Tag Archives: jimmy carter

Yes, I know we’re supposed to be on a festive break, but there is no way I could let the passing of one of my political heroes go unremarked. Ed Davey was one of the first to pay tribute to former US President Jimmy Carter:

Jimmy Carter was an inspiration. He led a truly remarkable life dedicated to public service with a genuine care for people. My thoughts are with his family, friends and all those who loved him. He will be remembered for generations.

I was 9 years old when Jimmy Carter won the 1976 presidential election. I remember it for two things. First, his smile. So warm, so positive, so genuine. Second, his daughter Amy is just a few weeks younger than me and I was so excited that there was going to be a little girl in the White House.  I had no idea what a goldfish bowl nightmare it would be for any family to be under that kind of constant attention. I remember also being very proud of her when she was arrested as a student in the 80s at a protest against CIA recruitment drives, though she was later acquitted of the charges.

Watergate had been one of the very first news stories I had ever really been aware of.  It was such a big story that the news was on at breakfast time on the tv. This was long before the 24 hour news cycle was a thing. Carter seemed an antidote to all of that – he symbolised openness and honesty.

During his actual presidential term, he managed to achieve what had seemed to be impossible. Who would have thought that the leaders of Israel and Egypt would make peace at Camp David. Fifty years on, we can see how much there still has to be done in the Middle East, but this was huge at the time.

The economy was an absolute bin fire at that time with high inflation and unemployment though. Had that not been the case, he might have had a chance against super-communicator Ronald Reagan in 1980.  Had a rescue mission for US hostages held in the US Embassy in Tehran been successful, he would have been a hero. There was a particular cruelty to the Iranians waiting till the second he left office to release those hostages.

For Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, his presidency was only part of their public service. He could have gone back to his Georgia peanut farm in the huff in 1981, but he spent decades doing his best to improve human rights and gender equality across the world. I was always amazed how, well into their 90s, they spent a week a year helping build homes for those who needed them with Habitat for Humanity.

Since 1984, President and Mrs. Carter were champions and groundbreaking voices for affordable, decent housing for all, donating their time and leadership each year to build and improve homes through Habitat’s Carter Work Project.

Over the course of more than 35 years, they worked alongside nearly 104,000 volunteers in 14 countries to build, renovate and repair 4,390 homes.

They inspired millions across the globe with their dedication and rallied thousands of volunteers and celebrities to take part in our mission, helping Habitat for Humanity become internationally recognized for our work to build decent and affordable housing.

I mean, this wasn’t just going along and cutting a ribbon, shaking a few hands and moving on. This was actually getting their hands dirty, as Rosalynn described: