With the passing of Jimmy Carter, it is time to celebrate a life of servitude and compassion. There are many lessons that can be learned – and shared with students – about the role of values in one’s life and the commitment to making a difference in this world.
F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote there are no second acts in American lives, but Jimmy Carter’s public career after the White House is an exception.
As the longest living ex-president, Jimmy Carter worked tirelessly for over 40 years on the international stage. In 2002 he received the Nobel Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
ThinkFives created this list of what we believe are his Top 5 accomplishments since leaving the White House in 1981.
Founded the Carter Presidential Center
After leaving the presidency, Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Presidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The center is devoted to solving issues related to democracy and human rights.
In addition to supporting discourse and causes near to the heart of the Carters, the Library is not just a library in the usual sense but is also a research facility and a museum. The archives is a repository of approximately 27 million pages of Jimmy Carter’s White House material, papers of administration associates, including documents, memoranda, correspondence, etc.
Post Presidency, Jimmy Carter became a prolific writer. He wrote 32 books about his career and life, women’s rights, peace in the Middle East and topics of personal interest.
Led International Efforts at Habitat for Humanity
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter became synonymous with Habitat for Humanity, the not-for-profit supporting people and families in need of a decent and affordable home. According to the charity, “President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn have been champions and groundbreaking voices for affordable, decent housing for all, donating their time and leadership each year to build and improve homes through Habitat’s Carter Work Project.
Over the course of more than 30 years, they have worked alongside nearly 103,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,331 homes. They’ve inspired millions across the globe with their dedication and rallied thousands of volunteers and even celebrities to take part in our mission, helping Habitat for Humanity become internationally recognized for our work to build decent and affordable housing.”
Served as an International Mediator
Over the course of the last 40 years, Jimmy Carter served as a freelance ambassador for a variety of international missions, including smoothing disputes between countries, observing elections in nations with histories of fraudulent voting processes, and advising presidents on Middle East issues.
Some examples include:
- Ethiopia: Mediated a settlement with the Eritrean People’s Liberation Force.
- Haiti: Negotiated to effect a peaceful transfer of power.
- Bosnia: Negotiated with Bosnian Serbs and Muslims to broker a short-lived cease-fire.
- Nicaragua: Successfully promoted the return of the Miskito Indians to their homeland.
- North Korea and Libya: Mediating disputes between the U.S. State Department and the most volatile of foreign leaders, including Kim Il Sung of North Korea and Muammar Qaddaffi of Libya.
Promoted Fair and Democratic International Elections
Fair and democratic elections became an issue important to the former president. Working with the Carter Center, his effective election monitoring has observed more than 47 elections in 24 countries on four continents.
The former president worked long before voters cast their ballots coordinating with major political parties to ensure the Center could play a meaningful nonpartisan role. He often personally traveled to the countries being monitored with the presence of impartial observers reassured voters they could safely and secretly cast their ballots and that vote tabulation would be conducted without tampering.
Tirelessly Advanced Human Rights
Jimmy Carter often shared his commitment to three human rights causes —the right to be free from government violation of the integrity of the person; the right to fulfill vital needs such as food, shelter, and education; and civil and political rights.
His public positions repeatedly made him a lightning rod particularly when he conducted unofficial diplomacy. Criticizing Israel for its treatment of Palestinians, and publicly chastising his successors on foreign policy caused issues with many. He met with tyrants and terrorists, including officials from Hamas.
As the former president shared, “It is clear that we must embrace human rights and aggressively challenge our society’s acceptance of violence, which should never be seen as normal or as the preferred means of solving problems.”
How do you feel President Carter focused his life, post-presidency?
Resources
- https://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/a-time-for-peace-06212016.html
- https://millercenter.org/president/carter/life-after-the-presidency
- https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/10-fascinating-facts-about-former-president-jimmy-carter
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/1/jimmy-carter-legacy-seems-to-improve-with-age