The Carter Center Launches ‘Far Away, Up Close,’ a Podcast Sharing Stories from the Front Lines of Peacebuilding and Global Health

ATLANTA (Oct. 8, 2026) — On Oct. 14, The Carter Center will debut “Far Away, Up Close: Global Stories from The Carter Center,” an immersive, behind-the-scenes podcast about Carter Center staff working around the world to advance peace and improve health.

The series explores how personal experiences with disease, displacement, and injustice inspired them to devote their lives to tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Staff from Addis Ababa to Atlanta share stories of escaping war, delivering water filters in conflict zones, monitoring elections as voters cast ballots amid civil unrest, and working alongside former U.S. President Jimmy Carter himself to build healthier, more peaceful communities.

“As global conflict, democratic setbacks, and public health crises increase, ‘Far Away, Up Close’ shows that change is possible,” said Paige Alexander, CEO of The Carter Center. “For more than 40 years, The Carter Center has built partnerships with communities in 90 countries, bringing sworn enemies together to broker peace and battling ancient diseases. Behind each milestone are people who choose to keep showing up to build a more hopeful world. They inspire me every day, and I think they’ll inspire you, too.”

Throughout the season, listeners will meet:

• Kelly Callahan, who began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Côte d’Ivoire helping eradicate Guinea worm disease. She now leads global health campaigns to protect millions of people from trachoma, a preventable cause of blindness.
• Rana Shabb, whose childhood experience witnessing war in Lebanon inspired her to build a career in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and demining efforts in the Middle East.
• Stephen Ohidor, who grew up in southern Sudan as the eldest son of a cattle farmer. At age 12, he caught a ride to Kenya in an aid vehicle so he could pursue an education. Now he oversees the Center’s trachoma control efforts in South Sudan.
• George Zeidan, who grew up navigating checkpoints between Bethlehem and Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Today, he leads the Carter Center’s office in Israel and Palestine, where he and his team work to bridge divides and support Palestinian and Israeli civil society organizations that advocate for human rights.
• Olivia Mugenga, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Today, as a member of the Carter Center’s overseas operations team, she helps keep staff safe and secure around the globe.
• Jennie Lincoln, a democracy expert who has led Carter Center election observation missions across Latin America, including the Center’s first-ever mission in Panama alongside President Carter. She has witnessed voters cast ballots during political crises and democratic transitions, from Colombia to Venezuela to Brazil.
• Yeshitila Mulugeta, a behavior communication change officer fighting Guinea worm, a parasite that has plagued humanity for thousands of years. He has stared down wild animals and men with guns in his efforts to make Guinea worm just the second human disease ever eradicated worldwide.
• Dr. Sara Lavinia Brair, the head of the Carter Center’s work in Sudan, who has continued to implement life-changing peace and health programs despite political upheaval and a civil war that forced her to flee their homeland.

“Far Away, Up Close” was produced in partnership with Audiation. It will be available on Oct. 14, with an episode rolling out every two weeks over the coming months. Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

To learn more, visit www.cartercenter.org/stories/far-away-up-close-podcast.

• Far Away, Up Close Trailer
• Photos and Guest Bios
• Far Away, Up Close Podcast Page

Contact: media@cartercenter.org

About Audiation

Audiation is an award-winning New York podcast company creating premium original and commissioned series for leading brands, prominent voices, journalists, and news organizations. Their work combines rigorous storytelling with distinctive production and includes “Kabul Falling” (Peabody and Ambie nominee), “Gender Spiral” (Signal Winner), “Leaving The Island” (SEJ and National Headliner Winner), “Fat Leonard” (SOPA Winner), and “Radiant Minds: The World of Oliver Sacks.” Visit Audiation.fm to learn more.