Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari arrived in Oslo on Monday for his Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and said he hopes the honor will increase support his own peace efforts and those of others, as well.
The 71-year-old is scheduled to accept the award Wednesday for decades of peace efforts, including a 2005 deal in Aceh province that ended fighting between the Indonesian government and Free Aceh Movement rebels.
Ahtisaari founded the Crisis Management Initiative, a nonprofit group, in 2000, after stepping down following six years as Finland’s president. He said prize can help his and similar groups continue to make peace.
“I hope it draws the attention of those who can make the work possible for organizations like ours,” he said, speaking briefly to reporters in the lobby of Oslo’s Grand Hotel. “It is very important that there is a continued financial support.”
Ahtisaari was picked for the award in October. His peace efforts started in Namibia in the 1970s and continued more recently in Kosovo, Indonesia and elsewhere.
During three days of celebrations, Ahtisaari will hold a news conference and dine with the five-member Nobel Peace Prize awards committee Tuesday. The prize will be presented Wednesday at a ceremony in Oslo city hall; a torch-light parade and banquet in his honor will follow.
On Thursday, renowned musicians from various countries will perform at the Nobel Peace Concert.
The Nobel prizes are presented on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of their founder, Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. The peace prize is presented in Oslo, and the other prizes in Stockholm, Sweden.
