Nobel Peace Prize winner to open doors for MobileMonday in Africa

^{Ahtisaari supports a plan to organize a wireless research program} Nobel Peace Prize winner to open doors for MobileMonday in Africa

Ahtisaari promises to support MobileMonday efforts with his personal African contacts.

17 Dec 2008 at 18:16 GMT Timo Poropudas

President Martti Ahtisaari, who received the Nobel Peace Prize last week, will be supporting the efforts of MobileMonday to establish an African research program on the opportunities of mobility.

MobileMonday’s CEO, Jari Tammisto, met Tuesday with Mr. Ahtisaari. Besides bringing the congratulation of the MobileMonday community on winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Mr. Tammisto also summarized MobileMonday’s plan to establish a research program to understand the needs of Africans, especially among women and children, and how those needs might be met with wireless services and connectivity in Africa.

The research will form a base on which MobileMonday would then pull together industry leaders and NGO’s to support permanent development plans. These will be introduced at the Digital Africa Summit to be held in Kampala, Uganda in May.

Mr. Ahtisaari expressed sincere interest in the MobileMonday’s plan and offered to support this with his personal African contacts.

The Nobel Committee rewarded Martti Ahtisaari, the former president of Finland, the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his important efforts on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts. These efforts have contributed to a more peaceful world and to "fraternity between nations" in the Alfred Nobel spirit

Throughout all his adult life, whether as a senior Finnish public servant and President of the republic, or in an international capacity, often connected to the United Nations, Ahtisaari has worked for peace and reconciliation. For the past twenty years, he has figured prominently in endeavors to resolve several serious and long-lasting conflicts.

He played a significant part in the establishment of Namibia's independence; in 2005 he and his organization Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) were central to the solution of the complicated Aceh question in Indonesia.

The mobile industry has a social responsibility to enable developing countries to become wireless societies. We hope to enhance developments in children and women’s safety, healthcare, mobile banking, creative development, and literacy, commented Jari Tammisto on MobileMonday’s plans.