Mourning for Carter: “The world has lost a humanist”

Former US President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday in October. He died three months later. Carter’s health was poor recently. In February 2023, after several hospital stays, he stopped his medical treatment and went into home care.

The Democrat was the 39th US President and ruled from 1977 to 1981. In 2002 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work. After his term in office, he built his second career as a fighter for peace and human rights. In 1982 he founded the Carter Center. Wherever conflicts broke out and people were in distress due to poverty, illness or violence, Carter appeared and traveled to more than 140 countries. “His legacy as a peacemaker, human rights advocate and humanitarian will live on,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

His son Chip Carter praised him as a “hero (…) for all who believe in peace, human rights and selfless love.” But it’s not just relatives who are grieving.

US President Biden called Carter a “man of great character and courage, hope and optimism.” In a statement, Biden wrote of Carter: “America and the world have lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian.” “If anyone is looking for what a life full of meaning and meaning is – a good life – look to Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility,” the US President wrote. Biden announced a state funeral for Carter. He also designated January 9 as National Carter Appreciation Day.

Biden’s designated successor Donald Trump also paid tribute to the ex-president. Carter “did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans” during a challenging time. Everyone owes him a huge debt of gratitude for this. Contrary to custom, Carter also repeatedly criticized subsequent presidents – including the Republican Trump. After leaving the White House, Carter repeatedly got involved in politics.

Former President Barack Obama wrote of Carter on the online service X that he “taught us all what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice and service” to others. He and his wife Michelle “send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family and to all who loved and learned from this remarkable man.” Former US President George W. Bush described Carter as a “man of deep convictions.” His legacy will inspire Americans “for generations.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the late US President Jimmy Carter’s support for Ukraine. During Carter’s term the country was not yet independent. But “his heart stood firmly with us in our ongoing fight for freedom.”

“We greatly appreciate his unwavering commitment to the Christian faith and democratic values, as well as his unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s unprovoked aggression,” the Ukrainian leader continued.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote that Carter “redefined the post-presidency era with his remarkable commitment to social justice and human rights.” Carter lived his “ideals in the service of others until the end.”

In a statement, the British Prime Minister recalled the historic Camp David agreement, which was intended to secure peace in the Middle East. In 1978, Carter succeeded in negotiating an agreement known as the Camp David Accords between Egypt’s then head of state Anwar al-Sadat and Israel’s head of government Menachem Begin, which led to a peace treaty between the two states. The treaty ended the state of war between the two countries: Egypt recognized the state of Israel, and in return Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula, which it had annexed in 1967, to Egypt. The agreement is considered one of Carter’s most important foreign policy successes.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi agreed. Also the historic peace agreement between Egypt and Israel at Camp David. In addition, Carter’s humanitarian work was “an example of a high standard of love, peace and brotherhood.”

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino thanked Carter for his role in handing over the Panama Canal to his country. The Democrat’s time in the White House marked “decisive, complex moments for Panama,” Mulino wrote in the online service also in view of a threat from US President-elect Donald Trump to demand the return of the important waterway to the USA.

The Panama Canal, built by the USA, opened in 1914. In 1977, the then Democratic US President Jimmy Carter and the then Panamanian military ruler Omar Torrijos signed an agreement to hand over the canal to Panama, and in 1999 the Panamanian state took control of the waterway. The Panama Canal is of central importance for world trade. It is estimated that five percent of global commercial shipping traffic passes through the waterway.

Words of gratitude also came from Cuba: According to Head of State Miguel Díaz-Canel, people will remember the late US President Jimmy Carter “with gratitude.” After taking office, Carter eased travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba in 1977. Through the establishment of interest groups in the two capitals Washington and Havana under the patronage of Switzerland, relations between the two countries, which had been frozen since the Cuban Revolution in 1961, improved somewhat.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) praised the late Carter as a “committed champion of democracy.” “The world is losing a great mediator who championed Middle East peace and human rights”, . “We mourn with our American friends,” said the post, which was also published in English.

According to his foundation, Carter died on Sunday at the age of 100 in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family. He leaves behind four children, 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Public funeral ceremonies are planned in Atlanta and the US capital Washington. The Empire State Building in New York was lit in red, white and blue in honor of Carter.