Martti Ahtisaari

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Updated On December 20, 2024

Oiva Martti Kalevi Ahtisaari is a former President of Finland and a Finnish politician. He was also a United Nations ambassador and mediator, and in 2008 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing peace to many regions of the world via discussions and dialogue. He was born in Finland, was displaced from his hometown by Russian forces as a child, travelled from place to place before settling in Oulu with his mother. Following graduation, he joined the Finnish government and worked as a representative of Finland and the United Nations in bringing competing nations to the negotiating table in a number of countries. He eventually became President of Finland, and by entering the European Union, he was able to save Finland from economic ruin. His early experiences taught him that mankind can only survive if peace reigns everywhere, which he set out to achieve with remarkable success. He speaks English, German, French, and Swedish in addition to his home tongue of Finnish. He helped Namibia and Kosovo gain independence, worked for the United Nations in various capacities, and held key roles in numerous international organizations.

Childhood and Adolescence

Martti Ahtisaari was born in Viipuri, Finland, on June 23, 1937, and is now known as Vyborg in Russia.
In 1929, his father, Oiva Ahtisaari (whose grandpa Julius Marenius Adolfsen emigrated to Finland with his family from Tistedalen, Norway in 1872), changed his surname from Adolfsen to Ahtisaari.

Tyne Ahtisaari, his mother, went to Kuopio with her son from Viipuri to escape the Second World War when his father was called to the front.
He spent much of his childhood in Kuopio, where he attended Kuopion Leo High School.

In 1952, he moved to Oulu with his family, finished his high school career, and graduated the same year.
He joined the YMCA in Oulu and served in the Finnish Army as a reserve, rising to the rank of Captain.

Martti Ahtisaari enrolled in a distance learning course at the teacher’s college in Oulu after completing his military training.
He studied from home for two years and became a primary school teacher in 1959.

Martti Ahtisaari’s Career

Martti Ahtisaari traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, to work as the head of a YMCA-sponsored physical education training program, where he was responsible for overseeing the students’ homes and teaching the teachers.
He returned to Finland in 1963 and became associated with non-governmental groups that helped underdeveloped countries.

In 1965, he joined Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a member of the ‘Bureau for International Development Aid,’ subsequently becoming its assistant chief.

From 1977 to 1981, he served as the ‘United Nations Commissioner for Namibia,’ representing Finland in Namibia. He was instrumental in Namibia’s independence from South Africa.

In April 1989, Ahtisaari was dispatched to Namibia as the leader of UNTAG, the United Nations Transition Assistance Group.

He agreed with South African Administrator General Louis Pienaar and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to authorize the SADF forces to expel the SWAPO militants, which resulted in the deaths of around 375 SWAPO soldiers.

He was declared an honorary citizen of Namibia after the country’s first free elections in 1989.
From 1987 to 1991, he was the UN Undersecretary of Administration.
He was dispatched to Kosovo as a Special UN Envoy to help negotiate Kosovo’s independence from Serbia, which occurred in 2008.

In 1993, he was chosen as the Social Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, and he narrowly defeated Elisabeth Renn of the Swedish People’s Party in the election.
He led Finland into the European Union in 1994.

He negotiated peace in Kosovo with Slobodan Milosevic and Viktor Chernomyrdin in 1999.
In the year 2000, he refused to run for president again. He formed the ‘Crisis Management Initiative’ after withdrawing from the presidential race to negotiate peace in all difficult places of the world.

From 2000 to 2001, he joined Cyril Ramaphosa during the ‘Northern Ireland peace process,’ inspecting IRA armaments on behalf of the ‘Independent International Commission.’
In 2005, he was successful in negotiating an agreement between the ‘Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian government.

In November 2005, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan selected him to govern Kosovo.
From early 2006, he conducted discussions for Kosovo’s independence from Serbia from his office in Vienna.

When the EU, the US, and Russia took up the Kosovo negotiations, Ahtisaari cheerfully handed over his responsibilities to them. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February 2008.

From 2000 until 2009, he served as Chairman of the ‘Interpeace Governing Council,’ and since 2009, he has served as a Special Advisor and Chairman Emeritus of the council.

In 2009, he joined the ‘The Elders’ group, which included Jimmy Carter, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and Mary Robinson. In April 2011, he traveled to Korea with them to bring peace to the country.
In July 2012, he traveled to South Sudan alongside Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson for the peace process.

Achievements and Awards

In October 2008, Martti Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in resolving conflicts in Namibia, Indonesia, Aceh, Iraq, Kosovo, and other nations.

For his efforts and contributions to freedom and peace, he has received numerous accolades from various countries and organizations.

Personal History and Legacy

Martti Ahtisaari married Eeva Irmeli Hyvarinen in 1968, and their son Marko Ahtisaari eventually became a well-known producer and musician.

Martti’s Humanitarian Action

In many regions of the world, he has worked relentlessly to promote peace and disarmament.

Estimated Net worth

Martti Ahtisaari has a net worth of $ USD 6 million and a primary source of income as a diplomat and politician. We don’t have enough information about Martti Ahtisaari’s cars or lifestyle.