I'm concerned when certain movements or countries have been isolated from the international dialogue because then you have no way of influencing them.
Martti AhtisaariRead
Peace is a question of will. All conflicts can be settled, and there are no excuses for allowing them to become eternal.
Interpretation
Achieving peace requires deliberate effort, and conflicts can always be resolved if there is the will to do so.
This quote by Martti Ahtisaari emphasizes the notion that peace is not merely a passive state but an active endeavor that requires the willingness of individuals and parties involved. It suggests that all conflicts, no matter how entrenched, can find resolution through determination and commitment, and that allowing these conflicts to persist is unjustifiable.
In practice
During a peace summit, a delegate could use this quote to emphasize the importance of commitment to resolving disputes.
I'm concerned when certain movements or countries have been isolated from the international dialogue because then you have no way of influencing them.
I know what it's like when you are a refugee, living on the mercy of others and having to adjust.
There are always interests that are furthered by war. Therefore, those who have power and influence can also stop them... we should not accept any excuses from those in power.
The origins of my career as a peace mediator can be found from my childhood years. I was born in the city of Viipuri, then still part of Finland. We lost Viipuri when the Soviet Union attacked my country. Along with 400,000 fellow Karelians, I became an eternally displaced person in the rest of Finland.
We may think of peace as the absence of war, that if the great powers would reduce their weapons arsenals, we could have peace. But if we look deeply into the weapons, we will see our own minds - our own prejudices, fears, and ignorance.
For our part, we shall continue to work for the new dawn when all the Children of Abraham and their descendants are living together in the birthplace of their three great monotheistic religions, a life free from fear, a life free from want - a life in peace.
The more peace there is in us, the more peace there will be in our troubled world.
If you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.
The pacifist's task today is to find a method of helping and healing which provides a revolutionary constructive substitute for war.
I never thought that the child who was a famous symbol of war would one day be invited to become a symbol of peace.
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