Jimmy Carter, a man of diverse interests

Dubai: Former US president Jimmy Carter’s humanitarian efforts were not set to halt after his presidency ended. In 2002, he received the Nobel Peace Prize which marked the first time an ex-US president received the honour after leaving office.

The accomplishments that led to Carter receiving the Nobel Prize are many, with the establishment of the Carter Presidential Centre at Emory University in Atlanta being the first after leaving office. It was founded by Carter and his wife Rosalynn in partnership with Emory University in 1982, with the purpose of advancing peace and health worldwide by resolving conflicts, advancing democracy, human rights, preventing diseases and improving mental health care, etc. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation which has helped improve life in more than 70 countries, with its major accomplishments being establishing village-based health care delivery systems in thousands of communities in Africa, observing 94 elections in 37 countries to help strengthen democracy, fostering peace in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Uganda, the Korean Peninsula, Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Middle East, among many more.

Shortly after the establishment of the Carter Centre, the Carters joined the Habitat for Humanity International in a project that came to be named the ‘Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project’ in 1984. The purpose was to help provide housing for underprivileged people and the first project involved leading a work group to New York City to help renovate a six-storey building that would house 19 families in need of shelter. The project has helped to provide housing all around the world in countries including the United States, Hungary, India, China, Thailand and Haiti.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Carter and his wife teach at Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in his hometown Plains in Georgia several times a year. Visitors get a new perspective from a former president as well as a chance to know Carter personally.

Another accomplishment is his work as a freelance ambassador for various international missions such as settling disputes between countries, observing elections and advising on Middle East issues. Carter is known for mediating issues between the US State Department and foreign leaders, including Kim Il-sung of North Korea and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya.

Carter is also an author of several books, including ‘Keeping Faith: Memoirs of a President’ (1983), ‘Turning Point’ (1992) and ‘An Hour Before Daylight’ (2001).

Donia Jenabzadeh is an intern at Gulf News.