Crisis Management Initiative

CMI states it is focused on contributing to peace processes in four regions: the Middle East and North Africa, Eurasia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/crisis-management-initiative-cmi/|title=Crisis Management Initiative (CMI)|date=2017-01-23|work=Institute for NGO Research|access-date=2018-01-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124070753/https://www.ngo-monitor.org/ngos/crisis-management-initiative-cmi/|archive-date=2018-01-24|url-status=live|language=en-US}} 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 the United Nations or the African Union in 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.{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10447865|title=Ahtisaaren Nobelista 10 vuotta – CMI jatkaa näkymätöntä rauhantyötä, jossa alku on kaaosta eikä tuloksiakaan pääse aina juhlimaan|last=Muilu|first=Hannele|work=Yle Uutiset|date=10 October 2018|language=fi|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

CMI head offices are in Helsinki. The organization employs 80 staff. {{As of|2018}}, the annual budget of CMI was 7,3 million euros. It receives most of its funding, 55%, from the Finnish state. The European Union and other European countries are significant funders as well. 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.{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/nobel_winner_ahtisaari_surprised_with_secret_birthday_600k_donation/9674367|title=Nobel winner Ahtisaari surprised with secret birthday 600k donation|date=16 June 2017|work=Yle News|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

Nobel Peace laureate and former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari founded CMI on 24 August 2000,{{Cite web | url = http://yhdistysrekisteri.prh.fi/pertied.htx?kieli=3&reknro=179786 | title = Crisis Management Initiative ry | work = AssociationNet | date = 2017-05-10 | location = Helsinki | publisher = Finnish Patent and Registration Office | accessdate = 2017-05-10 }} the same year he became chairman of the International Crisis Group. After stepping down as the President of Finland that year, Ahtisaari declined the post of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees because 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|date=January 2018}}

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, the Aceh peace process began in late 2004. CMI and its chairman president Ahtisaari were asked to facilitate talks between the government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

In 2008, President Ahtisaari was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts". In its announcement, the Norwegian Nobel Committee also recognized Ahtisaari and CMI's central role in the Aceh process as well as their work in mediating peace in Iraq in 2008.{{cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2008/press-release/|title=The Nobel Peace Prize for 2008 |date=10 October 2008|publisher=The Norwegian Nobel Committee|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

CMI has mediated in South Sudan.{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-7775603|title=Suomalaiset mukana rauhanhieronnassa: Kaivattu aseleposopu Etelä-Sudaniin|date=2 February 2015|last=Hentunen|first=Mika|work=Yle Uutiset|language=fi|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

In 2014, CMI organized unofficial talks between conflict parties in Ukraine.{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-7413014|title=CMI:n toiminnanjohtaja: Kriisit ratkaistaan puhumalla|date=15 August 2014|last=Santaharju|first=Teija|language=fi|work=Yle Uutiset|accessdate=25 July 2019}} It also worked for peace in Transnistria.{{Cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-7117637|title=Ukrainan jälkeen leimahtaa Transnistriassa?|last=Tapola|first=Paula|date=3 March 2014|work=Yle Uutiset|language=fi|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

In 2017, CMI mediated between the government and opposition parties of the Burundian unrest.{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9778716|title=Helsingissä salaisia neuvotteluja Burundin väkivaltaisuuksien lopettamiseksi – 'Sieltä täältä löytyy ruumiita, joilta on leikattu pää'|date=21 August 2017|last=Takkunen|first=Juho|work=Yle Uutiset|language=fi|accessdate=25 July 2019}} CMI also facilitated negotiations between Hamas, Fatah and 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.{{cite web|title=Suomalainen konfliktinratkaisujärjestö CMI raahasi nuoria ja naisia palestiinalaisten sovittelupöytiin|date=24 October 2017|last=Zidan|first=Aishi|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-9897492|work=Yle Uutiset|language=fi|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

More lately, CMI has worked to increase the role of women in mediation, and been involved in mediation in the Yemeni Civil War.{{Cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10593060|title=Jemenin rauha etenee piinallisen hitaasti – osapuolet syyttelivät toisiaan Helsingissä, mutta haluavat neuvotella|last=Muilu|first=Hannele|work=Yle Uutiset|date=11 January 2019|language=fi|accessdate=25 July 2019}}

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."{{cite news |title=CMI poisti maininnan Hussein al-Taeesta |last=Harjumaa|first=Marika|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10759294 |accessdate=6 May 2019 |work=Yle Uutiset |date=29 April 2019 |language=fi}}

• Martti Ahtisaari 2000–2017{{Cite web |date=16 October 2023 |title=Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has passed away |url=https://cmi.fi/2023/10/16/martti-ahtisaari-former-finnish-president-and-nobel-peace-prize-laureate-has-passed-away/ |website=CMI}}
• Alexander Stubb 2018–2024{{Cite web |date=19 December 2017 |title=Alexander Stubb appointed as the new CMI chairman |url=https://cmi.fi/2017/12/19/alexander-stubb-appointed-new-cmi-chairman/ |website=CMI}}
• Marko Ahtisaari 2024–

• European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
• Finnish Institute of International Affairs
• Swisspeace

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website}}

{{coord|60.165904|24.9523|type:landmark_region:FI-18|display=title}}{{Authority control}}

Category:Peace organisations based in Finland

Category:Think tanks based in Finland

Category:Think tanks established in 2000

Category:Research institutes in Finland

Category:Research institutes of international relations

Category:2000 establishments in Finland

Category:Martti Ahtisaari