<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!--If you see this error message then you do not support RSS v2.0.--><rss version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Carter Center]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org]]></link><description><![CDATA[Carter Center News & Press Releases 2008]]></description><item><title><![CDATA[31 December 2008: Re-subscribe to Carter Center RSS feeds]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/documents/current_rss.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center is reorganizing its RSS feeds. Please re-subscribe to your favorite RSS feeds. New URLs are listed here.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[31 December 2008: Carter Center Deploys Observers to Ghana's Brong-Ahafo Region to Observe Tain Constituency's Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_tain123108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center has deployed 10 election observers to Ghana's Brong-Ahafo region to observe Friday's voting in the Tain constituency.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[31 December 2008: Carter Center Urges Immediate End to Violence in Gaza]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/gaza123108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center urges an immediate end to violence in and around Gaza.  The government of Israel must cease actions that endanger the civilian population of densely populated Gaza, and the de facto authorities of Gaza must halt rocket attacks.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 December 2008: Ghana Presidential Run-off Election Observation Mission Preliminary Statement]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_prelim_123008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center election observation mission has been in Ghana since May 2008 following an invitation from the Electoral Commission of Ghana. During the Dec. 7 first-round election, the Center deployed a 57-person observer team to more than 300 polling stations in 30 districts. A preliminary statement released on Dec. 9 details the Center's findings on the political environment and election-day activities.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 December 2008: Carter Center Finds Ghana's Presidential Run-off Elections Credible and Peaceful]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_123008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center found that Ghana's voters participated in a transparent and relatively peaceful presidential run-off election on Dec. 28, 2008. Preliminary reports of the election, which was contested by John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress and former Foreign Minister Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party, indicate that the administration of this election was well executed, illustrating the successful organization of the Electoral Commission and the determination of the Ghanaian public to ensure continued democratic consolidation.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[26 December 2008: Carter Center Delegation Arrives in Ghana to Observe the Presidential Runoff Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_arrival_122608.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Carter Center election observers returned to Ghana this week to observe election preparations and voting for the presidential runoff elections on Dec. 28. The returning short-term observers, who were deployed throughout Ghana for the Dec. 7 election, join the Center's long-term observers, who have been deployed since late-September. Observers will be briefed for two days then deployed to all 10 regions in the country.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[22 December 2008: Carter Center Finds C&#244;te d'Ivoire's Voter Identification and Registration Process Progressing Slowly]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/cotedivoire_122208.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Carter Center observers in Cote d'Ivoire report slow progress in the ongoing population identification and voter registration due to significant logistical challenges and financial constraints as activities are expanded across the country.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[22 December 2008: Harvard Article Spotlights the Carter Center's Work in Rural Liberia]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/conflict_resolution/harvard_intl_review_justice_liberia.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[At the invitation of  President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, The Carter Center is helping Liberia rebuild  its legal infrastructure, which is a prerequisite for lasting peace and democratic progress. We work in partnership with leaders at the highest levels of government, as well as those in the most remote areas of Liberia, and act as a communication bridge between these groups.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[19 December 2008: Privatizing Mental Health Hospitals: Two Views: Don't Rush to Hand Off Care of Patients in Need]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/privatizing_mental_health_hospitals.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Georgia continues to experience the effects of a mental health system that is tragically broken. Georgia Department of Human Resources' (DHR) has responded with some new proposals, one of which is privatizing and downsizing state mental hospitals.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[18 December 2008: Paris, Lebanon, and Syria Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter: Dec. 5-16, 2008]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/paris_lebanon_syria_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[I flew to Paris with Jeffrey and met with other Elders at Le Bristol, an excellent hotel. Since Desmond Tutu and Gra&#231;a Machel had to attend a funeral in S. Africa, Mary Robinson & I shared the chairmanship. We reviewed our previous experiences in Sudan (Darfur), Cyprus, and S. Africa (Zimbabwe), and my substitution for the Elders in the April Middle East trip.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 December 2008: Carter Center Calls for Release of Zimbabwe Human Rights Activists]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/zimbabwe121108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center calls on local authorities and the Government of Zimbabwe to immediately release Jestina Mukoko, Broderick Takawira, and Pascal Gonzo &#150; human rights activists and leaders of the Zimbabwe Peace Project.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 December 2008: Obama's Human Rights Opportunity]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/obamas_human_rights_opportunity.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The advancement of human rights around the world was a cornerstone of foreign policy and U.S. leadership for decades, until the attacks on our country on Sept. 11, 2001]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[9 December 2008: Ghana Election Observation Mission Preliminary Statement: Ghana's Voters Renew Commitment to Open and Competitive Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_elections_prelim_statement_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center congratulates the Ghanaian people for their democratic participation in the Dec. 7 presidential and parliamentary elections, which were conducted in a peaceful, transparent, and dignified manner.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[9 December 2008: Carter Center Delegation Observes Ghana's Peaceful, Historic Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/elections/ghana/120708.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[More than 50 Carter Center observers witnessed Ghana's Dec. 7 elections, the results of which will determine the country's next president and parliament.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[5 December 2008: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Visit Middle East]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/lebanon_syria_visit_120508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will visit Lebanon and Syria next week.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[5 December 2008: Guinea Worm Cases Hit All-Time Low: Carter Center, WHO, Gates Foundation, and U.K. Government Commit $55 Million Toward Ultimate Eradication Goal]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/gates_120508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced today that cases of Guinea worm disease have reached an all-time low with fewer than 5,000 estimated cases remaining worldwide. To help eliminate the remaining cases, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) announced new commitments totaling US$55 million to support the historic Carter Center-led eradication campaign.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[4 December 2008: GlaxoSmithKline and The Carter Center Reaffirm Commitment to Global Public Health With Expansion of LF Program]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/gsk_cc_expand_lymphatic_filariasis_program.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[In a meeting today with former U.S. President and founder of The Carter Center, Jimmy Carter, as well as global health thought leaders from around the world, GlaxoSmithKline [LSE/NYSE: GSK] announced that it has made a $250,000 donation to The Carter Center to assist the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia with launching a program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF).]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[3 December 2008: Human Rights Leaders Urge President-Elect Obama to Renew U.S. Commitments to Human Rights ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/defenders_120308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[An international group of human rights organizations and human rights defenders meeting at The Carter Center today issued an urgent appeal for President-elect Barack Obama to renew U.S. commitments to human rights principles and practices that have been abandoned since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks against the United States.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[2 December 2008: Press Conference: Jimmy Carter and Carter Center Partners Announce Major New Progress Toward Guinea Worm Eradication]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/gates_120508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Guinea worm disease eradication partners will address the critical juncture facing the international Guinea worm eradication campaign with a major announcement of new progress and funding on Dec. 5, 2008, at The Carter Center in Atlanta.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[2 December 2008: Respond to Zimbabwe Crisis]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/jc_zimbabwe_crisis.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[As president, I worked actively with African leaders and the British to change the apartheid regime of Rhodesia into a democratic Zimbabwe in 1980. Eight years later, The Carter Center established one of our first agriculture projects in Zimbabwe, at that time known as a breadbasket for the region and setting an example in economic stability, education and health care.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[1 December 2008: Carter Center Delegation Arrives in Ghana Dec. 2  to Observe Sunday's Election]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_120108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Carter Center election observation leaders and short-term observers will arrive in Ghana tomorrow to observe election preparations and voting on Dec. 7.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[25 November 2008: South Africa and Zimbabwe Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Nov. 20-24, 2008]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/south_africa_nov2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[As president, I worked actively with African leaders and the British to change the apartheid regime of Rhodesia into a democratic Zimbabwe in 1980.  Eight years later, The Carter Center established one of our first Global 2000 agriculture projects in Zimbabwe &#150; so successful that we soon shifted our emphasis to more needy countries.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[14 November 2008: Carter Center Statement on Nicaragua Elections (English and Spanish versions)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/nicaragua_111408.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center calls on all actors, leaders, and civil and state authorities to seek an expeditious, legitimate, and mutually respectful solution to the claims of electoral irregularities and doubts that have arisen about the administration of Nicaragua's municipal elections. Public accusations and violence are jeopardizing political stability and peace. The Carter Center reiterates its commitment to peace, justice, the rule of law, and democracy in the country.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[12 November 2008: New Findings on Nation's Delivery of Children's Mental Health Care to be Released at Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/mental_health_symposium_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[New research by the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University reveals that state by state policies continue to hinder children's mental health delivery 25 years after the strong recommendation of a federal plan to address the issue. The complete findings of this research will debut at this year's 24th annual Rosalynn Carter Symposium on Mental Health Policy on Nov. 20-21, 2008, at The Carter Center in Atlanta.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 November 2008: Carter Center Hosts Human Rights Leaders to Propose New U.S. Human Rights Agenda]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/hrd_111108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay will host human rights leaders from around the world on Dec. 2-3 to develop recommendations for President-elect Barack Obama's human rights agenda for the United States.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[7 November 2008: Carter Center Launches Election Observation Mission to C&#244;te d'Ivoire]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/cotedivoire_110608.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center deployed three teams of observers to regions around C&#244;te d'Ivoire this week to formally launch its international election observation mission. Observers will focus on ongoing voter registration and assess overall preparations for the presidential elections.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[5 November 2008: U.S. Presidential Election - Statement From Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/election_statement_110508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[I congratulate Senators Obama and Biden on running a campaign that inspired millions of Americans in the midst of difficult times.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[4 November 2008: Carter Center Hosts Chinese Delegation to Witness U.S. Elections in San Francisco, Washington, D.C. ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/china_delegation_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A Chinese delegation hosted by The Carter Center is studying today's U.S. election in the San Francisco and Washington, D.C., areas to learn more about election procedures and reduce misperceptions by the Chinese of the American democratic system.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[31 October 2008: Carter Center: Time Remains to Resolve Ghana's Pre-Electoral Problems]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_103108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A Carter Center delegation that assessed Ghana's pre-electoral environment this week concluded that problems arising from the limited registration period, including the registration of minors and multiple registrations, have resulted in serious concerns leading to decreased confidence in the electoral process.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[29 October 2008: Carter Center Hosts Chinese Delegation to Observe U.S. Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/china_102908.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center will host a Chinese delegation to observe U.S. elections in the San Francisco and Washington, D.C., areas on Nov. 4, 2008.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[27 October 2008: Q&A with Hrair Balian, Director, Carter Center Conflict Resolution Program]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/current_qa/balian_qa_091608.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A Q&A with Hrair Balian, director of the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program, on the program's goals and current initiatives.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[27 October 2008: Carter Center Delegation to Assess Pre-Electoral Climate in Ghana]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_102708.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A Carter Center delegation will visit Ghana from Oct. 27 &#150;31 to assess the ongoing difficulties and irregularities with voter registration processes and other concerns ahead of the Dec. 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 October 2008: Statement on the Status of Democracy in Nicaragua by the Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/nicaragua_102308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[We, the undersigned Friends of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, committed to the promotion and defense of the values and principles in the Charter and attentive to democratic development in the Western hemisphere, express our deep concern for the recent events and acts in Nicaragua.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[17 October 2008: Mental Health Parity: A Q&A with Carter Center Mental Health Program Founder, Rosalynn Carter]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/current_qa/rosalynn_carter_mental_health_parity.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter is known worldwide as a leader in the field of mental health. From serving on governmental commissions to advance mental health services during her husband's terms as Georgia governor and U.S. president to her current work leading Carter Center projects to improve mental health policies and reduce stigma, Mrs. Carter has worked tirelessly for more than 35 years to help those living with mental illnesses and their families. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[13 October 2008: Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Cyprus:  Oct. 7-10, 2008]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/cyprus_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Representing the Elders, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lakhdar Brahimi, and I visited Cyprus, hoping that our expression of interest would encourage the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders in their effort to resolve the long-standing dispute over the division of the island. I was involved in this challenging diplomatic task even before becoming president in 1977.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 October 2008: Statement by Former U.S. President and Nobel Laureate Jimmy Carter on the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/nobel_ahtisaari.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Rosalynn and I congratulate Finland's former president, Martti Ahtisaari, on receiving the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[8 October 2008: Ambitious Goal to End Blindness-inducing Disease]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/h/trachoma/emory_rpt_trachoma_latrines.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Conventional wisdom says trachoma &#151; the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide &#151; can only be treated, not eliminated. But Teshome Gebre, The Carter Center's point man for trachoma control in Ethiopia, hopes to defy that wisdom. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[7 October 2008: Pan American Health Organization Passes Resolution to Interrupt Transmission of River Blindness in Latin America by 2012]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/river_blindness_latin_america.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[In an effort to eliminate river blindness (onchocerciasis) from the Western Hemisphere, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an urgent call to interrupt the disease's transmission by 2012.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[3 October 2008: Statement From Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Mental Health Parity Success]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/mental_health_parity_success.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[We have won a major victory today for millions of people who long have been discriminated against because they have a mental illness or substance use disorder. By passing mental health and addiction parity legislation, Congress has made an important statement that these diseases should be treated like any other physical illness.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 September 2008: Carter Center Launches Effort to Spur Elimination of Malaria and Lymphatic Filariasis in Haiti and the Dominican Republic]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/eliminate_malaria_lf_hispaniola.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center, in partnership with Haiti and the Dominican Republic, announced today a one-year initiative to try to accelerate elimination of malaria and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) from the island of Hispaniola, which the countries share.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 September 2008: Carter Center Launches Effort to Spur Elimination of Malaria and Lymphatic Filariasis in Haiti and the Dominican Republic]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/eliminate_malaria_lf_hispaniola.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center, in partnership with Haiti and the Dominican Republic, announced today a one-year initiative to try to accelerate elimination of malaria and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) from the island of Hispaniola, which the countries share.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[29 September 2008: Ecuador Constitutional Referendum: Preliminary Statement by The Carter Center ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/Ecuador_093008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center congratulates the Ecuadorian people for their democratic participation in the Sept. 28 constitutional referendum, which expressed their civic and peaceful will in a transparent manner.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[24 September 2008: A Clearer Picture of Trachoma in Southern Sudan: Bacterial Eye Disease Devastates Ayod County]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/trachoma_article_published_PLoS.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The burden of trachoma in Ayod county, one of the most severe ever documented, is a crucial threat to public health in Jonglei state, Southern Sudan according to a recently conducted survey. These alarming results, published today in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, were uncovered through a collaborative survey between The Carter Center, University of Cambridge, and health officials from the government of Southern Sudan.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[20 September 2008: Combating Stigma, Building Understanding: A Q&A with Carter Center Expert Rebecca Palpant]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/current_qa/palpantQA.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Rebecca Palpant is a national mental health advocate and the senior program associate for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism. She is an active participant on advisory boards and within national work groups related to stigma and accurate portrayals of mental illnesses in the media. As she prepares to welcome the 2008-2009 fellowship class to The Carter Center for their introductory meeting, Palpant sat down to discuss the stigma surrounding mental illnesses and the Carter Center's effort to defeat misconceptions about mental health.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[19 September 2008: Mental Health Legislation We Need]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/mental_health_legislation.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[This op-ed was originally published in the Washington Post. The Sept. 8 news story "Kennedy Plans a January Return," regarding Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), mentioned an effort to pass legislation granting parity in insurance coverage for those suffering from mental illnesses.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[19 September 2008: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Calls for Clemency for Troy Davis]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/clemency_troy_davis.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called today on the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to reverse its decision to deny clemency to Troy Anthony Davis, convicted for an alleged murder of a Savannah police officer in 1991.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[17 September 2008: Watch Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in Live "Conversations" Webcast Sept. 23]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/conversations_091708.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will discuss their recent activities and take audience questions at the sold out opening of the annual Conversations at The Carter Center series on Sept. 23, 7-8:30 p.m. The event will be webcast live at www.cartercenter.org.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[15 September 2008: Statement on the First Annual International Day of Democracy]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/democracy_091508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[We are pleased to commemorate the first annual International Day of Democracy, established by U.N. General Assembly resolution as a unique opportunity for inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations "to focus attention on the promotion and consolidation of democracy at all levels and to reinforce international cooperation in this regard." ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[14 September 2008: The Carter Center Calls for a Definitive End to Violence in Bolivia (English and Spanish)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/bolivia_091408.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center calls for an end to violence in Bolivia in light of the grave situation facing the country.  The Center urges political and social leaders to sustain territorial integrity and national unity as the pillars for a peace that guarantees democracy, full respect for human rights, and a return to tranquility for all inhabitants.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 September 2008: Op-Ed by Jimmy Carter: India Nuclear Deal Puts World at Risk]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/jc_india_nuclear_deal.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Knowing since 1974 of India's nuclear ambitions, other American presidents and I have maintained a consistent global policy: no sales of nuclear technology or uncontrolled fuel to any country that refuses to sign the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT. To imbed this concept as official national policy, I worked closely with bipartisan leaders in the U.S. Congress to pass the Non-Proliferation Act of 1978.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[08 September 2008: The Carter Center to Observe Ecuador's Constitutional Referendum ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/Ecuador_090808.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center will field an electoral observation mission during Ecuador's constitutional referendum to be held on Sept. 28, 2008, in response to an invitation by Ecuador's Supreme Electoral Tribunal.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[26 August 2008: Carter Center Releases Findings From its Observation of Ghana's Voter Registration]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_082608.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Carter Center observers in Ghana found the voter registration process that took place July 31 &#150; August 12 to be generally successful but hampered by several irregularities.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[15 August 2008: The Carter Center Partners with the African Union:  A Q&A With David Pottie, Associate Director, Carter Center Democracy Program]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/current_qa/AU_pottie.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A Q&A with David Pottie, Associate Director, Carter Center Democracy Program.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[7 August 2008: Carter Center Works to Improve Bilateral Relationship Between Colombia and Ecuador]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/americas/dialogues.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center is working to improve the bilateral relationship between Colombia and Ecuador through a dialogue process between key citizens of both countries, which it organized in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[7 August 2008: New Video:  "The Carter Center in Latin America" Highlights Promotion of Meaningful Democracy ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/americas/latin_america_video.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center works toward the collective protection and promotion of meaningful democracy in the Western Hemisphere.  The Center strives to enhance the quality of democracy and its ability to improve the lives of individuals in three areas:]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[6 August 2008: New Carter Center Teacher Resources: Conflict Resolution]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://cartercenter.org/news/teacher_resource/latest.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Six new lesson plans for middle school and high school teachers offer interactive methods for conflict resolution education.  Drawing on age-specific activities for the classroom, the resources focus on ways students can engage in peacemaking and conflict resolution in their classrooms and communities.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 July 2008: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter to Launch 2008-2009 Season of Conversations at The Carter Center]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/conversations_2008_09.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will open the upcoming season of Conversations at The Carter Center on Sept. 23, 2008. The annual speaker series features panel discussions of current world topics and Carter Center work.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[25 July 2008: Sadia Revisited:  A Young Girl's Triumph  Over Guinea Worm Disease]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/h/guinea_worm/sadia_recovery.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[During 2007, Sadia Mesuna, 6, spent two months at a Guinea worm containment center in Ghana after an outbreak of the disease in her hometown of Savelugu, in the Northern Region.  She was in agony as three Guinea worms emerged from her feet.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[25 July 2008: Carter Center Launches Election Observation Mission to Ghana]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ghana_072508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center launched an international election observation mission in Ghana this week with the deployment of four teams of observers to four regions around the country. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 July 2008: Fraud Alert:  E-Mail Scam Soliciting Funds on Behalf of The Carter Center]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/fraud_alert_072308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A fraudulent e-mail scam has been launched by an organization posing as The Carter Center, inviting participation in--and sponsorship of--a "12th International Congress of NGO/CBO" on the topic of HIV-AIDS and Climate Initiatives for the 21st Century.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 July 2008: Report of Trip to the Arctic Region by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Observations on Global Climate Change: July 10-18, 2008]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/arctic_July2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[We flew with Ted Turner and Sally Ranney from the Americus airport to Goose Bay, Newfoundland, where we re-fueled and then went to the northernmost airport in the world at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, at 78&#186; N latitude. We first visited the newly constructed seed storage vault, where 500 seeds of as many agricultural crop species as possible will be stored indefinitely, replaced as the germination time expires.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[18 July 2008: The Carter Center Awards 2008-2009 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/mental_health_fellows_2008_2009.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center Mental Health Program has named the 10 recipients of its twelfth annual Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, including six from the United States, two from southern Africa, and two from Romania.  Each domestic fellow will receive a $10,000 stipend to study and report on a particular issue within the mental health field for one year. International fellows will receive a comparable stipend.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[14 July 2008: Democratic Republic of the Congo - The Carter Center Expresses New Concerns In Response to Announced Mining Contract Renegotiations ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/Congo_071408.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center is deeply concerned by the recent announcement that the Democratic Republic of the Congo will begin renegotiating critical mining contracts in mid-July without policy or procedures to guide this process or indication of whether requisite expertise will be secured.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[27 June 2008: Carter Center to Continue Ecuador-Colombia Reconciliation Efforts]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ec-col_062708.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center will continue working for dialogue and the improvement of the relationship between the people of Colombia and Ecuador and remains ready to collaborate with both governments in the manner the presidents deem to be most appropriate and opportune.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 June 2008: Guinea Worm Cases Drop to Fewer Than 10,000]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/h/guinea_worm/under_10000_cases.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The countdown to complete elimination of Guinea worm disease is ticking closer to zero. Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo now have joined the list of countries reporting an end to transmission of the disease. The Carter Center leads the international coalition fighting the disease.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 June 2008: The Carter Center Appoints Atlanta Leaders to Board of Councilors]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/boc_062308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center, a not-for-profit organization advancing peace and health worldwide, recently appointed 26 new members to the Board of Councilors, bringing its total membership to 184.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[18 June 2008: Soccer as a Symbol of Brotherhood Between Colombia and Ecuador ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/Ec_Col_061808.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[At the initiative of a group of citizens belonging to the Binational Dialogue Group&#151;composed of Colombians and Ecuadorians and supported by The Carter Center and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a series of messages geared specifically toward promoting camaraderie between the two countries will be released at their World Cup qualifying match today.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[13 June 2008: Statement from Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter Regarding Governor Perdue's Decision to Cut Necessary Funding for Children's Mental Health Services]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/gamentalhealthcare_061308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[I am shocked by the announced $8.4 million dollar cut in funds for mental health services for children in the state of Georgia, particularly considering the current crisis state mental health services face.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[13 June 2008: Statement by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Guantanamo]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/guantanamo_061308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center and I welcome the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Boumediene v. Bush, restoring the constitutional rights of habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.  ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[9 June 2008: Schalit Family Receives Letter from Captive Son, Gilad]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/Israel_060908.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Representatives of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter delivered today a handwritten letter from Cpl. Gilad Schalit, held in Hamas captivity for two years, to his parents, Noam and Aviva.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[6 June 2008: Ecuador and Colombia Presidents Accept President Carter's Proposal to Renew Diplomatic Relations at the Level of Charg&#233; d'Affaires, Immediately and Without Preconditions (English and Spanish)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/EcCol_060608.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The founder of The Carter Center and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jimmy Carter, together with the United Nations  Development Programme (UNDP), have supported the work of a dialogue group composed of distinguished citizens from Ecuador and Colombia to improve relations between the two countries since September 2007.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 May 2008: The Carter Center Congratulates Nepal's New Constituent Assembly]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/nepal_053008.]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center congratulates the people of Nepal, the government, and the political parties on the first sitting of the Constituent Assembly on May 28, 2008. This is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the Nepali people and their political leadership to sustainable peace and multi-party democracy.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 May 2008: Statement of Support for National and International Election Observation in Zimbabwe]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://cartercenter.org/news/pr/zimbabwe_observation_052308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The government of Zimbabwe has a democratic commitment to ensure the freedom of movement and association of domestic and international election observers during the upcoming second round of the country's presidential election. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[16 May 2008: Statement From The Carter Center on Upcoming  U.N. Human Rights Council Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/human_rights_council_elections.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center calls on the General Assembly not to re-elect Sri Lanka to the Human Rights Council in the upcoming Council elections.  Recently adopted reforms of the former Commission on Human Rights, including competitive elections, call for the conduct of a government to be a factor in whether it is selected for a seat on the Council.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[15 May 2008: The Carter Center Condemns the Recent Rocket Attack on Ashkelon]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ashkelon_051508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center condemns in the strongest terms the rocket attack launched from the Gaza Strip against Israeli civilians in Ashkelon yesterday. According to reports, the "Grad-type" rocket injured at least 14 civilians, including a mother and her three-year old daughter, when it struck the Hutzot shopping center.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[9 May 2008: 5,000 Sign Petition Supporting Dialogue with Hamas]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/carter_hamas_petition.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Jewish Voice for Peace and Just Foreign Policy have presented former U.S. President Jimmy Carter with a petition signed by 5,000 of their members supporting his meeting with Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[8 May 2008: A Human Rights Crime in Gaza]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/innocents_050808.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[This column by Jimmy Carter was distributed for publication by Project Syndicate. The world is witnessing a terrible human rights crime in Gaza, where a million and a half human beings are being imprisoned with almost no access to the outside world by sea, air or land. An entire population is being brutally punished.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[2 May 2008: Palestinians in Gaza Ask Jimmy Carter:  Former U.S. President Answers Videotaped Questions]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/conflict_resolution/gaza_questions_042108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[At the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, nongovernmental representatives from the human rights community and nongovernmental organizations gathered to hear President Carter's April 21, 2008, Jerusalem press conference and send him their questions via video. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[1 May 2008: In the News:  Interviews with Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/cc/interviews_0408.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Archived video, links to transcripts, of President Carter's recent media interviews.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[28 April 2008: Pariah Diplomacy]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/carter_nytimes_042808.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Editorial by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, published in the April 28, 2008, edition of The New York Times. A counterproductive Washington policy in recent years has been to boycott and punish political factions or governments that refuse to accept United States mandates. This policy makes difficult the possibility that such leaders might moderate their policies.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 April 2008: Statement From The Carter Center on President Carter's Middle East Trip]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/middle_east_statement_042308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[President Carter has the greatest respect for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and believes her to be a truthful person. However, perhaps inadvertently, she is continuing to make a statement that is not true. No one in the State Department or any other department of the U.S. government ever asked him to refrain from his recent visit to the Middle East or even suggested that he not meet with Syrian President Assad or leaders of Hamas.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[22 April 2008: Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan: April 13-22, 2008]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/middle_east_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Rosalynn, Jeff, and I arrived in Israel Sunday, 4/13/08, after a very exciting and successful election monitoring mission in Nepal (see prior trip report). Since Israel had declined to approve a previously planned visit by three of us Elders (Kofi Annan, Mary Robinson, and me), I expected a similar negative reaction when I substituted this trip on behalf of The Carter Center. Sure enough, all my requests to meet with ministers of the government were publicly rejected and, more seriously, three requests from our Secret Service detail to work with Israeli security were rejected.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[22 April 2008: Solving the Shortage of Health Care Providers: Panelists to Discuss Ethiopia's Response to an Urgent Global Crisis]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/webcast_health_provider_shortage.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A critical shortage of health care workers plagues sub-Saharan Africa. Without access to health care provided by qualified professionals, people suffer daily from fully preventable maladies such as diarrhea, malnutrition, malaria, and HIV/AIDS. An expert panel will address a sold-out audience on the Carter Center's work to alleviate the problem in Ethiopia through its Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative, and prospects for applying the model elsewhere.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[21 April 2008: Nepal Elections Mark New Political Beginning]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/elections/nepal/political_beginning_apr10.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Carter Center election observers witnessed a historic vote in Nepal on April 10 creating a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution for the country that will likely abolish the 240-year-old monarchy.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[15 April 2008: Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Nepal: April 6-14, 2008]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/nepal_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center has been deeply involved in Nepal since 2003 in attempting to assist with ending a 10-year revolutionary war and find a peaceful resolution of differences among the political factions. I visited Nepal in June and November 2007 to help encourage an election for a constituent assembly to write a new constitution, and our team gathered these last few days to monitor the twice-postponed event. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[15 April 2008: Declaration on Ecuador-Colombia Relations]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/publications/peace/americas_publications/declaration_ecuador_041508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Statement issued by The Carter Center clarifying press communiqu&#233;s issued in recent days by the governments of Ecuador and Colombia.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[15 de abril de 2008: Declaraci&#243;n sobre las Relaciones Ecuador &#150; Colombia ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/publications/peace/americas_publications/declaration_ecuador_041508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[En referencia a los comunicados de prensa publicados por los gobiernos de Ecuador y Colombia en d&#237;as anteriores, en los cuales se menciona al Centro Carter,  nos permitimos aclarar lo siguiente.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[12 April 2008: Nepal Constituent Assembly Election - Preliminary Statement by The Carter Center ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://cartercenter.org/news/pr/nepal_prelim_041208.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center found that the majority of Nepali voters participated in a remarkable and relatively peaceful constituent assembly election on April 10, 2008.  ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 April 2008: Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Lead Study Mission to Middle East]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/middle_east_study_mission.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will lead a study mission to Israel, the West Bank, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan April 13-21, 2008, as part of the Carter Center's ongoing effort to support peace, democracy, and human rights in the region.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 April 2008: International Carter Center Delegation Observes Historic Nepal Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/elections/nepal/election_day.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter led the Carter Center's international election observation delegation to Nepal's historic constituent assembly elections, co-led by Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, former deputy prime minister of Thailand.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[8 April  2008: Trip Report by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Accra, Ghana, and Abuja, Nigeria: March 30 - April 3, 2008]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/trip_reports/africa_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The primary purposes of our trip were to enhance the long-stalled eradication of Guinea worm in Ghana, to conduct our annual Guinea worm eradication meeting in Nigeria, and to induce the Nigerian government to acquire 9 million treated bed nets to combat malaria and lymphatic filaria. In addition, I wanted to have political discussions with Presidents Kufuor and Yar'Adua concerning their electoral processes.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[3 April 2008: Declaraci&#243;n para Promover a Nivel Mundial el Derecho de Acceso a la Informaci&#243;n P&#250;blica,   publicada el d&#237;a de hoy]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ati_declaration_spanish.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Los participantes en una conferencia global sobre el derecho de acceso a la informaci&#243;n publicaron hoy d&#237;a la "Declaraci&#243;n de Atlanta y el Plan de Acci&#243;n" para promover el acceso a la informaci&#243;n p&#250;blica como un derecho humano fundamental.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[3 April 2008: Declaraci&#243;n de Atlanta y Plan de Acci&#243;n para el Avance del Derecho de Acceso a la Informaci&#243;n (PDF)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/Declaracion%20de%20Atlanta%20y%20Plan%20de%20Accion.pdf]]></link><description><![CDATA[Nosotros, m&#225;s de 125 miembros de la comunidad global del acceso a informaci&#243;n provenientes de 40 pa&#237;ses distintos, representantes de gobiernos, organizaciones de la sociedad civil, agencias e instituciones financieras internacionales, agencias donantes y fundaciones, compa&#241;&#237;as del sector privado, medios de comunicaci&#243;n y acad&#233;micos, nos reunimos en Atlanta, Georgia del 27 al 29 de febrero de 2008 con el auspicio del Centro Carter y asumimos la siguiente declaraci&#243;n y el siguiente plan de acci&#243;n, a fin de promover la promulgaci&#243;n, la implementaci&#243;n, el cumplimiento, y el ejercicio del derecho de acceso a la informaci&#243;n. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[2 April 2008: Campaign to Eradicate Guinea Worm Disease Reports Lowest Case Levels to Date, President Carter Observes  Recent Successes During Special Ceremony]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/gw_ceremony_040208.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The countdown to complete elimination of Guinea worm disease is ticking closer to zero. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter helped the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program celebrate a major milestone today by honoring four new countries that ended transmission of Guinea worm disease in 2007 at a special ceremony. Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo join 11 others in reporting an end to the parasitic infection.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[2 April 2008: La campagne d'&#233;radication de la dracunculose signale les niveaux de cas les plus faibles jamais atteints, Le Pr&#233;sident Carter fait l'&#233;loge des r&#233;ussites r&#233;centes lors d'une c&#233;r&#233;monie sp&#233;ciale]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/gw_ceremony_040208_french.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Le compte &#224; rebours s'approche de z&#233;ro : la dracunculose est sur le point d'&#234;tre &#233;limin&#233;e. L'ancien Pr&#233;sident am&#233;ricain Jimmy Carter a aide le Programme mondial d'&#233;radication de la dracunculose &#224; faire un autre grand pas en avant. En effet, aujourd'hui quatre nouveaux pays qui ont mis fin &#224; la transmission de la dracunculose en 2007 ont &#233;t&#233; &#224; l'honneur lors d'une c&#233;r&#233;monie sp&#233;ciale. L'Ethiopie, la C&#244;te d'Ivoire, le Burkina Faso et le Togo sont venus se joindre &#224; 11 autres pays qui ont indiqu&#233; qu'ils avaient mis fin &#224; l'infection parasitaire.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[2 April 2008: Mali's President Tour&#233;,  Southern Sudan Program Director Logora Honored With The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/toure_honored.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Of the original eleven Guinea worm endemic Francophone countries in West Africa, only Niger and Mali remain, with both aiming to eliminate the disease by the end of the 2008. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[2 April 2008: Prix Jimmy et Rosalynn Carter D&#233;cern&#233; Au Pr&#233;sident Tour&#233; du Mali, Directeur de Programme Makoy Samuel Yibi Logora]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/toure_honored_french.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Des onze pays francophones de l'Afrique de l'Ouest o&#249; la dracunculose &#233;tait end&#233;mique au d&#233;part, seuls restent le Niger et le Mali dont les deux visent &#224; &#233;liminer la maladie d'ici la fin de 2008. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[1 April 2008: The Nepal Elections and The Carter Center:  A Q&A With David Pottie, Associate Director, Carter Center Democracy Program]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/current_qa/nepal_pottie.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Q&A with David Pottie, Associate Director, Carter Center Democracy Program, on the April 10, 2008, constituent assembly elections in Nepal.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[1 April 2008: Jimmy Carter to Lead Delegation to Observe Nepal's April 10 Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/nepal_040108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center announced today that its founders, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, will lead the Center's international election observation delegation to Nepal. Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, former deputy prime minister of Thailand, will co-lead the delegation with the Carters. The Carter Center mission will also include more than 60 observers representing more than 20 different nations deployed throughout the country. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[1 April 2008: President Carter Congratulates Ghana on Lower Case Numbers of Guinea Worm Disease, Warns Against Complacency]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/carter_congratulates_ghana.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[One year after witnessing the horrific Savelugu Guinea worm outbreak in northern Ghana, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter returned to Accra today to congratulate the national program for its recent effective efforts in reducing the incidence of Guinea worm disease.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[26 March 2008: "Strengthening Lives:"  The 2006-2007 Carter Center Annual Report (PDF)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/annual_report_07.pdf]]></link><description><![CDATA[Annual report of the Carter Center's peace and health work from Sept. 1, 2006 to Aug. 31, 2007]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[26 March 2008: Declaration Calls for Advancement of Public Information Worldwide as Fundamental Human Right ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ati_declaration.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Participants in a global conference on the right of access to public information released today the Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action to advance access to information as a fundamental human right. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[26 March 2008: Atlanta Declaration and Plan of Action for the Advancement of the Right of Access to Information (PDF)]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/documents/Atlanta%20Declaration%20and%20Plan%20of%20Action.pdf]]></link><description><![CDATA[Declaration and plan of action issued by more than 125 representatives of government, civil society, media, private sector, international financial institutions, donors, and academics from 40 countries who participated in the Feb.27-29, 2008, global conference on the right of access to public information held at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[25 March 2008: Life on the Edge:  Carter Center Project Examines Development Challenges on Ecuador-Colombia Border]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/americas/ecuador_life_edge.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Buenaventura Morales has a kind face worn weary from life, and friendly eyes that hide the depression plaguing him since he fled his native Colombia after massacres to his village in 2004. His wife died along the way, and he said he feels unable to support his four children by himself; he can't find a job in this poor border region of Ecuador.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[21 March 2008: The Carter Center Welcomes Publication of Congo Mining Report]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/drc_mining_032108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center welcomes the decision of the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to release the final report of the Inter-Ministerial Commission on the Revisitation of Mining Contracts and the decision to name a Task Force with political responsibility for the review.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[18 March 2008: Carter Center Urges an End to Election-Related Violence in Nepal ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/nepal_031808.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center's international election observation mission in Nepal has observed the pre-electoral environment in the country for the past 14 months. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[17 March 2008:Political Reform in China:  A Q&A with Yawei Liu, Director, Carter Center China Program]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/current_qa/china.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Q&A with Yawei Liu, Director, Carter Center China Program.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[10 March 2008: Carter Center Urges International Community to Support Congo Mining Review Efforts]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/drc_031008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center welcomes recent steps taken by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to advance the review of natural resource contracts negotiated during and immediately following its years of deadly conflict.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[03 March 2008: Carter Center Names Former Mediator as New Conflict Resolution Program Director]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/CRP_director_030308.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Hrair Balian, an attorney with background in international conflict mediation and democratic governance for organizations including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, United Nations, and International Crisis Group, is the new director of the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[21 February 2008: Freedom of Information to be Discussed at Two Live Webcasts, Including Former U.S. President Carter, Other Experts ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/ati_webcasts_022108.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center will offer two live webcasts at www.cartercenter that will explore challenges facing the right to information in the United States and around the world. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[21 February 2008: Conference to Address Advancements, Challenges to Worldwide Access to Public Information Laws]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/access_to_information/conference.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Access to public information matters to the average citizen: it is a human right with the power to make a difference in both individual lives and in the life of a community.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[20 February 2008: Access to Information:  A Fundamental Right]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/current_qa/access_to_information.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Q&A with Laura Neuman, J.D., Assistant Director, Americas Program and Access to Information Project manager.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[17 February 2008: Carter Center Calls on Nepal's Government and All Parties to Focus on April 10 Elections]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/Nepal_021708.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center has heard from Nepalis nationwide that they want peace, prosperity, and a representative, transparent, and accountable government. Nepal's political leaders need to respond to these expectations by holding a credible election for the constituent assembly on April 10, 2008.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[15 February 2008: The Carter Center Condemns Recent Violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/publications/peace/gaza_021508.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center condemns the recent Palestinian suicide bombings and rocket fire against Israel and calls on the Palestinian leadership in Gaza to take urgent and immediate measures to halt the spiraling cycle of violence.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[12 February 2008: 2008-2009 Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism: Applications Being Accepted]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/mh_fellows_2008_09.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Applications are now being accepted for six one-year journalism fellowships with the Carter Center Mental Health Program. Designed to enhance public understanding of mental health issues and combat stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses, the fellowships begin in September 2008. Applicants must be U.S. residents]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 February 2008: Winter Weekend Auction Raises $1.2 Million for Carter Center Peace and Health Programs ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/winter_weekend_08final.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A bench of hard maple wood handcrafted by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter sold for $300,000 at an auction in Port St. Lucie on Feb. 9 to benefit the nonprofit Carter Center's initiatives to advance peace and health worldwide. Items in the silent and live auctions combined raised $1.2 million for the Center.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 February 2008: Carter Center Assists Liberia's Ministry of Justice in Strengthening Rule of Law]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/features/p/conflict_resolution/liberia_strenghthen_law.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Involved with Liberia since 1991, when invited by West African leaders during the country's first civil war to assist in the peace process, The Carter Center observed Liberia's 1997 and 2005 elections and has worked there in many other ways over the years. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[3 February 2008: A Clearer Picture on Voter ID]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/voter_id.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[This Jimmy Carter and James Baker III op-ed was published in the Feb. 3, 2008, edition of The New York Times.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[30 January 2008: "Unity, After 160 Years" -- Address by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to the New Baptist Covenant Meeting, Atlanta, Ga.]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/baptist_013008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Good evening;  I come representing Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, and speak to you tonight as a Sunday School teacher, a deacon - and it seems my preeminent credential is the husband of the world's most famous deacon.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[26 January 2008: The Carter Center Calls for Ceasefire and Dialogue in Gaza ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/palestine_012608.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[After two years of almost complete isolation, the people of the Gaza Strip breached the iron wall along the border with Egypt, pouring over the border to seek basic supplies, receive needed health care, and some said, to "breathe a breath of freedom." Although Egypt seems poised to close the border again, most Gazans are giving Hamas credit for relieving their misery, even if the relief is temporary.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[23 January 2008: Lions, Carter Center Celebrate 10 Millionth Dose of Zithromax, Health Gains Against Trachoma in Ethiopia]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/zithromax_10millionth_dose.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[Today a group led by Lions Clubs International Foundation Chairperson Jimmy Ross witnessed a historic moment in trachoma control when the 10 millionth dose of azithromycin (Zithromax&#174;) was dispensed to a person in  Awi Zone. The antibiotic, donated by Pfizer Inc, is a main strategy in the fight against the blinding disease in poor, rural areas.]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[18 January 2008: President Carter Memorabilia Offered at Auction to Benefit Global Peace ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/winterweekendauctions_2008.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[A bench of hard maple wood handcrafted by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and an array of rare presidential memorabilia will be auctioned Feb. 9, 2008, to help support the work of the not-for-profit Carter Center, advancing peace and health worldwide]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[7 January 2008: Addressing the Caregiving Crisis ]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/rosalynncarter_caregivingcrisis.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[This Rosalyn Carter op-ed was published in the January 2008 issue of Preventing Chronic Disease. This issue of Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) focuses on a set of concerns that is likely to challenge the public's creative spirit and resourcefulness for the next 30 years. Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental health. ]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[4 January 2008: Carter Center, Partners, Celebrate 100 Millionth Mectizan&#174; Treatment]]></title><link><![CDATA[http://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/mectizan_100m.html]]></link><description><![CDATA[The Carter Center's River Blindness Program, with its global partners, announced recently the 100 millionth treatment of Mectizan&#174; since 1996. The drug, proven effective and safe in treatment and prevention of river blindness, also called onchocerciasis, is donated by Merck & Co., Inc.]]></description></item></channel></rss>