Read our latest news and views to learn more about the Carter Center's mission, work, and experts.
The Carter Center, a not-for-profit organization advancing peace and health worldwide, has appointed 16 new members to its Board of Councilors, bringing total membership to 221. Learn more »
Global humanitarian and former President Jimmy Carter is turning 99 on October 1. As part of this significant milestone, The Carter Center is asking the public to share birthday messages, memories, and tributes for him. Messages and well wishes will be featured in a digital mosaic for President Carter, his family, and communities around the world to enjoy. Learn more »
This year, Goalkeepers invites you to see the world as it is today, where progress toward the Global Goals is slow and, in some cases, backwards, and imagine a world with a more hopeful vision for the future. Learn more »
The Carter Center and Team Democracy announced today a new partnership to promote transparent and trustworthy electoral processes in the United States. Learn more »
Former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson and Center Board Chair Jason Carter pays tribute to his grandfather and provides an update on his health. President Carter turns 99 on Oct. 1.
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The Carter Center and 12 U.S. presidential organizations have come together for the first time to reaffirm their commitment to a set of fundamental principles of democracy. Their joint statement released today is consistent with the Center’s ongoing work to strengthen democracy in the United States and around the world. Learn more »
To celebrate Disability Voting Rights Week and the International Day of Democracy, please join The Carter Center, Detroit Disability Power, and The American Association of People with Disabilities for a workshop on Polling Place Accessibility: The 2022 Metro Detroit Audit and Best Practices from Election Officials. We will exchange valuable insights on best practices and challenges in administering accessible elections and provide an overview of how to collect and analyze data to ensure that the accessibility of our elections continues to improve. This is a three-part workshop, and we invite you to participate in all of the sessions or only those most valuable to you. Learn more »
The Carter Center is saddened to learn of the death of Bill Richardson, a dedicated champion of democracy and human rights. He collaborated with The Carter Center from its earliest days, serving as a Center election observer in Nicaragua in 1990. Learn more »
The Carter Center today issued its preliminary statement on the Aug. 23 elections in Zimbabwe, finding that they took place in a restricted political environment with an unlevel playing field and that the election administration lacked independence and transparency in key areas, undermining the credibility of the process. Learn more »
Carter Center expert David Carroll, who leads the Center’s initiative on standards and best practices in international election observation, discusses Zimbabwe’s election and key findings from Carter Center observers. Learn more »
As the election process has not yet concluded, this press statement covers the process thus far. The Center will continue to observe and assess the remaining post-election process and will issue a preliminary statement shortly and a comprehensive final report in the coming months, which will include recommendations for steps that could improve future elections Learn more »
Despite the Zimbabwean government’s invitation to launch an election observation mission for the Aug. 23 elections, 30 of the Carter Center’s 48 short-term observers still have not received accreditation from Zimbabwean authorities. Learn more »
Join us for a special conversation with Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander and Gleaves Whitney, executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This event will also be available over Zoom. Learn more »
On September 23, Paige Alexander, chief executive officer of The Carter Center, and Gleaves Whitney, executive director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, will discuss Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and the close friendship and working relationship that developed between the former rivals. In a conversation at the Ford Presidential Foundation and Presidential Center, titled “Rebuilding Trust, Restoring Institutions,” the two will discuss what their example teaches us today about the path to restore public trust in elections and democracy and to rebuild institutions. Learn more »
On May 28, 2023, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan solidified his 20‐year rule as Turkey's premier by winning the latest presidential election. Despite facing challenges, including a declining economy and the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, Erdoğan's relationship with the government of Syria (GoS) played a crucial role in the elections and their aftermath. Learn more »
The Carter Center announced today that Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, will lead the Center’s international election observation mission in Zimbabwe. Learn more »
In the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey earlier this year, the U.S. government released General License 23 (GL 23), a humanitarian exception to sanctions on Syria, to allow for aid to reach those in need. This exception took effect Feb. 9, 2023, for a period of 180 days. Learn more »
Published by Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Atlanta Business Chronicle names Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander a recipient of their Most Admired CEO Awards which highlight leaders who propel the performance of their organization and strengthen the fabric of the Atlanta community.
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My family and I are deeply saddened by the passing of Hugh “Sonny” Carter. He was not only close family, but he was crucial in my grandfather’s election as president by organizing the famous Peanut Brigade, and he skillfully implemented true zero-based budgeting within my grandfather’s White House. He was also widely known for his kindness and generosity. We will keep Glenna and his family in our hearts and prayers during this difficult time. Learn more »
The Carter Center is gravely concerned over the Israeli Knesset’s vote to enact legislation that strips the Israeli Supreme Court’s authority to override unreasonable government decisions. This legislation, known as the “reasonableness law,” is the first step of an extensive agenda designed to eliminate judicial responsibility to act on the Israeli government’s actions. Learn more »
The Carter Center is pleased to announce that Órla Ryan of The Journal, working with its investigative platform Noteworthy, and Shauna Bowers of The Irish Times have been selected as the inaugural winners of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism in the Republic of Ireland. Learn more »
Following the conclusion of the tabulation process, the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) released final results for parliamentary, mayoral, and local government elections in the first days of July showing unusual variances compared to the results of the presidential race released on June 27. This heightens doubts about the credibility of the tabulation process and the results from the June 24 election. Learn more »
Published by State Affairs Georgia.
Eve Byrd, director of Mental Health Programs for the Carter Center, said her team has made some recommendations for improving the insurance department’s new site, “so that it’s more consumer-friendly and includes language accessibility, which is mandated in the Parity Act.”
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The Carter Center is pleased to announce nine U.S. recipients of the 2023-2024 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. Learn more »
The adoption of several humanitarian carveouts under several Syria-related autonomous sanctions regimes – in response to February 2023’s devastating earthquake – has been strongly welcomed by the humanitarian community. The exceptions adopted by the United States (US), European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK), and Switzerland are designed to facilitate transactions in relation to relief efforts and the purchase of oil and petroleum-related products in Syria, particularly by humanitarian actors. They differ in terms of scope of activities authorized, breadth of actors covered, and their duration. This article seeks to map the main characteristics of each exception and assesses them in terms of benefits, ongoing challenges, and areas for potential improvement to inform future sanctions policies. Learn more »
Jason Carter, chairman of The Carter Center Board of Trustees and the grandson of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, participated in a discussion today in Lusaka about the Center’s work in the country. Learn more »
In a follow-up to the preliminary statement issued yesterday on the Sierra Leone elections, The Carter Center once again strongly urges the Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) to publish election results by polling station so that parties and observers can cross-verify data, in accordance with international best practice. Learn more »
In a preliminary statement released today, The Carter Center expresses concern about transparency and calls for calm as the tabulation of results is underway in Sierra Leone’s June 24 election. Learn more »
The 2023 Carter Center Weekend raised $2,392,385 in donations and auction sales to support the Center’s work for peace and health worldwide. The annual fundraiser, held June 21-25 at the Loews Atlanta Hotel and The Carter Center, included live and silent auctions, as well as a town hall with the Center’s senior leadership, presentations by staff, and a variety of events focused on Atlanta history. Learn more »
As the first day of tabulation draws to a close following the June 24 election in Sierra Leone, The Carter Center expresses concern about reports indicating a lack of transparency during parts of the tabulation process. Learn more »
Democracy is in decline across the Americas, as governments are undermining civil liberties and the institutions meant to protect them. How can human rights defenders protect and promote the most fundamental democratic freedoms amid this challenging environment? Learn more »
Published by Voice of America.
In May, the World Health Organization certified that the countries of Benin and Mali had eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. Six countries in Africa have reached that milestone. The Carter Center believes its program in Mali has helped avert blindness in more than 5 million people, and the antibiotics used to combat trachoma also help prevent infant mortality, the Center said.
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A deadly competition between two rival generals in Sudan has derailed anticipated prospects for a transition to civilian rule. As always, it is the Sudanese people who are paying the price, with hundreds of civilians killed or wounded, and more than a million people internally displaced or crossing as refugees into neighboring countries.
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The Carter Center announced today that former U.S. Ambassador Cameron Hume will lead the Center’s international election observation mission in Sierra Leone. Learn more »
An original painting by President Jimmy Carter, guitars autographed by Bonnie Raitt and Jeff Beck, and memorabilia commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President Barack Obama are among more than 150 items to be auctioned on June 24 to benefit The Carter Center. Learn more »
The Carter Center offers its condolences to the family of Judge Thomas Buergenthal, a leading international human rights lawyer and the founder of the Center’s Human Rights Program. Learn more »
The former first lady's public dementia diagnosis is keeping mental health and caregiving — two topics she's dedicated her career to — at the forefront of the American conversation.
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It is human nature to want to be understood and accepted, so when people like Rosalynn Carter and her family share their experiences with dementia, they provide a comforting connection to the more than 55 million people worldwide who have dementia diagnoses. Mrs. Carter is a lifelong, globally acclaimed champion for those with brain illnesses and their caregivers. She continues to inspire and connect with us now by telling her story. Learn more »
Mrs. Carter has been the nation’s leading mental health advocate for more than half a century — first in the Georgia governor’s mansion, then in the White House and later at The Carter Center.
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The Carter family is sharing that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia. She continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones. Learn more »
Rosalynn Carter, the wife of former President Jimmy Carter and a longtime advocate for greater access to mental health care, has dementia, the Carter Center said on Tuesday. The announcement came just over three months after it said that Jimmy Carter, 98, had entered hospice care at the couple’s home in Plains, Ga.
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Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has been diagnosed with dementia. That news comes about three months after it was announced her husband, former President Jimmy Carter, was moving into hospice care. Caregiving has been a major focus of Mrs. Carter’s life and work. William Brangham looks at that legacy and the impact dementia has on millions of families.
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Mali has become the 17th country to receive the World Health Organization’s validation of the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. The Carter Center, Helen Keller Intl, and Sightsavers are proud to have worked together in partnership to support the government of Mali in their fight against trachoma. This decade old partnership was made possible through the support of Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Learn more »
The Carter Center will convene its 27th Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum on May 18, 2023. This free in-person and virtual event explores pressing mental health issues in Georgia and the rest of the country. Learn more »
For Palestinians, the Nakba (Catastrophe) is a somber occasion that represents the loss of their homeland and the forced displacement that followed. As a nation, they mourn the tragic events that unfolded, which saw them violently uprooted from their ancestral homes to make way for a Jewish-majority state, as envisioned by the Zionist movement. Learn more »
The Carter Center joins those continuing to mourn the loss of Shireen Abu Akleh and again calls for a full and transparent investigation into her killing. Learn more »
The Carter Center has launched an international election observation mission to Sierra Leone in advance of the country’s national elections scheduled for June 24. The Center was invited to observe this year’s elections by the Election Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL). Learn more »
The Carter Center is deeply concerned by the death of Khader Adnan, a Palestinian prisoner who died in solitary confinement in an Israeli prison this week after an 87-day-long hunger strike. Learn more »
Headline, a national media program focused on mental health in Ireland, has partnered with The Carter Center to offer the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism to Irish media. Learn more »
This spring marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended decades of violence and established inclusive, democratic power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland. On May 4, the Consulate General of Ireland in Atlanta and The Carter Center will co-host a commemorative event and reception with special guests representing diplomats, peacebuilders, and leaders from Northern Ireland and the United States. Learn more »
Upcoming Event | What to Know about the U.S. Elections Heading into 2024 (May 1, 2023) Learn more »
Former President Jimmy Carter’s legacy of promoting free and fair elections at home and abroad will be discussed at a May 1 event hosted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy and The Carter Center. Learn more »
The Carter Center is heartbroken by the tragic humanitarian situation unfolding during the holy month of Ramadan in Sudan and calls on warring parties to immediately cease fighting and work to bring about lasting peace. Learn more »
The Carter Center mourns the passing of Kent C. “Oz” Nelson, who served as chairman of The Carter Center Board of Trustees from 2009 through 2015. He joined the board in 1994. Mr. Nelson, the former chairman and CEO of United Parcel Service, was board chair of United Way of America and United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, as well as the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Learn more »
The Carter Center is alarmed by the Tunisian government’s arrests of several political actors in recent weeks as well as its denial of request for peaceful protests. These actions represent a direct and increasing threat to democratic institutions in Tunisia. Learn more »
The Carter Center, with the support of the Embassy of Ireland in Zambia, is releasing a new edition of the Election Obligations and Standards (EOS) manual, with a launch event that will be held in Lusaka, Zambia, on March 28. Learn more »
The Carter Center and the Embassy of Sweden in Zambia, with support from Irish and Finnish partners, are bringing together civil society actors, government officials, and other stakeholders in Lusaka on March 31 to discuss strategies to ensure equal participation and representation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in politics in Zambia. “Securing a Seat at the Table: Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities as Influencers and Decision-Makers,” will take place just after the second global Summit for Democracy. Learn more »
The Carter family and The Carter Center are grateful to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland for today’s decision to vacate the 2019 land swap agreement that put this ecologically rich area at risk and threatened to undermine ANILCA as a powerful piece of conservation law. Learn more »
ATLANTA (Feb. 18, 2023) — After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers. Learn more »
The Carter Center applauds the release of 222 political prisoners by the government of Nicaragua and commends the U.S. government for providing humanitarian parole in the United States. We join the prisoners’ families in celebrating their release and note that restoring democracy in Nicaragua requires a halt to repression and a return to the political rights and guarantees expected in a democracy. Learn more »
The Carter Center is deeply saddened by the earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation in Syria. As relief aid is being disbursed, it is crucial that it reach all affected communities immediately and without hindrance. Learn more »
Laura Turner Seydel, chair of the Captain Planet Foundation and director of the Turner Foundation, has been appointed chair of the Carter Center's Board of Councilors for 2023. Learn more »
The latest installment in the Finding Firmer Ground report series examines how technological advancements have increased distrust and uncertainty in U.S.-China relations. From big data to semiconductors, the multiauthor report looks into the geopolitical implications of technological development and what strategies, if any, policymakers in the United States and China can take to mitigate tensions. Learn more »
The Jan. 29 runoff election for Tunisia’s parliament again failed to motivate voters, underscoring the Tunisian people’s rejection of the political process initiated by the president on July 25, 2021. Learn more »
The Carter Center was pleased to hear Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirm the Biden administration’s goal of equal measures of freedom, security, opportunity, justice, and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis in his public remarks in Jerusalem this week. We support the administration’s sustained opposition to settlement construction, annexation of the West Bank, demolition of Palestinian houses, and displacement of Palestinians from their land. Learn more »
The Carter Center congratulated the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health today for stopping river blindness transmission in four of the country’s 36 states, protecting 18.9 million people from the second-leading infectious cause of blindness. The public health triumph — the largest stop-treatment decision in the history of the global river blindness campaign — was announced today in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, following World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day Jan. 30. Learn more »
The Carter Center is pleased to announce that applications for journalists who are U.S. citizens and residents are now being accepted for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. Selected fellows will join a top-notch cohort of more than 250 fellows awarded over the past two decades. Learn more »
Published by Voice of America.
“We had six human cases in Chad, five human cases in South Sudan, and one in Ethiopia and one in the Central African Republic on the border with Chad,” Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center’s Guinea Worm Eradication Program, told VOA during a recent Skype interview.
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Jan. 30, 2023, marked the fourth annual World NTD Day, highlighting the global community’s commitment to ending neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that cause immeasurable suffering among the world’s most marginalized communities. Together The Carter Center and our partners celebrated hard-earned progress to #EndtheNeglect and #BeatNTDs.
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Published by Voice of America.
The Carter Center said recently that only 13 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported worldwide last year. That is a major drop from 3.5 million cases of infected people in 1986. Audio package: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/6935557.html
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When doctors first started trying to eradicate Guinea worm disease nearly four decades ago, more than 3.5 million people were infected. Last year, that number dropped to 13. Now The Carter Center, which has spearheaded the fight against the disease, says it's in the final — and, perhaps most difficult — stage of completely eradicating it in humans.
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Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program, saw his first case of Guinea worm disease as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2003. “I had never heard of Guinea worm before arriving in Ghana,” he said.
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A week after the death of a protester marked a new, deadly milestone in the turbulent saga
surrounding Atlanta’s new public safety training center, the conflict continues to elicit
commentary from far and wide.
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The Carter Center condemns the recent violence linked to the campaign to stop the construction of a police training facility in South River Forest, located southeast of Atlanta. We support the right for individuals to protest peacefully and call for a transparent investigation into the death of the protester and the injury of the Georgia state trooper. Learn more »
The number of cases of a painful and debilitating tropical illness fell last year to a record low, fuelling hopes that it will soon become the second human disease in history to be eradicated. Only 13 cases of guinea worm disease were reported worldwide in 2022, a provisional figure that if confirmed would be the smallest ever documented, the US-based Carter Center has said.
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The World's host Marco Werman speaks with Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center's Guinea Worm Eradication Program. The Carter Center says Guinea worm disease is close to be eradicated. Only 13 human cases were reported worldwide last year.
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When the Carter Center assumed leadership of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program in 1986, about 3.5 million people in Africa and Asia were afflicted with the debilitating illness caused by the parasite.
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The rushing tributaries of the White Nile in northwest Uganda’s Moyo District make ideal breeding grounds for the black flies that transmit river blindness, as Fred Matalocu knows only too well. Learn more »
“We are truly in the midst of that last mile and experiencing firsthand that it is going to be a very long and arduous last mile,” Adam Weiss, director of The Carter Center’s Guinea Worm Eradication Program, told The Associated Press. “Not so much as it taking more than the next seven years – five to seven years – but just knowing that it’s going to be a slow roll to get to zero.”
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The Carter Center is alarmed that the early actions of the new Israeli government violate human rights, contravene international law, and risk instigating identity-based violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel. Learn more »
Only 13 human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported worldwide in 2022, pushing the disease closer to eradication, The Carter Center announced Wednesday. The figure is the lowest annual case total ever reported, following the record of 15 cases set just the year before. When The Carter Center assumed leadership of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program in 1986, about 3.5 million human cases occurred annually in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. Learn more »
In response to the growing mental health crisis in America, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has made the first round of grants from its new Mental Health and Well-Being giving area, totaling more than $5 million.
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In response to the growing mental health crisis in America, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has made the first round of grants from its new Mental Health & Well-Being giving area, totaling more than $5 million. The portfolio of 15 grants will help the foundation discover where philanthropy can be most impactful and assist in shaping its future Mental Health & Well-Being strategy. Learn more »
New Carter Center Report on Advancing Peace Through Health in Mali Learn more »
The Carter Center condemns today’s violent assault on the offices of Brazil’s three constitutional powers: the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, which provide the foundation of the country’s democracy. Learn more »
Carter Center's Jennie Lincoln, senior advisor for Latin America and the Caribbean, shares her thoughts on what 2023 has in store for Latin America.
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