Crisis Management Initiative

Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) is an independent, non-governmental organisation that works to resolve conflict and to build sustainable peace. CMI has offices in Helsinki and Brussels and activities in Liberia, Ethiopia, the Black Sea region, Middle East and Aceh. It was founded by Martti Ahtisaari, the former President of Finland, in 2000. In 2005, it achieved reputation for the peace agreement between The Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement. Martti Ahtisaari won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008.

Activities

CMI is networking for peace, supporting local decision makers in building stability and encouraging conflict parties to a dialogue. The CMI way of doing things is pulling together international peacebuilding experts and local experience. Over the past decade CMI has gained valuable knowledge of different peacebuilding and conflict solving methods. CMI tailors the models accordingly and turns thinking into action.

• CMI contributes to conflict resolution through mediation, mediation support, dialogue and confidence building processes
• CMI seeks to consolidate and sustain peace processes through supporting state capacity and participatory planning and prioritization

CMI currently operates in:

1. Aceh
2. Africa
3. Black Sea and Central Asia
4. European Union
5. Middle East

CMI Highlights

• Supported President Ahtisaari in facilitating negotiations between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). The negotiations lead to the signing of a peace agreement (2005).).^[1]
• Co-arranged a meeting of various political Iraqi leaders in Finland that led to the signing of the Helsinki II Agreement, outlining 17 principles defining the framework for reconciliation in Iraq (2007 and 2008)^[2]
• Supported international decision-making through an in-depth conflict analysis of the Burma/Myanmar situation (2008).^[3]
• Supported the re-establishment and functioning of a network of women’s organizations in Aceh in order to enhance women's participation in post-conflict peace building processes (2008-).
• Launched, together with the Government of Liberia, the design process of a mobile technology based system for the creation of a civil register in Liberia, which will make the first tool within the Governance out of a Box “toolkit” for state building. This “toolkit” is aimed at being transferrable to other areas of post-conflict reconstruction (2008-).^[4]
• Transferred skills of conflict resolution and engagement in dialogue to civil society organizations in several countries in the Black Sea region, and creating the first civil society expert councils advising the respective governments of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Moldova (2008-).^[5]
• Worked with the African Union and other African and international organizations to build regional capacities for mediation (2009-).
• Supported the European Union in developing its mediation policy and capacity to engage in international peace mediation and cooperation (2007).

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2008

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded President Ahtisaari the Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 “for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts”. The Nobel Committee also highlighted the role of CMI as having provided the necessary support for President Ahtisaari’s many important international assignments for instance in Iraq, the Horn of Africa, Northern Ireland, Central Asia and Aceh, Indonesia.^[6]

Governance

CMI is a non-governmental organization independent of governments, multilateral institutions or their networks. CMI is governed by a Board of Directors and an International Advisory Board combining expertise in the public and private sectors, multilateral institutions, as well as field practice in international regions in crisis. CMI's Executive Director is Tuija Talvitie (as of 1.11.2009).

Board of Directors

• President Martti Ahtisaari, Chairman of the Board
• Juha Rantanen, Managing Director of Outokumpu
• Kirsti Lintonen, Permanent Representative to the United Nations (retired)
• Pekka Korpinen, Executive Director, World Bank (ret.)
• Martti Koskenniemi, Professor, Cambridge University (International Law)
• Gunvor Kronman, CEO, Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre (Board Member and former executive of several international development aid and humanitarian organizations)
• Aleksi Neuvonen, Research Director, Demos
• Pauliina Parhiala, Director of International Co-operation, FinnChurchAid
• Kristina Pentti-von Walzel, Campaign Director, Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki
• Johnny Åkerholm, President and CEO, Nordic Investment Bank (former Secretary General of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 2003–2005)

International Advisory Board

• President Martti Ahtisaari, Chairman of the Board
• Alyson Bailes, Visiting Professor, University of Iceland
• Vasu Gounden, Executive Director, ACCORD
• Priscilla Hayner, Director, International Center for Transitional Justice
• Stephen Heintz, President, Rockefeller Brothers Fund
• Juan Rada, Senior Vice President, Oracle Corporation
• Annika Söder, Executive Director, Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation
• Ramesh Thakur, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation
• Pertti Torstila, Secretary of State, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

External links

• Official website

Notes