In Ezza Nkwubor village in southeastern Nigeria, 58-year-old Grace Otubo sits on a wooden bench and touches her right heel, recalling where a Guinea worm painfully emerged in November 2008. She didn't know it at the time, but her Guinea worm would be the last one from Nigeria.
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For Alba Lucia Morales Castro, health education adviser with the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program for the Americas (OEPA)--the Carter Center-sponsored river blindness elimination organization in Latin America--the joy of working in the field is its own reward.
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As the only foreign organization monitoring Bolivia's voter registration process, Carter Center long-term observers are witnessing a historic convergence of technology with indigenous cultures in one of South America's most diverse countries.
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For Jordan Bracho, editor-in-chief at Telesur TV in Venezuela, attending The Carter Center "Journalism Beyond Print" workshop in August 2009 led to an immediate improvement in his work and allowed him to develop relationships with colleagues that he wouldn't have otherwise been able to in Venezuela's current media environment.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Carter Center Bolivia Field Office Director Nicolás Fernández Bravo talks about the Center’s findings on election day and the challenges ahead for Bolivia. Learn more »
Carter Center Bolivia Field Office Director Nicolás Fernández Bravo talks about the Center's findings on election day and the challenges ahead for Bolivia
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Marcelo Varela, associate director of the Carter Center’s Americas Program, talks about election day in Bolivia. Learn more »
Marcelo Varela, associate director of the Carter Center's Americas Program, talks about election day in Bolivia.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Listen to Carter Center observers Daniel Barnes and Angela Lederach talk about the reception they have received so far as election observers in Bolivia. Learn more »
Listen to Carter Center observers Daniel Barnes and Angela Lederach talk about the reception they have received so far as election observers in Bolivia.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Watch Barnes and Lederach as they talk about the day's activities and their preparation for election day. Carter Center observers Daniel Barnes and Angela Lederach deployed this morning to Cochabamba, a city that has …</p> Learn more »
Carter Center observers Daniel Barnes and Angela Lederach deployed this morning to Cochabamba, a city that has grown immensely in recent years as people have immigrated from rural areas to find employment.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
In La Paz, Bolivia, colorful election graffiti and signs may be found on most available spaces along the winding road that leads upward to the city of El Alto. President Evo Morales, Bolivia’s first indigenous president, enjoys overwhelming popularity in La Paz. He is running for a second term in office, courtesy of an article in the country’s new constitution approved by referendum in January that allows him to seek re-election. Learn more »
By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Today, on the last official day of campaigning before Sunday’s elections, rallies were held throughout Bolivia. Drummers and dancers (video), joining thousands of supporters (photos, below), show their enthusiastic support during a large rally in El Alto for Evo Morales. Learn more »
Marcelo Varela, associate director of the Carter Center's Americas Program, talks about the unique role of the Center's mission to observe Bolivia's elections on Sunday, Dec. 6.
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Today, on the last official day of campaigning before Sunday's elections, rallies were held throughout Bolivia.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Watch a brief video of Carter Center long-term observers talking about their work in Bolivia and the country’s new biometric voter registration process. Learn more »
Carter Center observers are gathering in La Paz, Bolivia, to be briefed ahead of their deployment to observe Sunday's presidential and legislative elections. Election results will determine who will implement and enforce the new constitution, approved by referendum in January 2009 Learn more »
Join the Carter Center's Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information, on the ground in Bolivia, as she blogs daily through Dec. 7 about the presidential and legislative elections, their importance for the Latin American country, and the Carter Center's role in the process. Learn more »
South American neighbors Ecuador and Colombia have a contentious recent history because of strains along their shared border, but seeing the other's point of view has become easier for key citizens participating in the Carter Center's dialogue process between both countries. Learn more »
Efforts to eliminate malaria and lymphatic filariasis from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola were underscored Oct. 7-8 during a visit by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and a Carter Center delegation.
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As the only foreign organization monitoring Bolivia's voter registration process, Carter Center long-term observers are witnessing a historic convergence of technology with indigenous cultures in one of South America's most diverse countries.
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After seven years online, the Carter Center sponsored-website www.chinaelections.org is one of the most visible platforms in China for the dissemination of democratic awareness and civic culture. Learn more »
Microscopist Marino Castillo pricks the finger of five-year-old girl Silvana Mayor and draws blood onto a glass slide. The girl's shirt is bright yellow, but her face is weary. Her mother says the girl has had a fever for several days, and the mother is worried that she has malaria.
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For 30 years, Henrietta Gayflor* endured ongoing physical abuse from her partner. After he assaulted her in her front yard one day, Gayflor decided to take action.
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Five-year-old Lotepi Lokusi's mother was worried. Although she knew it was common for a Guinea worm to emerge from a foot or an ankle, she had never seen one migrate to the face. Clearly visible just under his skin--from one jaw line to the other — a Guinea worm was winding its way higher each day, toward her little boy's scalp.
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A family of four waits outside Rita Jimenez Huancollo's wood-paneled office at the Integrated Justice Center (CIJ) in La Paz, Bolivia, husband and wife with eyes cast down, he folding and unfolding papers and she glancing sideways every so often to quietly encourage their children to sit patiently.
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In Bolivia, political disputes often escalate to the brink of conflict. One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Bolivia's ethnic and cultural diversity, as well as struggles over natural resources, fuel strong social and economic tensions.
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KINSHASA....The initial vision for the Carter Center's Human Rights House was to provide both a space and forum for human rights activists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, building on the momentum of the 2006 elections.
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The initial vision for the Carter Center's Human Rights House was to provide both a space and forum for human rights activists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, building on the momentum of the 2006 elections. Learn more »
When she began work as a job counselor almost 10 years ago in Atlanta with refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Valerie Harden never imagined she would one day play a role in the restoration of their war-torn country.
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Dr. Jennifer McCoy, Director, Americas Program, takes your questions. Learn more »
From the roof of his family's home in East Jerusalem within the walls of the Old City, Raed Sa'id points to the golden Dome of The Rock, which is glowing in the late-afternoon sun.
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Lama Naja represents hope for Lebanon's political future. A politically independent young person in a country full of strong political passions and fierce party loyalties, she instead voted on June 7 for the people she thought may keep their campaign promises.
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It is nearly evening in the desert village of Adorihi in southern Niger, and 36-year-old Aisha Oumarou crouches over her cooking fire carefully mixing oil into a pot on coals. Although the mixture smells faintly of peanuts, the hot dough that Oumarou extracts from the pot and rolls between her hands is not destined to be the evening's meal, but balls of soap.
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With a population of approximately 17 million, the Amhara Region of Ethiopia is one of the most severely affected trachoma-endemic areas in the world. There are currently more than 15 million people at risk of infection and approximately 470,000 people visually impaired as a result of trichiasis, the blinding form of the disease. In addition, the region is susceptible to seasonal malaria epidemics, putting the majority of the population at risk for the potentially fatal disease.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
A multinational Carter Center delegation observed Lebanon’s June 7 parliamentary elections, monitoring polling sites throughout the country’s 25 qadas (districts). Led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Yemini Prime Minister Abdulkareem Al-Eryani, the 60 member delegation included elected officials, electoral and human rights experts, regional specialists, and political and civic leaders from more than 20 countries in North America, Africa, Europe, South America, Asia, and the Middle East. Learn more »
Election Day in Lebanon: Carter Center Observers Monitor Polling Sites
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Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter visits Syria, Israel, West Bank, and Gaza. Learn more »
By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
<p>Deborah Hakes is assistant director of public information for The Carter Center.</p> <p>For the past week and a half (and for weeks before I arrived), the Carter Center office for the elections was a scene of constant intense activity at all hours of a day. Now the field staff has returned to their regular office outside the hotel, and Atlanta-based …</p> Learn more »
For the past week and a half (and for weeks before I arrived), the Carter Center office for the elections was a scene of constant intense activity at all hours of a day. Now the field staff has returned to their regular office outside the hotel, and Atlanta-based staff are flying home or to another field project.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
I’ve been sharing my experiences with you from Lebanon for the past week and thought it was also important to share a few of the many other voices whose hard work made the election observation mission possible. Learn more »
Lebanon held successful parliamentary elections on June 7, 2009, the results of which were accepted peacefully by both sides. The Carter Center deployed 60 observers from 23 countries to assess voting, counting, and tabulation processes, led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former Prime Minister of Yemen Abdul-Kareem al–Eryani.
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2009 Lebanon Parliamentary Elections - Deborah Hakes Blogs From Carter Center Election Observation Mission
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Things are wrapping up here for this phase of the Carter Center’s election observation mission to Lebanon. Our long-term observers will remain deployed to monitor the post-election processes. Learn more »
2009 Lebanon Parliamentary Elections - Deborah Hakes Blogs
From Carter Center Election Observation Mission
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
The long lines surprised all of us. They wound down stairs and through the hallways of elementary schools, municipal buildings, and other polling sites where we visited. It made walking from polling station to polling station a very crowded affair. The voters seemed in good spirits though, often cheering and yelling “Jimmy Carter!’ when they realized just which international observers were there. Learn more »
Lebanon Parliamentary Elections 2009- Deborah Hakes Blogs From Carter Center Election Observation Mission
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
It is the eve of Lebanon’s parliamentary elections and things seem quiet. Our observers were deployed yesterday, and they continue regular check-in calls to let us know that they are safe. Meanwhile, the core staff in Beirut are finalizing preparations for tomorrow – election day Learn more »
It is the eve of Lebanon's parliamentary elections and things seem quiet. Our observers were deployed yesterday, and they continue regular check-in calls to let us know that they are safe.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Today, I headed south to Lebanon’s border with Hrair Balian, the director of the Conflict Resolution Program at The Carter Center, to be briefed by the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and to see what the pre-election environment was like there. Learn more »
Today, I headed south to Lebanon's border with Hrair Balian, the director of the Conflict Resolution Program at The Carter Center, to be briefed by the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and to see what the pre-election environment was like there.
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
Across Lebanon today, more than 11,000 polling station workers could cast their ballots early for the parliamentary elections. I traveled to Baabda, a town in the mountains southeast of Beirut, to watch the process. Baabda has six seats being contested in these elections, and per Lebanon’s complicated distribution of parliamentary seats by religion, three will be filled by Maronite Christians, two by Shia Muslims, and one by a Druze. Learn more »
2009 Lebanon Parliamentary Elections - Deborah Hakes Blogs From Carter Center Election Observation Mission
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By Deborah Hakes, assistant director of public information for The Carter Center
I’ve only been in Beirut, Lebanon, for 24 hours, but I can already tell that the parliamentary elections to be held this coming Sunday are going to be a fascinating process, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. The world is watching what happens here, and I will get to see it firsthand. I’ll do my best to share what I see with you. Learn more »
Join the Carter Center's Deborah Hakes, in Lebanon with the multinational Carter Center delegation, as she blogs daily about the sights and sounds "on the ground" and the importance of these elections for the country and region.
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I've only been in Beirut, Lebanon, for 24 hours, but I can already tell that the parliamentary elections to be held this coming Sunday are going to be a fascinating process, and I am thrilled to be a part of it. The world is watching what happens here, and I will get to see it firsthand. I'll do my best to share what I see with you.
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It is dusk in northern Ghana and communities reverberate with the local mosque's call to prayer. The setting sun has fallen beyond the concrete buildings that flank the market square, casting everyone in deep purple shadow. Thousands of people are making their way to this rural outpost, the current epicenter of the country's decades-long battle to eradicate Guinea worm disease.
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A multinational Carter Center delegation will observe Lebanon's June 7 parliamentary elections, monitoring polling sites throughout the country's 25 qadas (districts). Learn more »
With accreditation from Lebanon's Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities, The Carter Center dispatched six long-term observers to Lebanon in March to monitor the electoral process leading to parliamentary elections on June 7, 2009.
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Marwa Alkhairo is a long-term observer in the Carter Center's election observation mission in Lebanon. This is her first election mission. She graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service with a master's degree in Arab studies in 2008 and certificate in refugee and humanitarian studies. She has had expansive experience in international NGOs, research institutes, film, and advocacy work as related to issues in the Arab world.
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Although about one half of all the countries in the Americas now have some form of access to information legislation, and almost all of the remaining countries are considering establishing a statutory right to information, there remain a number of critical challenges. In many countries, implementation and enforcement of the law has been weak. In other places there are signs of backsliding where once vibrant laws are now politicized or ineffectual; and in all cases there is a need to broaden and deepen the usage of the right to information.
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For Craig Withers, the Carter Center's director of program support, the bumblebee is the perfect symbol of success.
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Dr. Jennifer McCoy, director of the Carter Center's Americas Program, is traveling with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter as a member of the Carter Center delegation to Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil from April 27 to May 4, 2009. Read more about the trip and read her blog entries below.
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Long-term election observers Whitney Haring-Smith and Eunsook Jung have been deployed in Aceh since March 2009 as part of the Carter Center's mission to observe Indonesia's April 9, 2009 parliamentary elections.
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Ethiopia daily faces a devastating health emergency - one in six children will not see their fifth birthday, and the life expectancy is 41 years. The most common illnesses and causes of death could be easily prevented or treated if it were not for the acute lack of access to health care in the country. Learn more »
Until recently, police officers in Kimbasneke, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), investigated case files at a music bar or other public space because they didn't have office space. When it rained, they carried the papers under their shirts to preserve the files.
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Lawrence, whose pieces favor vivid colors and often depict natural subjects like flowers and landscapes, says the tulips were inspired by a springtime visit to the Center's grounds. He believes tulips, in their many shapes and hues, represent people from around the world and the beauty that can occur when we all work together. Learn more »
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