Carter Center 265355 222640286 2008-06-30T11:41:14Z 24.126.144.197 /* Controversy */ [[Image:Carter lib1.JPG|thumb|350px|The Carter Presidential Center]] '''The Carter Center''' is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Jimmy Carter]] and his wife [[Rosalynn Carter]]. In partnership with [[Emory University]], The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering. The Atlanta-based center has helped to improve the quality of life for people in more than 70 countries. In 2002, President Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work “to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development” through The Carter Center. <ref> [[Norwegian Nobel Committee]], 2002 Nobel Peace Prize announcement, [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2002/press.html], [[October 11]], [[2002]], accessed [[December 12]], [[2007]]. </ref> ==Guiding Principles== The Center’s motto – “Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.” – highlights the two core program areas for Carter Center activities. Peace Programs strengthen democracy, mediate and prevent conflicts, advance human rights, and monitor elections around the world. Health Programs seek the control and eradication of diseases such as Guinea worm disease, river blindness, malaria, trachoma, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis, work to diminish the stigma against mental illnesses, and improve nutrition through increased crop production in Africa. Work in these areas is guided by five principles: # The Center emphasizes action and results. Based on careful research and analysis, it is prepared to take timely action on important and pressing issues. # The Center does not duplicate the effective efforts of others. # The Center addresses difficult problems and recognizes the possibility of failure as an acceptable risk. # The Center is nonpartisan and acts as a neutral party in dispute resolution activities. # The Center believes that people can improve their lives when provided with the necessary skills, knowledge, and access to resources. ==History== The Center strives to give millions of the world’s poorest people access to skills and knowledge they can use to identify solutions that will improve their own lives. In its first 25 years, the Center achieved a number of milestones, including: * Observation of more than 69 elections in 27 countries <ref> The Carter Center, [http://www.cartercenter.org/peace/democracy/observed.html "Elections Monitored by The Carter Center"], accessed [[December 13]], [[2007]]. </ref> * Helping over 8 million small-scale farmers double or triple grain production in 15 African countries <ref> The Carter Center, [http://www.cartercenter.org/health/agriculture/helps.html "How the Agriculture Program Helps Farmers in Africa"], accessed [[December 13]], [[2007]]. </ref> * Creating avenues to peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Haiti, Liberia, North Korea, Sudan, and Uganda * Reducing cases of Guinea worm disease worldwide from 3.5 million in 1986 to fewer than 25,000 in 2007 <ref> The Carter Center, [http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/gw_numbers2006.pdf "Distribution of Dracunculiasis Cases Reported During 2006"], accessed [[December 13]], [[2007]]. </ref> * Strengthening international standards for human rights and the voices of individuals defending those rights * Advancing efforts to improve mental health care and diminish the stigma against people with mental illness ==Governance== The Center is governed by a board of trustees, which oversees the organization’s assets and property and promotes its objectives and goals. The board is chaired by [[John Moores (baseball)|John J. Moores]]. A community advisory group – the Board of Councilors – includes public and private-sector leaders who support The Carter Center and its activities in their communities and organizations. Members attend quarterly presentations on the Center’s work. President and CEO John Hardman oversees the Center’s day-to-day operations and staff of 160, which includes international experts in the fields of peace and health. More than 100 student interns from universities around the world assist the staff each year. Center-based councils of eminent persons who offer guidance to or participate in Center activities include: the Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas, the International Council for Conflict Resolution, the International Task Force for Disease Eradication, and the Mental Health Task Force. The Carter Center also collaborates with other public and private organizations. The Carter Center is located next to the [[Jimmy Carter Library and Museum]] on 37 acres of parkland two miles from downtown [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. The library and museum are owned and operated separately by the [[National Archives and Records Administration|United States National Archives]]. ==Peace Programs== The Center’s peace programs work to advance [[human rights]], strengthen [[democracy]], promote [[economic development]], and prevent and resolve conflict. Major Center initiatives in these areas include: ===Observing Elections=== The Carter Center is a trusted pioneer of [[election monitoring|election observation]], sending teams of observers to determine the legitimacy of more than 69 [[election]]s in 27 countries since 1989. <ref> [http://www.cartercenter.org/peace/democracy/observed.html "Elections Monitored by The Carter Center"], as of [[October 1]], [[2007]] </ref> Carter Center observers analyze election laws, assess voter education and registration processes, and evaluate fairness in campaigns. The presence of impartial election observers deters interference or fraud in the voting process, and reassures voters that they can safely and secretly cast their ballots and that vote tabulation will be conducted without tampering. Teams typically include 30-100 highly qualified impartial observers – regional leaders, political scientists, regional specialists, and election observation professionals. The Carter Center sends observers only when invited by a country’s electoral authorities and welcomed by the major political parties. Observers do not interfere in the electoral process and do not represent the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]]. <ref> The Carter Center, [http://cartercenter.org/peace/democracy/center.html "How does The Carter Center choose which elections to monitor?"], accessed [[January 29]], [[2008]] </ref> The Center played a key role – with the [[United Nations|U.N.]] Electoral Assistance Division and the [[National Democratic Institute for International Affairs|National Democratic Institute]] – in building consensus on a common set of international principles for election observation. <ref> United Nations, [http://www.accessdemocracy.org/library/1923_declaration_102705.pdf "Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and Code of Conduct for International Election Observers"], [[October 27]], [[2005]], accessed on [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> It is also leading the effort to develop effective methodologies for observing elections that employ new electronic voting technologies. <ref> Carter Center, [http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/elec_voting_oct11_07.pdf "Developing a Methodology for Observing Electronic Voting"], October 2007, accessed [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> ===Strengthening Democracy Beyond Elections=== The Carter Center supports the growth of [[democracy|democratic institutions]] to ensure that there is a respect for rule of law and [[human rights]], that government decisions are open and transparent, and that everyone can have adequate resources to compete fairly for public office. For example, the Center is supporting the efforts of civic leaders in [[Ethiopia]] to convene discussions about the most pressing and contentious political and social issues facing the country, and in the [[Palestinian Territories]], it maintains a small presence in [[Ramallah]] focused on the ongoing monitoring and analysis of critical issues of democratic development. <ref> Deborah Hakes, [http://cartercenter.org/news/pr/ramallah_office.html "Carter Center Field Office in Ramallah"], [[May 4]], [[2007]], accessed on [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> Democratic initiatives in [[Latin America]] include support for regional access-to-information programs, creation of an inter-American support network, and reform of political campaign financing. The Center-based Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas plays an important role in accomplishing these objectives. <ref> Members of the Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas, [http://cartercenter.org/peace/americas/council.html] </ref> The Carter Center also promotes the dissemination to emerging democracies and regional organizations of models, lessons, and best practices for democratic governance. The goal is to empower those in transitioning countries who are trying to build stronger democratic institutions and practices. ===Advancing Human Rights=== The Carter Center believes all people are entitled to basic [[human rights]]. These rights include political rights, such as peace, freedom, and self-governance, as well as the social rights of health care, food, shelter, and economic opportunity. The Center actively supports [[human rights defender]]s around the world. In partnership with [[Human Rights First]] and the [[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights]], the Center holds an annual human rights defenders policy forum hosted by [[Jimmy Carter|President Carter]] in [[Atlanta]]. <ref> Carter Center Human Rights Defenders Initiative, [http://cartercenter.org/defenders] </ref> President and [[Rosalynn Carter|Mrs. Carter]] have intervened with heads of state on behalf of [[human rights defender]]s and victims for more than 20 years. They often take their human rights concerns to heads of state in personal meetings and through letters. The Center and President Carter are strong supporters of the [[United Nations Human Rights Council|U.N. Human Rights Council]] and the [[International Criminal Court]]. Both oppose the [[death penalty]] and urge its abolition in the U.S. ===Mediating Conflict=== Recalling President Carter’s success in the White House negotiating the long-lasting peace treaty between Israel and Egypt,<ref> Camp David Accords, [http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/campdavid] </ref> groups in conflict turn to The Carter Center to help them prevent and resolve conflict. Lacking any official authority, the Center has become a trusted broker for peace, serving as a channel for dialogue and negotiation. Recent examples include: * President Carter’s mission to [[North Korea]] in 1994, which paved the way for a U.S.-North Korea pact on nuclear issues. <ref> Jimmy Carter, [http://nytimes.com/2006/10/11/opinion/11carter.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "Solving the Korean Stalemate, One Step at a Time"], ''New York Times'', [[October 11]], [[2006]], accessed [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> * Assisting unofficial Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in designing a model agreement for peace – called the [[Geneva Accord]] – in 2002-03. <ref> BBC News, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3252530.stm "Moderates Launch Middle East Plan"], [[December 1]], [[2003]], accessed [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> * Negotiation of the [[Nairobi Agreement, 1999| Nairobi Agreement]] in 1999 between [[Sudan]] and [[Uganda]] <ref> Carter Center Press Release, [http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/nondatabase/nairobi%20agreement%201999.htm "Agreement Between Governments of Sudan and Uganda, Nairobi Agreement"], [[December 8]], [[1999]], accessed on [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> * President Carter’s mission to [[Haiti]] in 1994 with Senator [[Sam Nunn]] and the then former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General [[Colin Powell]] to avert a U.S.-led multinational invasion and restore to power Haiti’s democratically elected president. <ref> Larry Rohter, [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905EFDC113BF93BA2575AC0A962958260&sec=&spon= "Carter, in Haiti, Pursues Peaceful Shift"], ''New York Times'', [[September 18]], [[1994]], accessed on [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> * President Carter’s historic trip to [[Cuba]] in 2002 to seek improved [[Cuba-United States relations|U.S.-Cuban relations]] <ref> BBC News, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1988192.stm "Lift Cuba embargo, Carter tells U.S."], [[May 15]], [[2002]], accessed on [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> * Negotiation of a cease-fire in 1995 in [[Sudan]] to allow humanitarian groups treat [[dracunculiasis|Guinea worm disease]] and [[Onchocerciasis|river blindness]] and immunize children. * Holding summits in [[Egypt]] and [[Tunisia]] in 1995-96 to address violence in the [[African Great Lakes|Great Lakes region of Africa]] <ref> Carter Center Press Release, [http://cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc190.html "African Leaders Gather to Address Great Lakes Crisis"], [[May 2]], [[1996]], accessed on [[January 29]], [[2008]]. </ref> * An agreement on the restoration of low-level [[Colombia-Ecuador relations|diplomatic relations]] between [[Colombia]] and [[Ecuador]] under a deal brokered by the former president, as announced by the Carter Center on [[June 8]], [[2008]].<ref>{{cite press release | title = Ecuador and Colombia Presidents Accept President Carter's Proposal to Renew Diplomatic Relations at the Level of Chargé d'Affaires, Immediately and Without Preconditions | publisher = The Carter Center | date = [[2008-06-08]] | url = http://www.cartercenter.net/news/pr/EcCol_060608.html | accessdate = 2008-06-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Colombia, Ecuador restore ties under deal with Carter | publisher = [[Thomson Reuters]] | date = [[2008-06-08]] | url = http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN0628014920080606 | accessdate = 2008-06-08}}</ref> ===Assisting China Village Elections=== Since 1988, the [[Chinese government]] has authorized direct [[Elections in the People's Republic of China|village elections]] to help maintain social and political order in the context of rapid economic reforms. At the invitation of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Carter Center initiated a joint project in 1998 to standardize Chinese village election procedures and assist in training of election officials and elected [[National People’s Congress]] deputies. ==Health Programs== The Center has prevented the suffering of millions of people around the world from illnesses often ignored by others. Health programs seek to provide people with the information and access to services they need to treat their illnesses and take steps to prevent future spread of [[disease]]. An emphasis is placed on building partnerships for change among international agencies, [[governments]], [[nongovernmental organizations]], and [[corporations]] and on working with ministries of health to strengthen or establish permanent [[health care]] delivery systems in the poorest nations. ===Leading Disease Eradication Efforts=== When The Carter Center began spearheading the campaign to eradicate [[dracunculiasis|Guinea worm]] in 1986, there were 3.5 million cases of the disease in 20 countries in [[Africa]] and [[Asia]]. Today, there are approximately 10,000 cases, and most of these are in just two countries: [[Sudan]] and [[Ghana]]. <ref> WHO Collaborating Center for Research, Training and Eradication of Dracunculiasis, [http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/dracunculiasis/wrapup/178.pdf "Guinea Worm Wrap-Up #178"], Press Release, [[January 11]], [[2008]], accessed [[February 4]], [[2008]]. </ref> [[dracunculiasis|Guinea worm]] is poised to be the first [[parasitic disease]] eliminated from earth and the only disease to be eradicated without the use of [[vaccines]] or medicines. The Carter Center is uniquely positioned to lead an international campaign to eradicate [[dracunculiasis|Guinea worm disease]], possessing access to international leaders, technical expertise, and strong partnerships with local, national, and international agencies. Within affected countries, the Center reinforces existing [[Eradication of infectious diseases|disease eradication]] programs by providing technical and financial assistance, as well as logistics and tools, such as donated filter cloth material, [[larvicide]], and medical kits. <ref> Donald G. McNeil, Jr., [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/international/africa/26worm.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "Dose of Tenacity Wears Down a Horrific Disease"], ''New York Times'', [[March 26]], [[2006]], accessed [[February 4]], [[2008]]. </ref> The International Task Force for Disease Eradication has been based at The Carter Center since its formation in 1988. The group has reviewed more than 100 infectious diseases and identified six as potentially eradicable – [[dracunculiasis]], [[poliomyelitis]], [[mumps]], [[rubella]], [[lymphatic filariasis]], and [[cysticercosis]]. <ref> International Task Force for Disease Eradication, [http://www.cartercenter.org/health/itfde/index.html] </ref> ===Implementing Disease Control and Treatment Measures=== Since 1996, the Center has been a leader in the fight against [[onchocerciasis]], commonly known as river blindness – a [[parasitic disease]] transmitted by the bites of black flies. The Center has worked to stop spread of the disease in 11 countries across [[Africa]] and the [[Americas]] by helping residents and local health workers institute and sustain drug treatment programs and health education activities. The international river blindness campaign seeks to eliminate the disease from the Western Hemisphere by 2012. <ref> Onchocerciasis Elimination Program of the Americas, [http://www.cartercenter.org/health/river_blindness/oepa.html] </ref> The Center has distributed more than 100 million doses of [[Ivermectin|Mectizan]] – a drug donated by Merck & Co., Inc., that treats and prevents river blindness. <ref> Mectizan Donation Program, [http://www.mectizan.org] </ref> Center health workers also prevent transmission of [[trachoma]] – a bacterial infection that is the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. [[Trachoma]] is prevalent in places that lack the tools for basic hygiene, clean water, and adequate sanitation. The Center follows the [[World Health Organization|World Health Organization’s]] four-pronged approach – called the SAFE strategy – to fight trachoma in six African countries. <ref> Paul M. Emerson, Matthew Burton, Anthony W. Solomon, Robin Bailey, & David Mabey, [http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/84/8/05-028696.pdf "The SAFE strategy for trachoma control: using operational research for policy, planning and implementation"], ''WHO'', August 2006, accessed [[February 4]], [[2008]]. </ref> The Trachoma Control Program is working to improve sanitation in those communities by building [[latrine]]s, providing corrective surgery, distributing [[antibiotic]]s, and educating communities on basic hygiene. Since 2004, The Carter Center has helped to build nearly 500,000 [[latrine]]s in its effort to fight [[trachoma]]. The [[latrine]]s contain and prevent human waste from serving as a breeding ground for the disease-carrying flies, thereby reducing one way the [[disease]] is spread. <ref> Mark Bixler, [http://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/doc2100.html "Latrine program a hit: project deals with health, gender"], ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', [[March 5]], [[2005]], accessed [[February 4]], [[2008]]. </ref> [[Lymphatic filariasis]] and [[malaria]] are mosquito-born diseases also targeted by The Carter Center. The Center has distributed 3 million long-lasting [[mosquito net|insecticidal bed nets]] in [[Ethiopia]]. It has also established drug distribution systems in [[Nigeria]] to treat and stem the spread of [[lymphatic filariasis]] and [[schistosomiasis]]. <ref> Carter Center, [http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/h/malaria/bednets_ccn07spr.html "New Malaria Program Blankets Areas of Ethiopia with Bed Nets"], ''Carter Center News'', [[June 12]], [[2007]], accessed [[February 4]], [[2008]]. </ref> ===Training public health workers=== The Carter Center believes in building networks of village-based health care workers to treat people for various diseases at the same time. Emphasis is on helping national and local governments establish programs that they can sustain into the future. Since 1997, the Center established with the [[Ethiopia|Ethiopian ministries of health and education]] the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative to improve academic training for health care personnel in [[Ethiopia]] and increase access to [[health care]] in rural communities throughout the country. ===Strengthening agricultural production=== In partnership with the Sasakawa Africa Association, the Center has worked since 1986 in 15 [[sub-Saharan Africa]]n countries to teach 8-10 million small-scale farmers improved techniques that double or triple their crop yields. <ref> Sasakawa Africa Association, [http://www.saa-tokyo.org/english] </ref> The program promotes use of [[fertilizers]] and crop protection chemicals, [[Fertility (soil)|soil fertility]], and environmentally friendly agronomic methods of crop production. It also supports efforts to construct quality grain storage to sustain market prices for the farmer and ensure greater [[food security]], establish farmers' associations, and use quality food crops such as high-protein [[maize]]. ===Reducing stigma of mental illness=== [[Rosalynn Carter]] leads the Center’s efforts to fight stigma associated with [[mental disorder|mental illness]]. The Center works to improve U.S. public policies that can help prevent mental illnesses and increase equity in [[mental health|mental health care]], holding an annual symposium with national leaders in [[mental health]] and other fields. The Center also seeks to raise public awareness of mental health issues globally through the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, which enable journalists to explore mental health issues. To date, more than 75 journalists have participated in the program. <ref> Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, [http://www.cartercenter.org/health/mental_health/fellowships/index.html] </ref> ==Accolades== [[Jimmy Carter|President Carter]] received the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 2002 for his work through The Carter Center. <ref> [[Norwegian Nobel Committee]], 2002 Nobel Peace Prize announcement, [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2002/press.html], [[October 11]], [[2002]], accessed [[December 12]], [[2007]]. </ref> The Carter Center received the inaugural Delta Prize for Global Understanding in 1999 – an award administered by the [[University of Georgia]]. <ref> [http://www.uga.edu/news/deltaprize/1999Carter/carter.html "1999 Delta Prize Announcement: The Carter Center"], [[April 27]], [[1999]], accessed [[January 30]], [[2008]]. </ref> In 2006, the [[Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]] presented The Carter Center with the Gates Award for Global Health. <ref> [http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalHealth/relatedinfo/gatesaward/carter_center.htm "2006 Gates Award for Global Health: The Carter Center"], 2006, accessed [[January 30]], [[2008]]. </ref> ==''Beyond the White House''== ''Beyond the White House: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope'' chronicles the 25 years of The Carter Center. It was written by [[Jimmy Carter|President Carter]] and published October 2, 2007, by [[Simon & Schuster]]. ==Controversy== The Carter Center occasionally receives criticism for its election observation work. Some individuals have disputed the Center’s endorsement of the electoral process in the Venezuelan recall referendum of 2004. <ref>J. Michael Waller, {{PDFlink|[http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/modules/newsmanager/center%20publication%20pdfs/ocwhat_to_dovenezuela.pdf "What to Do about Venezuela?"]|75.0&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 76850 bytes -->}} Occasional Papers 6 [[Center for Security Policy]] May 2005, accessed [[February 5]], [[2007]].</ref> [[Doug Schoen]] told Michael Barone at U.S. News and World Report, "Our internal sourcing tells us that there was fraud in the Venezuelan central commission. There are widespread reports of irregularities and evidence of fraud, many of them ably recorded by Mary Anastasia O'Grady in the Wall Street Journal last week. Carter is untroubled by any of this, and declares that Chavez won 'fair and square.'" <ref>http://www.usnews.com/usnews/opinion/baroneweb/mb_040820.htm</ref><ref>http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110005586</ref><ref>http://mongomutter.blogspot.com/2005/08/jimmah-carter-hugo-chavez-connection.html</ref> The release of [[Jimmy Carter|President Carter's]] book ''[[Palestine Peace Not Apartheid]]'' created controversy for The Carter Center. [[Kenneth W. Stein|Dr. Kenneth W. Stein]] resigned his position as a Center fellow, and this was followed by the resignation of 14 members of the Board of Councilors. However, none of the Center's governing board of trustees resigned. ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.cartercenter.org/ The Carter Center's website] *[http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/ The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum's website] ==See also== *[[List of non-governmental organizations in the People's Republic of China]] *''[[Palestine Peace Not Apartheid]]'' [[Category:Charities based in the United States]] [[Category:Buildings and monuments honoring American Presidents]] [[Category:Development charities]] [[Category:Jimmy Carter]] [[Category:Non-profit organizations]] [[de:Carter Center]] [[es:Centro Carter]] [[fr:Fondation Carter]] [[it:Carter centre]] [[new:कार्टर सेन्टर]] [[pt:Carter Center]] [[vi:Trung tâm Carter]] [[zh:卡特中心]]