Martti Ahtisaari received this year's Nobel Peace Prize for three decades of mediation efforts around the globe. In his acceptance speech, Ahtisaari addressed peace, the Middle East, and the role of the mediator:
- "Peace is a question of will. All conflicts can be settled, and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal."
- "Many have come to believe that the Middle East knot can never be untied. I do not share this belief. All crises, including the one in the Middle East, can be resolved. The solution would require a contribution from all the parties involved as well as the international community as a whole."
- "The task of the mediator is to help the parties to open difficult issues and nudge them forward in the peace process."
In addition to the ceremony, the former Finnish president was honored last week with a star-studded concert. Singers Diana Ross, Feist, Dierks Bentley, Julieta Venegas, and Nigerian star Seun Kuti performed at a concert in Oslo, Norway designed to draw attention to the peace prize. Co-host and actress Scarlett Johansson boasted conflict resolution in an Associated Press story: "mediation should be the alternative to wars such as those being fought in Afghanistan and Iraq."
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