Crisis Management Initiative
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Abbreviation | CMI |
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Formation | 24 August 2000 |
Founder | Martti Ahtisaari |
Founded at | Helsinki,Finland |
Type | Non-governmental organisation |
Registration no. | 3187418-1 |
Purpose | Conflict resolution |
Headquarters | Eteläranta 12, Helsinki |
Chairman | Marko Ahtisaari |
Budget(2020) | 9.5 million € |
Website | cmi |
CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation sr[1](in 2000–2021Crisis Management Initiative ry[2]) is an independentFinnishnon-governmental organisationthat works to prevent andresolve conflictthrough informaldialogueandmediation.[3]Nobel Peace Prizelaureate and formerPresident of FinlandMartti Ahtisaarifounded CMI in 2000. CMI has offices inHelsinkiandBrusselsas well as a presence in selected countries. CMI transformed from an association to a foundation on 1 May 2021.
The foundation's operations are led by an eight-member board, withMarko Ahtisaariserving as the chairman.[4][5]
Function
[edit]CMI states it is focused on contributing to peace processes in four regions:the Middle East and North Africa,Eurasia,Sub-Saharan AfricaandAsia.CMI states that it facilitates dialogue, mediates between conflicting sides, provides capacity-building and mediation support at all stages of conflict management and peace processes, and supports the broader peace building community.[6]CMI is often approached in conflicts related to which it has regional expertise and contacts. The choice of mediation also depends on the political will of its financial backers to solve a particular conflict. CMI works either directly with the parties of the conflict, or assists another organization like theUnited Nationsor theAfrican Unionin their mediating efforts. CMI conducts its mediating work behind the scenes and does not comment on ongoing negotiations. Sometimes even successful negotiations are kept secret.[7]
CMI head offices are inHelsinki.The organization employs 80 staff. As of 2018[update],the annual budget of CMI was 7,3 million euros. It receives most of its funding, 55%, from theFinnishstate. TheEuropean Unionand other European countries are significant funders as well.[7]In 2017, it campaigned to raise more than 600,000 euros from about 9,000 private donors as a surprise "birthday present" to Ahtisaari to fund more than 15 extra rounds of mediation talks.[8]
History
[edit]Nobel Peace laureate and former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari founded CMI on 24 August 2000,[9]the same year he became chairman of theInternational Crisis Group.After stepping down as the President of Finland that year, Ahtisaari declined the post ofUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesbecause he wanted to focus instead on addressing the root causes of conflicts. President Ahtisaari's long-term vision with CMI was to contribute as effectively as possible to solving violent conflict throughout the world. The main tasks of the organisation in its early years were to assist Martti Ahtisaari in his numerous international assignments, to participate in policy discussions, and to advocate capacity-building in civilian crisis management.[citation needed]
This led to CMI taking on its own projects, at first concerning crisis management and later on expanding to peace building and conflict resolution. One of CMI's most visible assignments, theAceh peace processbegan in late 2004. CMI and its chairman president Ahtisaari were asked to facilitate talks between the government of Indonesia and theFree Aceh Movement(GAM).[citation needed]
In 2008, President Ahtisaari was awarded theNobel Peace Prize"for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts". In its announcement, theNorwegian Nobel Committeealso recognized Ahtisaari and CMI's central role in the Aceh process as well as their work in mediating peace in Iraq in 2008.[10]
CMI has mediated inSouth Sudan.[11]
In 2014, CMI organized unofficial talks between conflict parties in Ukraine.[12]It also worked for peace inTransnistria.[13]
In 2017, CMI mediated between the government and opposition parties of theBurundian unrest.[14]CMI also facilitated negotiations betweenHamas,Fatahand other Palestinian groups. Because Hamas is classified as a terrorist group by many countries, CMI has been criticized for including them in talks. Because of the number of parties involved, it is difficult to assess the individual impact of CMI.[15]
More lately, CMI has worked to increase the role of women in mediation,[7]and been involved in mediation in theYemeni Civil War.[16]
In 2019, CMI removed all references to its employee and recently elected Member of Parliament of Finland,Hussein al-Taee,following his comparison of the Israel to the Islamic State and representatives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center saying al-Taee's writings were "clearly antisemitic."[17]
Chairmen
[edit]- Martti Ahtisaari2000–2017[18]
- Alexander Stubb2018–2024[19]
- Marko Ahtisaari2024–[5]
See also
[edit]- European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
- Finnish Institute of International Affairs
- Swisspeace
References
[edit]- ^"CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation sr".Business Information System.Helsinki: Finnish Patent and Registration Office, Finnish Tax Administration.Retrieved16 October2023.
- ^"Crisis Management Initiative ry".Business Information System.Helsinki: Finnish Patent and Registration Office, Finnish Tax Administration.Retrieved16 October2023.
- ^"Ahtisaaren CMI-järjestö".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish). 11 November 2008.Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^"DECISION-MAKING".CMI - Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation.
- ^ab"Marko Ahtisaari becomes new Chair of the CMI Board".14 February 2024.
- ^"Crisis Management Initiative (CMI)".Institute for NGO Research.2017-01-23.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-01-24.Retrieved2018-01-23.
- ^abcMuilu, Hannele (10 October 2018)."Ahtisaaren Nobelista 10 vuotta – CMI jatkaa näkymätöntä rauhantyötä, jossa alku on kaaosta eikä tuloksiakaan pääse aina juhlimaan".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^"Nobel winner Ahtisaari surprised with secret birthday 600k donation".Yle News.16 June 2017.Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^"Crisis Management Initiative ry".AssociationNet.Helsinki: Finnish Patent and Registration Office. 2017-05-10.Retrieved2017-05-10.
- ^"The Nobel Peace Prize for 2008".The Norwegian Nobel Committee. 10 October 2008.Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^Hentunen, Mika (2 February 2015)."Suomalaiset mukana rauhanhieronnassa: Kaivattu aseleposopu Etelä-Sudaniin".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^Santaharju, Teija (15 August 2014)."CMI:n toiminnanjohtaja: Kriisit ratkaistaan puhumalla".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^Tapola, Paula (3 March 2014)."Ukrainan jälkeen leimahtaa Transnistriassa?".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^Takkunen, Juho (21 August 2017)."Helsingissä salaisia neuvotteluja Burundin väkivaltaisuuksien lopettamiseksi – 'Sieltä täältä löytyy ruumiita, joilta on leikattu pää'".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^Zidan, Aishi (24 October 2017)."Suomalainen konfliktinratkaisujärjestö CMI raahasi nuoria ja naisia palestiinalaisten sovittelupöytiin".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^Muilu, Hannele (11 January 2019)."Jemenin rauha etenee piinallisen hitaasti – osapuolet syyttelivät toisiaan Helsingissä, mutta haluavat neuvotella".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved25 July2019.
- ^Harjumaa, Marika (29 April 2019)."CMI poisti maininnan Hussein al-Taeesta".Yle Uutiset(in Finnish).Retrieved6 May2019.
- ^"Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has passed away".CMI.16 October 2023.
- ^"Alexander Stubb appointed as the new CMI chairman".CMI.19 December 2017.