Quite incredibly that President is still alive and today he celebrates a very special birthday.

Yes, today is the 100th birthday of Jimmy Carter.

As a President it must be said he faced many formidable challenges, including an energy crisis, high levels of inflation and the Iran hostage crisis. Yet, just because he was a one term President it would be a mistake to overlook some important achievements.

In 1977, Carter brokered two US treaties with Panama. The next year he presided over a round of meetings between Egypt’s President Anwar el-Sadat and Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David. The outcome was the Camp David Accords which ended the state of war between the two nations that had existed since 1948.

Jimmy Carter was also ahead of his time in recognising the importance of renewable energy and as a practical example ensured solar panels were installed at the White House. And along with his wife Rosalynn he was a pioneer in advancing mental health.

Since 1981 Jimmy Carter could have made a personal fortune from corporate work and after dinner speeches. Instead, he and his wife chose a very different path.

After leaving the White House Jimmy Carter established a career as a diplomat, humanitarian and author, pursuing conflict resolution in countries around the globe. This article simply doesn’t have the space to provide the full list of countries that President Carter and the Carter Center have undertaken conflict mediation in – but do take a look at the Carter Center website to obtain just a glimpse of is incredible work. Its work has also extended to fighting disease, leading the international campaign to eradicate Guinea worm disease, with the bold ambition that it becomes the second human disease in history, after smallpox, to be eradicated. That ambition is tantalising close to being reached.

With such an incredible record he was quite rightly awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

The public service of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter extended ever further, and for many years they both volunteered for one week a year for Habitat for Humanity, a charity that helps people in both the US and in other countries renovate and build homes for themselves.

In an age where politicians are widely accused of self-interest, often seeking to merely feather their own nest after leaving office, Jimmy Carter stands out as a man of principle and commitment to helping humanity. Even his harshest critics cannot fault his unfaltering public service since he left the White House.

Sadly, Rosalyn Carter died last year and he has been receiving hospice care since February 2023. It has been reported that he is holding on to vote and see Kamala Harris become the 47th US President.

Jimmy Carter might not have many days left on this earth, but today let us celebrate how much he has done to ensure it is a better place for so many people.

Happy birthday Mr President!