the support of the entire international community."

And that is an excellent topic for a group of journalist from all over the Word, don´t you think?

Leticia