Lynne Stevens
This year, we received our annual Christmas card from the Carter Foundation. It was a dove, with the words “Peace, Hope, Health.”
In the 1980s, my husband joined the Friendship Force. Founded by Wayne Smith, President Jimmy Carter gave it wings to expand to a worldwide organization spanning six continents.
Rosalynn Carter was a director and honorary chairperson until 2002. The Friendship Force volunteer members were citizen ambassadors.
The purpose was to foster friendships with foreign hosts where members would stay for a week. They ate with the family, shared daily life and promoted understanding and goodwill.
The ambassadors were often treated to formal dinners with dignitaries of the host country and my husband shared that each country would prepare a short skit – which was usually quite comical as entertainment.
At first, the visits were literal exchanges; but now, trips are scheduled separately.
In 1985 the ARMS (American Russian Mutual Survival) program was developed under the Friendship Force banner. The goal was to use human arms to embrace each other, rather than arms to destroy.
Thousands of Americans and Soviets participated. My husband was one of them. The Russians arrived in Edgewater, Fla., and a big cookout was planned in their honor. He remembers the Soviets as charming, entertaining and humorous. Because of the success of the program and the large participation, Friendship Force was nominated for the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize.
COVID brought the visits to a screeching halt. Friendship became virtual and very entertaining, while having contact and friendship with other cultures. There were international cooking classes, language classes, coffee table chats, and you could virtually visit a city under the guidance of a member. These “visits” helped to stave off the loneliness and isolation of COVID.
President Carter had faith and strong belief that there was power in the ability of people to gain friendship and understanding by just getting to know one another, person to person.
Carter had a one-term presidency, partly because of the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Panama Treaty and that classic political-career killer: inflation. He was considered to be a brilliant man, an avid reader and a nuclear physicist.
The strong religious faith of the Carter family did not bend well to the superficiality of Washington and for those who still believe politicians should be of good character, Jimmy Carter was the cream of the crop.
For a school child to have a writing assignment about President Carter, they will discover why many consider the time after his presidency as most important. Carter was a humble man who walked in the sunshine of strong religious conviction. He found it reprehensible to use his faith for any self-serving political or financial purpose. His dedication to peace in the world and a duty to help those who suffer from poverty will live on through the projects of the Carter Center.
May God gift us another President of such genuine abiding faith and character.
Lynne Stevens writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. She can be reached via email, geminga@mailfence.com.