The world is shifting beneath our feet. We are moving toward a less orderly system, marked by tectonic shifts in geopolitics and geoeconomics, with technology accelerating change at an unprecedented pace. As a peacemaking actor, we must adapt quickly to these developments. Yet in doing so, we must be careful not to overadapt. There are fundamental principles of peacemaking that must remain constant.
One of these principles is clear: even the most carefully designed peace process and agreement will not endure if it lacks the support of the people who must live with it, and if it is not grounded in dialogue that addresses the root causes of the conflict. Without a genuine process of engagement, it is difficult to see how any agreement, no matter how promising, can truly hold.
Few forces are reshaping the global landscape as rapidly and profoundly as technology. This swift development has required CMI to rethink how we design and conduct mediation and dialogue processes. Digital tools offer opportunities: they can strengthen analysis, broaden participation in dialogue, and help us predict critical developments before their escalation into violence. At the same time, they can pour fuel into the fire: misinformation, polarisation and algorithm-driven echo chambers can exacerbate divisions and undermine fragile political processes.
CMI has already integrated digital tools into its peace efforts. In Yemen, digital consultations enabled youth participants, traditionally marginalised in peace processes, to vocalise their concerns through accessible voice-based messaging. This lowered barriers to engagement and allowed a broader range of perspectives to be captured. In Sudan, digital dialogue processes were successful in reaching diverse groups including women’s networks and youth within a highly constrained political environment.
Technology can meaningfully contribute to dialogue, from supporting inclusive representation to enabling constructive deliberation. CMI’s approach to the ethical use of technology is anchored in the understanding that peace itself must ultimately be owned by the parties to a conflict.
As part of marking its 25th anniversary, CMI convened leading experts from peacemaking and technology to foster their partnership. In this much-needed meeting, the peacemaking community had an opportunity to hear directly from technology practitioners and policymakers, and vice versa. I was glad to witness a clear, mutual call emerging for stronger dialogue and collaboration between the two sectors.
The interests of peacemakers and technology actors, both in the private and the public sector, are closely connected. The real challenge for stronger cooperation isn’t motivation, but the different clockspeeds of mediation and technology actors. Making this cooperation more feasible and systematic can help peacemakers engage more effectively with digital approaches and encourage responsible, conflict-sensitive innovation.
In 2026, CMI will continue to strengthen its work at the intersection of technology and peace. This includes deepening our analytical capacity to better understand how technology shapes conflict dynamics. It also means expanding partnerships with the tech sector and investing in digital applications that support peace processes. Inside the organisation, we will drive an AI-powered digital transformation.
In 25 years, much has changed, but the essential work of peace remains grounded in human relationships: in trust, courage, and dialogue. As my father Martti Ahtisaari put it: peace cannot be dictated from the outside. External actors can support negotiations, even push parties to the table, but the making of peace and its implementation ultimately rests with the parties to the conflict themselves. Lasting peace requires their own commitment and political will. This conviction guides CMI as we adapt to a less orderly world, yet one with new possibilities to advance sustainable peace.
Marko Ahtisaari
Chair of the Board
This text was first published in the CMI’s Annual Report 2025 where you can read more about our work in 2025.
