From Deseret News archives:
Carter is man of action on peace
That's the message Carter delivered Thursday as the 39th president spoke about the humanitarian efforts of the Carter Center during a fund raiser at Snowbird. In fireside-chat style, Carter spoke with center supporters about the successes of the non-governmental agency.
"We actually go in the village and treat people and put the meals in their mouths," Carter said. "We don't do what everyone else does. We just go where vacuums exist."
Carter added that the center's efforts to "wage peace" and spread democracy has left an imprint on 65 countries and 54 newly started elections in former dictatorships. From trying to eradicate the disease of worms in Ghana to teaching African villagers how to yield more crops, Carter said he and his wife, Rosalynn, are bringing health and productivity to countries across the globe.
"Rosalynn and I are the No. 1 builders of outside toilets — latrines," Carter joked as he pointed out the center has constructed more than 69,000 outhouses in Ethiopia alone.
But most importantly, Carter added, is the need to bring peace and democratic elections to more countries. The first step in that effort is to move forward to make the United States a beacon for harmony that stands as the world's "single repository of a commitment to peace," he said.
"We really believe in the use of diplomacy to resolve dispute rather than dropping bombs," he said.
And although Carter called the battle with Iraq a "totally unnecessary war," he added that the recent elections in the country will likely start a wave of interest in democratic government.
"I was pleasantly surprised about how many people turned out in the election of Iraq," Carter said. "It takes a long time, but I think it's planting the right kind of seed. I don't feel hopeless about it."
But Carter was quick to add that growing peace starts with the United States, which he said is now imbued with deeply ingrained differences between socio-economic classes, religions and political parties.
"Our country," he said, "is more deeply divided now than it was during the war between the state 140 years ago."
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