Hanna Klinge: “CMI cherishes President Ahtisaari’s strong legacy as an advocate of equality”
The internationally significant and well-known CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation is a peace mediation organization founded by President Martti Ahtisaari in 2000. CMI’s Deputy CEO Hanna Klinge dreamed of studying in the Peace and Conflict Studies program in Sweden since upper secondary school.
Working at Plan has made Secretary General Ossi Heinänen challenge the way he thinks about gender norms
Ossi Heinänen first got in touch with organizational activities already during his time as a student. Heinänen had many interests, such as running his own event agency, but when he was working as the Secretary General of a student union, an idea of finding a career in the field of civil society began to take shape. His meaningful and fulfilling work at Plan started in 2012.
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“Strong and clear lady” Helena Ranta would like to see more women in peace mediation
When you listen to Helena Ranta, Forensic Odontologist, war crimes expert and Professor Emerita, you can’t help but think that she could have been a successful diplomat anywhere in the world. While some researchers might conduct their work in a straightforward way in terms of pure substance, Ranta’s approach has been holistic and sensitive to different cultures and situations. Ranta has also stood her ground in many tough situations when needed – and worked to ensure that gender equality is better taken into account in conflict resolution.
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Ujuni Ahmed urges people to talk about their problems – political silence only increases the inequalities that minorities face
Ujuni Ahmed is a sought-after expert, Chairperson of the Crisis Response Association, a new mother and an acclaimed author whose work “Tytöille, jotka ajattelevat olevansa yksin” (“For Girls Who Think They Are Alone”) premiered at the Finnish National Theatre in the autumn of 2023. She came to Finland from Somalia with her family in the early 1990s, when the need for the integration of immigrants had not yet been recognized. According to Ahmed, this has led to many of the problems that we face today.
Tarja Halonen: Girls in conflict-affected countries need our special attention
President Halonen is an unwavering defender of the welfare society – and for many reasons. The measures employed by the Nordic countries to promote gender equality could also have helped countries in crisis situations. “Empowerment of women and girls also protects them in times of crises. But any shortcomings should be addressed before it’s too late. Very few countries can launch action to improve the situation of the most vulnerable people while in a crisis.”
Gender equality should be at the core of peacemaking
Peace goes hand in hand with equality: societies with higher gender equality tend to be more peaceful, while peaceful societies are better at making gains in gender equality. Gender equality also matters for how peace is made. The conditions for sustainable peace and post-war recovery are built simultaneously at political, community and personal levels. Therefore, both men and women should be able to take part in every step of the peace process, from pre-negotiation consultations to concrete actions taken after the shaking of hands.