Tarja Halonen

Overview

Tarja Halonen born Helsinki, Finland December 24, 1943. Pacifist; Finnish Foreign Minister, 1995-2000; active peacemaking in Northern Ireland; President of European Union, 1999; first female president of Finland, 2000; opposed military alliances incl. NATO.

Quotations

"Human rights belong to everybody—men and women, boys and girls. Nevertheless, our sisters throughout the world often have to face difficult problems in conditions of extreme insecurity. In many places, the violence experienced by women and girls in war and other conflicts is becoming increasingly serious." (June 6, 2007)

"Lasting peace can only be built through open dialogue between cultural and religious communities, in our countries and worldwide." (UN Gen. Assembly, Oct. 10, 2009; photo wiki)