CMI founder and Nobel Peace Laureate, the late Martti Ahtisaari, has been recognised in Tanzania with an award for his legacy in peace and security. The posthumous award from NGO, African Leadership Initiatives for Impact is recognition of his lifetime contributions to peacebuilding and mediation.
Finland’s Ambassador in Tanzania Theresa Zitting collected the ‘Honorary Award for Outstanding Legacy in Peace and Security’ on Saturday during the International Peace and Security Awards ceremony held in Dar es Salaam. The award is given to individuals or institutions whose work has made exceptional contributions to peace and security.
“President Ahtisaari was selected in view of his long record of promoting dialogue, conflict resolution, and inclusive mediation,” said African Leadership Initiatives for Impact’s Executive Director Joseph Brighton Malekela. The award ceremony took place during a forum dedicated to UN Security Council Resolution 2250, better known as the ‘Youth, Peace and Security Agenda’. More than 1,000 youth leaders, civil society organisations and peace advocates participated.
The youth, peace and security event drew over 1,000 participants from across Tanzania.
Martti Ahtisaari, who served as President of Finland from 1994 to 2000, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008 for his work in resolving international conflicts. He founded CMI in 2000 to promote mediation, dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution around the world.
“One of his objectives in establishing CMI was to provide a platform for young people to learn the craft of mediation, and he made sure that delegations and trips always included younger colleagues from the organisation,” said Tiina Kukkamaa-Bah, Head of CMI’s Sub-Saharan Africa programme.
“His mission was to help build the next generation of peacemakers, and he would be happy to see this legacy being implemented also by you in Tanzania and beyond. The inclusion of young people in peacemaking was always very important for President Ahtisaari.”
Theresa Zitting, Ambassador of Finland in Dar es Salaam, collects the award on behalf of CMI.
Earlier this year CMI held a high-level forum in Tanzania as part of its global series of discussions launched in 2024 on Ahtisaari’s legacy and the future of mediation and diplomacy. It followed the former Finnish President’s passing in 2023.
The so-called ‘Legacy Seminar’ was organised with the Tanzanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, the Salim Ahmed Salim Centre for Foreign Relations, and the Finnish Embassy. Themes included youth empowerment, multilateral dialogue and Tanzania’s role in Ahtisaari’s peacemaking.
The core principle underlying CMI’s work in Sub-Saharan Africa is that sustainable solutions require regional efforts and the participation of all levels of society. CMI supports regional organisations to promote peace and security, helps them build mediation capacities, and assists in their mediation and peacemaking efforts.