Featured Stories Archive: 2017

Carter Center Observes Contentious Kenya Election

On Aug. 8, the Kenyan people stood for hours in long lines to cast their votes in presidential, parliamentary, and local races. Despite their patience and determination, the underlying mood was tense. Learn more »

Blog | Center Staffer Lays His Life on the Line

By Adamu Sallau, director, Carter Center health programs in Nigeria’s Imo and Abia states

Scientific or logistical challenges aren’t the only issues Carter Center personnel have to deal with while tracking down, treating, and preventing neglected tropical diseases in remote places. Cultural issues often play a role as well, and we have to handle them respectfully and sensitively. Learn more »

Schistosomiasis Teaches Lessons the Hard Way

Ten-year-old Gideon Abraham and his brother Odenaka, 12, and sister Blessing, 7, had come to live with their grandmother in Amagunze, Enugu state, Nigeria, in the middle of the school year. They are bright children, and getting in sync with their new school’s lessons was the easy part. Gideon wants to fly airplanes when he grows up — and perhaps become president of Nigeria. Learn more »

Blog | From the CEO: Carter Center Provides Pounds of Prevention

By Ambassador (ret.) Mary Ann Peters, chief executive officer

We all know Benjamin Franklin’s proverb “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It makes sense to try to keep a bad thing from happening rather than to try to fix the mess that results if you let the bad thing happen. This simple but profound principle is at work in everything we do at The Carter Center. Learn more »

Liberia Women: Peace Must Prevail

Every day in the weeks leading up to Liberia’s Oct. 10 election, scores of women wearing white t-shirts and blue-and-white skirts gathered in an open-air tent set up in a field in the capital city of Monrovia. Learn more »

Blog | A Unique Collaboration

The Carter Center and Emory University celebrate an amazing 35-year partnership in 2017, a rare and productive union between a nongovernmental organization and a leading institution of higher education. Together, our reach has improved the lives of millions of the world's poorest people through disease prevention, conflict resolution, and the strengthening of human rights and democracy. Learn more »

Blog | DRC Human Rights House Mural Beckons Youth to Get Involved

By Jason Kibiswa Bulambo, technical trainer

The Human Rights House operates three neighborhood Youth Houses, or Maisons des Jeunes — two in Kinshasa and one in Goma — where we work to encourage the positive and constructive participation of youth in public affairs. We provide a free space for debate, which encourages the free exchange of ideas on participatory democracy. Learn more »

The Brickmaker’s Tale: How a $30 Debt Almost Cost a Man his Freedom

Walking home from his office in Kakata, Liberia, Victor Tuazama stumbled upon a confrontation between a police officer and a citizen. When it became clear that the citizen was about to be arrested because he owed a man the equivalent of about US$30, Tuazama, who works as a community justice advisor for the Carter Center-supported Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, intervened. Learn more »

Trust Greases Wheels in Race against Lymphatic Filariasis

Mirlande Joseph walks the blistering hot, dusty back alleys of Port-au-Prince, greeting people as if she were a politician running for re-election. “How are you? How is your family? Anyone sick? Did everyone take the medicine when we came by before?” Learn more »

Blog | Pathways to Peace: Prevention

By Jordan Ryan, vice president, peace programs

Over the course of six recent posts, I shared some of the approaches to waging peace that that The Carter Center and its founder, former President Jimmy Carter, have developed or learned over many years. Learn more »

Epidemiologist’s Survey Work Results in Better Interventions

Tigist Astale, an epidemiologist for The Carter Center in Ethiopia, has faced down angry dogs, runaway cattle, and crocodile-filled rivers. She supervises extensive field work in far-flung locations all over the Amhara region of Ethiopia, a region with a considerable burden of trachoma. Because of her commitment to gathering quality data, the trachoma control program continues to implement effective interventions to help reduce blindness in Amhara. Learn more »

Blog | Center Works to Understand and Counter the Rise of Islamophobia

By Houda Abadi, associate director, Conflict Resolution Program

Hate crimes in the U.S. against Muslims or people who look as if they may be Muslim are at an all-time high. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, from 2015 to 2016 the number of anti-Muslim hate groups in the U.S. grew 197 percent and anti-Muslim hate crimes surged 67 percent. From January to July 2017, there were 63 attacks on mosques. Learn more »

Blog | Pathways to Peace: The Sixth Principle

By Jordan Ryan, vice president, peace programs

The Carter Center’s motto is “Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope.” In these times, the task for peacemakers is urgent. Learn more »

Ousted Afghan Judge Fights Extremism with Empathy, Respect

Before the Taliban, before the war, before women were banned from positions of power, Najla Ayubi was a judge in Afghanistan. Extremists forced her out of her courtroom and eventually out of her country. Learn more »

Request for Information Leads to ID Card, Pension

For nearly three years, 83-year-old Blanca Nieves Valdez didn’t exist. She was living in a cozy house in the small town of San José la Arada, Guatemala, doing all the things that real people do —eating, sleeping, chatting, chores — but as far as the government of Guatemala was concerned, she was a non-person. The official record book containing her information was destroyed, so when the government changed its ID system, it didn’t issue her a new ID card. Learn more »

Tiny Tablet Makes Huge Difference in this Woman’s Life

Cordelia Anude wears a stylish metal cross pendant, a symbol of the faith that sustains her. However, it wasn’t so long ago that she felt distanced from God and from her fellow believers. An advancing case of river blindness had impaired her vision, making it impossible to walk to church on Sunday or study her Bible at home. Learn more »

Blog | Community’s Trust and Commitment Ensure Success

By Dr. Dean G. Sienko, vice president, health programs

At The Carter Center, we never want anyone to be dependent on us. All of our programs are designed to solve problems, and to help our partners build their own capability, resiliency, and self-reliance. We believe in meaningful partnerships, not only with donors and governments but also—and most importantly—with the communities where we work. Learn more »

#CommittedtoChange Mosaic

President and Mrs. Carter thank the many people who showed their support to advance the Carter Center's campaign in the MacArthur Foundation's 100&Change competition for a $100 million grant to fund a single proposal that promises to solve a critical problem of our time. The Center proposes a bold plan to eliminate river blindness disease in Nigeria, creating a model for the rest of Africa and the world. Learn more »

Blog | Pathways to Peace: The Fifth Principle

By Jordan Ryan, vice president, peace programs

The task for peacemakers today is urgent. Learn more »

Meet Okechukwu Obodo

Okechukwu Obodo is a widower who is well into his 70s. He lives in a one-room dwelling that is so orderly he can immediately tell when anything is out of place, and he’s good at building a fire for cooking — not bad for someone who’s been blind for 15 years. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: Catching Flies in Nigeria

Juliana Onwumere is a neglected tropical disease coordinator in Imo state ministry of health. As The Carter Center and partners fight to eliminate river blindness disease in Nigeria, one of Onwumere’s tasks is to collect black flies to be tested for evidence of the disease. Learn more »

Hope in Hard Times

Abeer Pamuk had just started her sophomore year at the University of Aleppo when the Syrian civil war erupted. She was studying English literature and dreaming of a career as a humanitarian worker in South Sudan. But when the Al-Nusra Front terrorist group occupied the street behind her house, her plans were derailed. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: Nigeria's Dr. Adewole Aims to Put River Blindness in ’Dust Bin of History’

Millions will be spared future suffering thanks to collaborative efforts of The Carter Center and Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health to address widespread neglected diseases such river blindness. Hear from Nigeria's Minister of Health, Dr. Isaac Adewole, on the importance of this partnership. Learn more »

Slideshow | Rosalynn Carter Celebrates 90th Birthday

Join us in celebrating former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's 90th birthday this August 18 as we thank her for all she has done to make the world a better place. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: The Carter Center Takes Aim at a Big Fish

By Dr. Frank Richards, director, River Blindness Elimination Program

There’s a famous line in the movie “Jaws” – after the stunned sheriff sees the monster shark for the first time, he says to the shark hunter: “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Learn more »

Blog | Carter Center Conveys Note of Pride in South Africa Program

By Rebecca Palpant Shimkets, associate director, Carter Center Mental Health Program

Seeing South Africa’s mental health journalism program blossom fills me, along with Rosalynn Carter and everyone here at the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program, with the kind of pride one feels when a family member receives a university degree. We are thrilled to have helped the program take its first steps. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: Dr. Frank Richards Discusses Unique Strategy

How do dirty clothes hanging in a tree help eliminate river blindness in Nigeria? Dr. Frank Richards, who directs the Carter Center’s programs on river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis, explains. Learn more »

Carter Center Prepares to Observe High-Stakes Kenyan Election

When Kenyans go to the polls Aug. 8 to choose their next president, election observers expect tensions to be running high. The race is a virtual repeat of the 2013 contest, again pitting challenger Raila Odinga against Uhuru Kenyatta, who won the last round by the narrowest of margins. Learn more »

Blog | Pathways to Peace: The Fourth Principle

By Jordan Ryan, vice president, peace programs

In these times, the task for peacemakers is urgent. Learn more »

Carter Center’s Nigeria Director Sees Challenges and Crushes Them

In many cultures, a person’s name carries significant meaning and may even be thought to describe one’s destiny. In the Southeastern region of his native Nigeria, Dr. Emmanuel Miri’s name means "water" and "life," and few names could be more appropriate for the man who directs the Carter Center's health programs in that country. Learn more »

Under the Microscope: Sudan’s High-Tech Onchocerciasis Lab

It’s a sweltering morning in Khartoum, Sudan. The temperature inside the sage-green corridors of the National Health Laboratory building is only slightly below that in the dusty parking lot outside, and the elevator is out of service. Learn more »

Blog | Native American Voters Face Unique Obstacles

By Tye Tavaras

Until 1924’s Indian Citizenship Act, American Indians did not have the legal right to vote. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: Health Education Matters

Dr. Frank Richards, who directs the Carter Center’s programs on river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis, explains why health education matters in the fight to eliminate diseases. Learn more »

Blog | From the CEO: Small Actions Yield Big Successes

By Ambassador (ret.) Mary Ann Peters, chief executive officer, The Carter Center.

We think big at The Carter Center. Big ideas, big plans, big goals. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: Community Volunteers Key to River Blindness Strategy

By Dr. Emmanuel Miri, Carter Center country representative, Nigeria

Gabriel Ani is a farmer and schoolteacher in the Ndiulo Enugu-Nato village in Enugu State, Nigeria, who loves his community and is loved back. Gabriel is a community volunteer drug distributor — the hands, feet, and heart of our River Blindness Elimination Program. For nine years, he has served more than 1,000 people in 129 households, carefully measuring each person to determine the proper dosage of medicine and recording it in a ledger. Learn more »

100&Change: Ask Me Anything!

Join us Tuesday, June 13, at 11 a.m. EDT for a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" chat, co-hosted by The Carter Center and the MacArthur Foundation. Dr. Frank Richards, who directs the Carter Center’s programs on river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, and schistosomiasis, will answer your questions. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: Community Volunteer Joel Kasuwa Gives Back

Watch how Nigerian Joel Kasuwa, a passionate and committed volunteer, is working with The Carter Center to help us eliminate river blindness in Nigeria. Learn more »

Blog | Pathways to Peace: Patience and Persistence Pay Off

By Jordan Ryan, vice president, peace programs

The Carter Center’s motto is “Waging Peace, Fighting Disease, Building Hope.” In today’s world, the task for peacemakers is urgent. Learn more »

Carter Center Slideshow | Love + Solidarity > Fear

Human rights defenders from around the world met at The Carter Center in May 2017 to teach, learn from, network with, and encourage one another under the theme Freedom from Fear: Securing Rights in Challenging Times. At the closing session of the forum, they issued a unified statement, excerpts of which accompany the following images. Learn more »

IN the SPOTLIGHT: Frank Richards is a Man on a Mission

From Guatemala to Nigeria and beyond, Dr. Frank O. Richards Jr. has dedicated most of his adult life to freeing people from the miseries of river blindness. He has been director of the Carter Center’s River Blindness Elimination program since its inception in 1996. Learn more »

Latin America Work Creates Unforgettable Experiences

Jennie Lincoln’s career in the Carter Center’s Latin America and Caribbean Program has allowed her to be part of some incredible moments. Learn more »

Blog | Center Initiative Studies How Daesh Exploits Children

The Carter Center’s Inclusive Approaches to Preventing Violent Extremism initiative has issued a paper that analyzes how the Islamic extremist group targets children in its recruitment materials and uses them in its operations. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: A Vision for All of Africa

By Ambassador (ret.) Mary Ann Peters, chief executive officer, The Carter Center

Leveraging the experience of our pioneering work to eradicate Guinea worm disease, The Carter Center made the audacious decision to pursue elimination of river blindness (onchocerciasis) everywhere we work on it in Africa and Latin America. Learn more »

Blog | Waging Peace in Turbulent Times Webcast Archive

In case you missed “Waging Peace in Turbulent Times” on April 13, 2017, an archived webcast of this event can be viewed below. Learn more »

Blog | Watch President Jimmy Carter’s Remarks this Week to the 2017 WHO’s Global Partners Meeting in Geneva on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Watch the video below to hear former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s remarks at the 2017 World Health Organization’s Global Partners Meeting in Geneva on the worldwide effort to reduce the burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: Nigeria's Minister of Health and the Carter Center's CEO Discuss River Blindness Elimination

Why is it critical to eliminate river blindness in Nigeria? Our CEO Amb. Mary Ann Peters and Nigerian Minister of Health Dr. Isaac Adewole explain the need and great potential in this brief video. Learn more »

Blog | Pathways to Peace: The Second Principle

By Jordan Ryan, vice president, peace programs

In today’s world, the task for peacemakers is urgent. Learn more »

Eddoes and Empowerment: Women Work to Build Better Life

In Liberia’s Nimba County, many women are raising their children on their own. Fathers often contribute little or nothing to their care, even if the mothers take them to court. Judges may side with the women and order the men to pay child support, but too often the men make a payment or two and then slip off to some other part of the country, never to be heard from again. Learn more »

Story Map | Hope for a Healthy Nigeria

With two states in Nigeria on the brink of wiping out river blindness, the Center is stepping up efforts. Learn more »

Committed to His Community: Gabriel Ani, the Best CDD in Nigeria's Enugu State

Gabriel Ani, a 40ish farmer and schoolteacher, is the Carter Center-trained community drug distributor in Ndiulo Village, Aninri Local Government Area, Enugu State, southeastern Nigeria. Learn more »

Blog | Pathways to Peace: The First Principle

By Jordan Ryan, vice president, peace programs

In this time of extreme polarization, when violence seems to be the “new normal,” we face a threat of escalating conflict at home and abroad. The task for peacemakers is urgent. Learn more »

Blog | Ethiopia Trachoma Control Program Far Exceeds 2016 Surgical Goal

By Kelly Callahan, M.P.H., director, Carter Center Trachoma Control Program

One of the horrible hallmarks of advanced trachoma is a painful inward turning of the eyelids. This condition, called trachomatous trichiasis, causes the sufferer’s eyelashes to scrape the surface of the eye, often leading to blindness. Among other interventions, The Carter Center trains and equips local health-care workers to perform a simple outpatient surgical procedure that reverses the condition. Learn more »

Huda Shafig: Pursuing Peace

Going to university changed Huda Shafig. Until then, she said, she had “kind of lived in a bubble,” mostly unaware of the impact of the conflict raging in parts of Sudan outside of her hometown of Khartoum. Learn more »

Blog | Clinicians Attend to Young Minds in Liberia

Liberia’s 2014-2015 Ebola crisis, following a 14-year civil war, left devastated families in its wake. Thousands of children and adolescents were orphaned, confined in isolation units, or stranded at home watching loved ones suffer and die, triggering a special set of post-traumatic mental health challenges. Learn more »

Blog | 100&Change: MacArthur’s Cecilia Conrad Discusses the Carter Center's Proposal

Cecilia Conrad, managing director of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, discusses the Carter Center’s 100&Change proposal, which aims to eliminate river blindness in Nigeria. Learn more »

Blog | We Accomplish Much by Working Together

By Jimmy Carter, co-founder, The Carter Center

After leaving the White House, Rosalynn and I searched our hearts for ways to use our unique position to help those less fortunate around the world. We knew that two issues were of paramount importance: advancing peace and preventing human suffering. Learn more »

A Step Toward Peace in Sudan: Carter Center Brings Together International Conflict Resolution Experts and Key Sudanese Stakeholders

In the mid-1990s, Monica McWilliams spent two years at negotiating tables sitting next to the leader of an armed group that had tortured and killed her best friend during the Northern Ireland conflict known as The Troubles. Learn more »

Blog | New VP Gets Close-up Look at Work in the Field

By Dean G. Sienko, M.D., M.S., vice president, Carter Center Health Programs

I’m the new guy around here. Although I’ve visited and worked in many places during my medical career – including multiple overseas deployments with the U.S. Army – my first trip abroad with The Carter Center was a new highlight. Learn more »

Blog | Watch Guinea Worm Disease Press Conference with President Carter and Dr. Hopkins | Webcast Archive

In case you missed the Center’s Facebook Live coverage of U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Dr. Donald Hopkins’ press conference on Jan. 11, 2017, an archived webcast of this event can be viewed below. Learn more »

Blog | Watch President Carter Behind the Scenes of 'Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease' Exhibition

In this exclusive interview, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter ventures behind-the-scenes of “Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease,” an exhibition created in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History, open at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum through Oct. 9. Learn more »

Fellowship Takes Reporting to a New Level

Newspaper reporter Jaclyn Cosgrove wanted to dig deeper into serious mental health issues, but the tools at hand weren’t adequate for the job. That changed dramatically when she received a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. Learn more »

Wiping Out Guinea Worm Disease

Using data-driven measurements and monitoring — and working closely with federal ministries of health and affected communities — the Carter Center-led Guinea worm eradication campaign has driven the global incidence of Guinea worm disease down more than 99.99 percent since 1986. Learn more »

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