InfoAnda - Carter finds happiness in foreign missions

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Sanctions against Iran agreed upon: source | | 8 June 2010
Aussie pilot who landed in shark waters hailed a hero | 20 November 2009
World Wrestling's Shane McMahon resigns | 17 October 2009

Quake victims protest in Italy | | 8 July 2010

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Carter finds happiness in foreign missions

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Africa Europe Latin America Middle East North America Carter finds happiness in foreign missions By GREG BLUESTEIN,Associated Press Writer - 2 hours 51 minutes ago Send IM Story Print Jimmy Carter strides through an impoverished neighborhood of the Dominican town of Dajabon, where cattle mope behind a tangle of barbed wires, where the heat suffocates and the air is thick with mosquitoes. He marches to a bluff overlooking a river, the sun glinting off his "JC" belt buckle, followed by a pack of barefoot children and their sun-drenched parents. He clutches each hand that comes his way, occasionally dropping a "muchas gracias" laced with his Southern twang. When he gets to a hovel owned by Juan Taveres, a weathered grandfather whose family was once afflicted by malaria, he eases into a rocking chair. Roosters crow, reporters shuffle, but it seems like they could talk all day, if not for the waiting convoy rumbling up the hill. "There's no malaria here, right?" Carter asks. No, Juan responds eagerly. "And none in the future," Carter declares. He flashes that smile _ the megawatt grin beloved of editorial cartoonists, an incongruous trademark of a disappointing, one-term presidency. Nearly three decades have passed since Carter left office. He is 85 years old. Yet here he is, in a torrid, desolate corner of the world pushing two reluctant Caribbean neighbors to fight malaria, a disease that's long been eradicated from richer countries. And he is smiling, because this is what he does. Since leaving the White House, he's logged millions of miles and visited dozens of countries on missions to wipe out diseases, mediate conflicts, advocate for human rights and monitor elections. He's built a legacy that few, if any, American ex-presidents can match. "I would say that this life, for the last 25 or 30 years since we left the White House, has been the most enjoyable and the most gratifying," he says. He'll tell you his motivation stems from a frustrating desire to solve what he believes are solvable problems, from seemingly eternal international conflicts to public health dilemmas. He'll also admit it's driven by his growing sense of mortality, an understanding that his life could end next week or next decade. But the ex-president's age is also an ally. It gives him "great solace" as he contemplates the inevitable, he says, a feeling of equanimity that helps even out his competitive nature. It's all driving him to make the most of this phase of his life _ even if the grueling pace reminds him of those tiring days of his childhood on the farm. His wife, Rosalynn, has a simpler explanation. With a shrug, she says: "He's miserable if he's not doing anything." ___ "I get this feeling he has this `Schindler's List' going on," says John Stremlau, a longtime Carter friend who heads the Carter Center's peace programs. "He wants to squeeze every ounce of helping people that he can. It's inspiring and it's exhausting. I think he thinks every minute about what he can be doing." Even some of Carter's closest friends say they were skeptical when he first outlined his post-presidential plans. Stuart Eizenstat, who was Carter's domestic policy adviser, remembers that most of Carter's inner circle thought the president was being "overly dewy-eyed" when he dreamed up the idea of mediating those never-ending conflicts. Almost three decades later, though, Atlanta's Carter Center is the embodiment of that legacy. And on the warm October day when he turned 85, it staged a reunion of sorts. His top political allies, four generations of his family and hundreds of others convened to celebrate the center's newly renovated museum. Carter, surveying the crowd from a stage, shows that smile once again, grinning ear to ear. His supporters, all these years later, are still quick to rush to his defense. Walter Mondale, his vice president, says that Carter took the political heat up front "so we could all be better off." Andrew Young, Carter's ambassador to the United Nations, says it might take a few more decades for historians to realize the impact of Carter's term in office. "It took 100 years to understand Jefferson. It took 100 years for people outside the North to understand Lincoln. And it's got to take at least 50 years to understand Carter," says Young. And Douglas Brinkley, a Rice University history professor who has written a book about Carter, says Carter's presidency may be more fondly remembered overseas than at home. "Pick the country _ they view him as one of the most successful presidents," said Brinkley. "He has helped America's image around the world because he's been able to make everyone trust him. And he earns that trust because he's honest" Carter himself wants to be remembered at least as much for his work outside Washington as he does in it. The museum renovation speaks to that _ it devotes more space than any other presidential library to an ex-commander-in-chief's time outside the White House. "I'd like to be associated with the words peace and human rights," he says. "Peace, hope, human rights." And so he continues to wander the globe at a pace that would exhaust men half his age. "He's unbelievably energetic and conscientious. There was no fun and games in the airplane _ he was working all the time," says Bill Gates Sr., who took a 2002 trip with Carter through Africa. "He's very disciplined ... He's a worker." His travels _ like his trip to the Balkans in 1994 to try to broker a cease-fire _ often draw criticism. Few controversies have earned him more ire than his rebukes of Israel in his quest for Middle East peace, what he calls his greatest unfulfilled mission. He pays no heed to the critics. "It seems foolish for him to worry about what the Secretary of State tells him over his conscience _ he's going to listen to his conscience," says Brinkley, the historian. ___ There's one lonely balcony in Carter's hometown of Plains, a southwest Georgia town that is exactly how it sounds: Flat as a dime. Carter's up there sitting in his rocking chair, waiting for the start of a parade that celebrates his town's two biggest exports _ peanuts and a president. An approaching reporter receives a flash of recognition and a smile _ this time, with mischief. "Were you at the town hall?" he asks. "That caused quite a stir." Just days earlier, he dropped a bombshell at a buttoned-down discussion at the nonprofit Carter Center. When asked about his reaction to Rep. Joe Wilson's "you lie" outburst that interrupted President Barack Obama's speech on health care, Carter answered in measured tones, knowing that his words would soon echo. (Watching Carter stir up a hornet's nest is like watching an eager child topple a carefully engineered set of dominoes. He knows exactly what he's doing and takes a certain delight in the outcome.) "I think it's based on racism," he told the town hall. "There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president." The uproar had mostly blown over by the time he got to Plains, the town where he's called Mr. Jimmy almost as much as he's called Mr. President. This town has more than nurtured his political career. It fueled it, as residents eagerly fanned out across the state and the nation during Carter's campaigns for governor and president. Carter still makes his home here and has deeded the family farm to his children and grandchildren in hopes that the latest generation of Carters can explore the same woods that he did as a child. He still drops by City Hall, pokes his head into the local bed and breakfast, strolls along the quiet downtown streets where he once sold boiled peanuts. The town's population of about 500 has stayed about the same since Carter was a little boy. Nowadays, they call this part of Georgia "Presidential Pathways" and tourists wander around his old high school, explore his modest campaign headquarters, visit the church up the road. The giant wooden cross hanging on the chapel of the Maranatha Baptist Church was built by Carter at the woodshop in his house. So were the wooden collection bowls that ushers passed around during breaks. Like his father before him, Carter teaches regular Sunday school classes. It's a big to-do, with people gathering about two hours before he begins, but nothing like it was in the 1980s when folks would line up at the church before dawn. He sprinkles his lessons with personal stories, like the one where he tried fasting with a group of rabbis, and the one where he jogged around the ancient wall that circles the Old City of Jerusalem before sunrise. "That's a bragging session," he says, with a laugh. His faith in Christianity has forged a "perpetual ministry," as the Rev. Joseph Lowery calls it, a nagging urge to do more. Carter says it's a "constant pressure from my deep religious faith to reach for improvement at all times, to recognize my own fallibilities and my own mistakes." "He believes it's important to try to help people. It's unbelievable how he mobilizes his energy, the way he speaks so openly and so forcefully," said Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Brazil's former president and a longtime friend of Carter's. "And he's happiest when he's achieving." But his faith also gives him a reservoir of happiness in an unstable world, he says, something to fall back on when he feels overwhelmed. His Sunday School lesson on this sunny morning speaks to that. It focuses on Nehemiah, who gave up a lucrative job after intense prayer and decided to move to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. "We all have problems and we all have difficult decisions," Carter says. "And we should do exactly what Nehemiah does _ pray and ask God for guidance." ___ Jimmy Carter is clearly a Plains asset. A sign boasts that visitors are in the home of the 39th president. Antique stores sell Carter's books, his images and an array of knickknacks, like figurines bearing that grin. Secret Service agents still fan out whenever he roams the quiet downtown streets, but there are no metal detectors here, no rope lines. "He'd probably be upset if I called him President Carter. He's part of the population, the community here. He's a small-town person," says C.L. Walters, a neighbor. "Here, he's just another guy walking down the block _ he may have a Secret Service agent behind him _ but he's still another guy." On this day, hundreds have gathered for the parade, and from the balcony Carter jokes with the crowd, telling them that Plains' long-serving mayor has one-upped him. "That's one thing I was unable to do _ get re-elected," he says. But the Carter who quietly joins a private party at the mayor's house later that weekend isn't at the center of attention. Far from it, actually. There is no anxious crowd to greet him, no applause when he walks in. He quietly takes a folding chair near the pool and watches a few dozen of his neighbors mingle. A friend walks over with a generous heaping of peanut butter ice cream. If it's too big a serving, the friend suggests, Carter can throw it over the fence. "That would be sacrilegious," the president replies. Soon, a group of high school students gathers in a circle and serenades Betty Godwin, the mayor's wife and a longtime patron whose birthday is the next day. Carter sways along, and he smiles. Recommend Send IM Story Print Related Articles Iran: Opposition leader condemns protester deaths AP - 40 minutes ago Families of 3 Americans held in Iran hire lawyer AP - 51 minutes ago More than 15 killed in Tehran clashes: state TV AFP - 1 hour 15 minutes ago U.S. boosts airline precautions amid recriminations Reuters - 1 hour 39 minutes ago Obama orders security review after failed attack AFP - 1 hour 44 minutes ago News Search Top Stories Hugh Grant says he dreams of literary career Polanski 'overwhelmed' by messages of support Dutch hero 'reacted on a bang' to subdue suspect Swiss bank secrecy emerges from 2009 with holes Half of stranded Air Comet passengers rescued More Top Stories » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Most Recommended Swiss bank secrecy emerges from 2009 with holes Dutch hero 'reacted on a bang' to subdue suspect Half of stranded Air Comet passengers rescued Hugh Grant says he dreams of literary career British royals celebrate Christmas More Most Viewed » Tiger's wife Elin seeking divorce: reports British priest defends urging people to shoplift Century-old butter found in Scott's Antarctic hut Virgin unveils spaceship to offer space tourism Brazilian confesses to sticking needles into two-year-old More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Asia Entertainment Photos Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Monday, 28 December 2009
Mousavi nephew among several killed in Iran clashes: reports
Hugh Grant says he dreams of literary career
Families of Americans held in Iran hire Iranian lawyer |
Families of Americans held in Iran hire Iranian lawyer
Polanski 'overwhelmed' by messages of support
Mousavi nephew, others die in Iran protests
At least 5 killed in Iran protests
Hamas officials in Egypt to discuss prisoner exchange |
Iraq army says nine bombs defused as Shiite rituals climax
US troop deaths in Afghanistan double 2008 toll
Increased security during Pope visit to Rome soup kitchen |
Hamas officials in Egypt to discuss prisoner exchange
'Unclear' if Israel can reach swap deal with Hamas: PM
Obama orders review of US no-fly lists
Japan PM in India for economic, security talks
Suicide attack kills 5 at Pakistan Shiite mosque
Thailand readies for Hmong deportation: activists
Seniors worry about Medicare Advantage cuts
Airliner-attack investigation moving on 2 fronts
Second Philippine ferry tragedy kills 6, 20 missing
Napolitano: No indication of larger terror plot
Blast outside Shi'ite prayer hall kills 2 in Pakistan
Homeland security head: The security system worked
Watchdog: Thais' Hmong expulsion could be violent
Thousands mourn Pakistan's Bhutto, two years on
Condemned British man's family flies to China
China PM blasts trade protectionism, pressure on yuan
South Korea wins landmark Gulf nuclear power deal
S.Korea wins $40-bln UAE nuclear power deal
Avatar leads box office for second weekend |
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
"Avatar" leads box office for second weekend
Perry to take 'Madea' play on the road in 2010
Thai army begins forced repatriation of Hmong |
Avalanches kill seven in Italian Alps: emergency services
War on Al-Qaeda inflames Afghanistan, Pakistan
Iran pro-reform cleric condemns deaths on holy day |
China targets political foes after dissident trial |
Japan's finance minister in hospital for tests |
Divisions await Egypt's new Muslim Brotherhood head
Attempted bombing spotlights al Qaeda growth in Yemen |
China says ship crew rescued from Somali pirates |
Israel: 16,200 Jewish immigrants arrived in 2009
Yemen says Houthi rebel leader may be dead |
Hamas praises Gaza's 'steadfastness' on war anniversary
Hamas marks 1 year after war, but many stay home
Opposition leader tops Croat presidential vote |
Makeshift bomb damages insurance building in Athens |
Dark days at the center of Europe |
China finds likely tomb of 3rd century general
Carter finds happiness in foreign missions
Vietnamese court convicts dissident of subversion
Afghan police: 2 police killed in west Afghanistan
Jimmy and Rosalynn: A love story endures
S.Korea to give 22 million dollars of aid to North
Man, 2 girls shot at SF waterfront restaurant
Vietnamese court sentences democracy activist to 5.5 years for subversion
US steps up anti-terror campaign in Yemen: report
Mine explosions kill 12 in China, 11 more trapped
Injured boat crew member leaves NJ hospital
Dissident goes on trial, could face death penalty
12 dead in China mine blasts: state media
Holiday travelers greeted by delays, tight security
N.Korea built plant for uranium enrichment: report
Thai army begins forced repatriation of Hmong
Security reviews under way after airliner attack
TSA: 2 passengers detained after flight to Phoenix
Sounds of firecrackers mark failure of terror plot
Seoul shares edge up; KEPCO jumps, exporters down
China author set to sue Google over web book scan
China likely to become top global exporter in 2009
Taiwan notebook maker Inventec plans China plant
Seoul shares inch up; KEPCO, Hyundai E&C rally
UAE deal, outlook boost South Korea nuclear power stocks
S.Korea bonds fall amid thin trade, weak interest
Seoul shares rise; KEPCO, Hyundai E&C jump
S.Korea consumer sentiment holds steady in Dec
"Avatar" rules as US moviegoers set record
Taiwan's Ma fights for traditional Chinese characters
Update: Unruly Passenger Pulled From Similar Amsterdam-Detroit Flight
Korean-American Activist Crosses Into North Korea
Salvation Army Major Killed On Christmas Eve
Update: New Details Emerge About Attempted Northwest Airlines Plane Bomber
Abducted Maryland Girl Found Dead, Sex Offender Arrested As Suspect
Video Shows Captured American Soldier In Afghanistan Denouncing U.S. Military
Update: Botched U.S. Airline "Bombing" Sparks International Probe
Bomb at Shi'ite procession in Pakistan kills 25 |
Yemen arrests 29 al Qaeda suspects after raids |
Israel announces new Jewish homes in Jerusalem area
Ten Afghan civilians reported killed in airstrike |
Israel announces new Jewish homes in Jerusalem area |
Al Qaeda says kidnapped Italians in Africa: report |
China urges Hong Kong to heed democracy challenge |
Iraqi legal system puts new emphasis on forensics |
Russia warns EU of oil cuts over Ukraine row |
Amazon shares up after Kindle boosts e-book sales |
Alfa Romeo wins Sydney to Hobart yacht race
Diplomat: Myanmar releases 4 Taiwanese fishermen
Swiss watchdog to examine Orange/Sunrise deal |
The nation's weather
Is Rachel Yould a victim or schemer?
Gunmen ambush Philippine politicians' convoy
Man detained after causing disturbance on flight
Family visit Briton on eve of planned China execution
House Democrats pessimistic about public option
Pakistan suicide bombing death toll rises to 8
Families of 3 Americans held in Iran hire lawyer
125 pilot whales die on NZ beaches, 43 saved
China targets political foes after dissident trial
Relatives visit Briton on death row in China
Doctors' strike shuts down medical care in Nepal
Chinese shares close up 1.51%
'2012' sets box office record in China
Putin launches new Russia oil route to Asia
Taiwan notebook maker to build $800M China plant
Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ to issue China yuan bonds
Ailing JAL faces bankruptcy option: report
Japan's finance minister hospitalised: ministry
S.Korea eyes nuclear contract with Turkey
Polanski thanks backers as extradition wait goes on |
Little room for daytime cable fights
Polanski thanks backers as extradition wait goes on
Celebrating New Year with the latest art of champagne
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01