Martti Ahtisaari Quotes

Waging war we understand, but not waging peace, or at any rate less consciously so.

This may not be a just peace, but it is more just than the continuation of war.

After every war someone has to tidy up.

Along with that ongoing process Sinn Fein took a decision to establish a peace commission which had the responsibility to travel around the country to receive submissions from the general public, also our opponents.

Winning the peace is harder than winning the war.

I think the day you start building the war plan is the day you start beginning the postwar plan.

Peacemaking and peacekeeping should run in parallel.

A war is only as good as the peace that follows.

According to the “ripeness theory,” every conflict reaches a point when the parties are tired of confrontation and determine it is in their interest to make peace. With practical steps, principled leadership, and encouragement from the international community, the peace process still represents a win-win for both sides.

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

If you are going to make peace, you can't just meet nice people.

Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.

My actions to promote peace, the mediation missions which I carried out during many conflicts, which very often occurred between brothers of the same country, are not driven by any ulterior motives or any calculations based on personal ambitions.

I want to say a simple thing, that the dividing line exists not between Jordan and Israel, but between the proponents of peace and the opponents of peace.

Such problems are not solved in one day but there is a great step toward peace and security in the region.

Well I think it has always been a mistake to reduce the peace process in Ireland to a decommissioning process.

I picked up the phone and called Herbert Hainer, the CEO of Adidas, and said, 'Well, it's Peace Day coming up. I think it's about time after 60 years to end this feud. How about doing something together?'

John Irwin became one of the greatest peace workers in Northern Ireland.

Americans have learned that it is harder to end wars than it is to begin them

Like in every peace process, and especially in Colombia, there all kinds of problems that will come through. Not only is the process by itself very complicated but it has lots of underground complications.

Repetition is hell. How can we get out of those cycles of violence? How come we are still today talking about peace in Israel? How come we're not able to find a solution yet? Something that will bring peace in this part of the world? It's the same in a lot of places in the world right now. How come we are not able to find peace?

I have passed, I hope, many tests over the course of the last 20-odd years in relation to the peace process and intend to continue to work forward in a very sensible and reasoned way with political colleagues in the Executive.

Middle East history is replete with examples of missed and lost chances to make peace.

Peace is not made with friends. Peace is made with enemies.

To reconcile conflicting parties, we must have the ability to understand the suffering of both sides.