The wonderful Martti Ahtisaari received the Nobel peace price today.

I want to pull out a few things from the speech he gave in Oslo today.

Religion and war

For many people, tensions between religions have provided an easy explanation for the intractability of the Middle East crisis. I cannot accept this view. During my career I have seen many crises in which religion has been used as a weapon or as an instrument for prolonging the conflict. Religions themselves are, however, peace-loving. They can also be a constructive force in peace-building, and this also applies to the Middle East.

A question of will

“Peace is a question of will. All conflicts can be settled, and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal.”

Peace must involve everybody

“In a conflict, one party can always claim victory, but building peace must involve everybody: the weak and the powerful, the victors and the vanquished, men and women, young and old.”

Fight against poverty

“I call on all governments to remain committed to their stated goals of eradicating poverty. … If nothing is done, we will be creating an effective breeding ground for crime, instability and war as young people lose all hope. I believe that the fight against poverty is also the most effective measure of countering terrorism in the long term.”

Middle East

“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.”

Congratulations

Congratulations and thankyou for the great inspiration and leadership you have shown us. May we follow in your footsteps.

Read the full speech below: