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Jimmy Carter: Defender of Democracy
Human Rights and Foreign Policy
US President Jimmy Carter delivering his inaugural address at the US Capitol in Washington, January 20th 1977. Vice President Walter Mondale (1928 - 2021) is seated at right, former President Gerald Ford (1913 - 2006) at left. (Photo by UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
Carter's approach to foreign policy was notably different from that of many of his predecessors. He believed that the United States should not only promote its interests abroad but also uphold and advocate for human rights. This perspective was rooted in his personal convictions and guided his administration's dealings with various nations.
Carter articulated this vision in his inaugural address on January 20, 1977: "Because we are free, we can never be indifferent to the fate of freedom elsewhere. Our moral sense dictates a clear-cut preference for those societies which share with us an abiding respect for individual human rights.”
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One of the significant aspects of Carter's foreign policy was his commitment to supporting democratically elected governments and advocating for political freedom. He was vocal in his opposition to authoritarian regimes, even those that were strategic allies of the U.S. at the time. This included a critical stance against the military dictatorships in Latin America and the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Carter withdrew U.S. support for the Somoza regime in Nicaragua. He reduced military aid to Augusto Pinochet in Chile, Ernesto Geisel in Brazil, and Jorge Rafael Videla in Argentina, citing concerns over human rights violations. He also negotiated the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, which established a timeline for the return of the Panama Canal to Panama in 1999.
By prioritizing human rights, Carter sought to reshape America's global image and encourage a more ethical foreign policy.
Promoting Democracy
One of Carter's most notable achievements in promoting democracy was the Camp David Accords in 1978. This landmark agreement between Egypt and Israel established a framework for peace in the Middle East and highlighted the importance of negotiation and dialogue in resolving conflicts. Carter's role as a mediator demonstrated his belief in the power of diplomacy and the necessity of democratic principles in achieving lasting peace.
“No region in the world has greater natural and human resources than this one, and nowhere have they been more heavily weighed down by intense hatred and frequent war,” he said as part of the address before a joint session of Congress on the Camp David meeting.
After leaving office, Carter continued to advocate for democracy and human rights around the globe. He founded the Carter Center in 1982, focusing on various initiatives, including promoting free and fair elections, improving global health, and resolving conflicts. The center has been involved in numerous election monitoring missions, helping to ensure that democratic processes are upheld in various countries.
Former President Jimmy Carter observes voting procedures in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1990.
Cynthia Johnson/Liaison
In Celebrate Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday and his work on elections, Patrick Merloe, senior associate and director of electoral programs at the National Democratic Institute (NDI), wrote: He (Carter) first observed a foreign election in 1989 as co-leader, with former President Gerald Ford, of the joint international election observation mission to Panama organized by the nonpartisan National Democratic Institute and what is now the International Republican Institute. His role in helping to expose Manuel Noriega’s attempted fraud in that election had profound effects in Panama and inspired Carter to do more.
“In my role of almost three decades leading NDI’s international election programs, I had the honor of working closely with Carter in numerous elections,” Merloe said. “I witnessed him bring together for the first time in years the two antagonistic leaders of Bangladesh and negotiate their renouncing violence in an upcoming election. I saw him help Liberia’s contentious presidential candidates accept electoral results. He brought international attention to the credibility of Palestinian elections and promoted confidence in Peru’s post-Fujimori elections when public trust was fragile. Carter's commitment to democracy has also been evident in his writings and public speeches. He has consistently emphasized the importance of civic engagement, the rule of law, and the protection of individual rights as foundational elements of a healthy democracy."
While Carter's dedication to democracy and human rights has earned him respect, his presidency faced significant challenges, including economic issues and the Iran Hostage Crisis. Critics argue that his emphasis on human rights sometimes complicated U.S. relations with countries strategically important to American interests. Nonetheless, Carter's vision of democracy as a universal value remains a significant aspect of his legacy.
President Bush Meets with Nobel Laureates, including fomer president, Jimmy Cartergeorgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov
Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
“War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn to live together in peace by killing each other’s children,” Carter said in his Nobel acceptance speech.
Chicago's Southwest Side: Vision for Urban Revitalization
“Urban waterways have been engineered for industry not only in Chicago but around the world,” Sage Rossman said. She manages community programs at Urban Rivers, a nonprofit that focuses on the conditions of the Chicago waterways.
Technically, Bubbly Creek is a channel that was dug artificially in the 19th century. Plants and warehouse facilities relying on barge traffic blocked people from recreational river use.
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“One of the biggest things locals can do is just to go outside and play on the river,” MPDC President Kate Eakin said. “The more people are using the waterfront, the easier it is to say we need more of it.”
A “good neighbor” collaboration is key to success
A Bubbly Creek kayaker is testing the waters. Maggie Cooper from the Shedd Aquarium says herons and turtles aren’t bothered by an increase in recreational activities on the South Branch of the Chicago River. Victoria Malis // The Fulcrum
Since the framework plan was published earlier this year, MPDC's role has changed. Now, the organization spreads collected institutional knowledge and liaises between developers and residents.
Implementing the South Branch Connectivity plan will require collaboration among many local players, including utility companies and railroads that own patches of land along the river, public pressure, and time.
Eakin said more than 80 percent of the South Branch riverfront is privately held. In recent years, market power has been driving significant land turnover.
Today, when a piece of land exchanges hands, new developers must comply with the Chicago River Design Guidelines: honor a 30-foot setback from the river, create a public path, install benches and lighting, and seed native plants. These guidelines were extended to the South Branch of the Chicago River from downtown only in 2019. Current owners who decide to start a new development along the river must also comply with the extended guidelines.
But these guidelines don't require the mandated paths to connect. That's where MPDC chimes in: the council shows the framework plan to developers and explains the community vision, urging new local players to act like "good neighbors" and honor the plan.
If the MPDC’s vision of the South Branch Connectivity initiative comes to fruition, a continuous riverfront will span from Western Avenue in McKinley Park to Ping Tom Park in Chinatown. Map courtesy of MPDC
"The point was to create an idea of what could happen," MPDC Project Manager Eladio Montenegro said. "There are groups interested in acquiring land along the river, and they're using our plan as a guide."
The Chinese American Service League is one of the area's most recent purchasers. The organization acquired land in Bridgeport in 2023 and is willing to reference the South Branch Connectivity project in its plans.
Developed with the help of the University of Illinois Chicago, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, and Living Habitats, a landscape architecture consulting firm, the connectivity framework draws inspiration from successful projects in Germany, Australia, and across the States. National success stories include South Waterfront Greenway in Portland, Oregon, and Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
The advisory framework doesn't lead to immediate changes but creates a vision, brings awareness, and connects stakeholder groups. Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization uses the framework and the same landscape architecture firm in Canal Origins Park renovation efforts sponsored by a recent tgrant from GreenLatinos and the Bezos Earth Fund.
The Chicago Department of Transportation shares MPDC's vision of a connected waterfront on the Southwest Side.
"Achieving these physical connections will depend on many factors, including existing infrastructure constraints, securing funding, property acquisition, detailed design and engineering, and collaboration with local, state, and federal partners, as well as community stakeholders," CDOT Director of Public Information Erica Schroeder wrote in an emailed statement.
Turning a negative into a positive
MPDC president Kate Eakin recalled stories older community members said at public engagement meetings: 60 years ago, they said they were "scooping the fat off the top of the river and using it to make soap."
Historically, slaughterhouses in the Union Stock Yards used Bubbly Creek as an open sewer. The South Branch of the Chicago River's nickname, Bubbly Creek, comes from bubbles on the river surface produced by animal waste decomposition.
"Many people still have a really negative perception of Bubbly Creek," said Sage Rossman from Urban Rivers.
Urban Rivers is best known for building a floating park along the east side of Goose Island called The Wild Mile. On Bubbly Creek, the nonprofit has installed multiple floating wetlands in collaboration with the Shedd Aquarium. Together, the two organizations plan to increase the number of wetlands on Bubbly Creek in 2025 and host more recreational and educational programs on the south segment of the river.
Urban Rivers and Shedd Aquarium installed multiple floating wetlands on Bubbly Creek, but a lack of boardwalks makes it hard to host recreational and educational programs along this river segment.Victoria Malis // The Fulcrum
According to Rossman, the current state of infrastructure in the South Branch of the Chicago River creates additional challenges. The North Branch has more river access points.
"We do so much more stuff on The Wild Mile because we have the boardwalk attached," Rossman said. "We can bring groups of 70 children down there easily."
Barge slips, distinctive of the river's south branch, provide special conditions for kingfishers and baby turtles. Maggie Cooper, manager of conservation action at the Shedd Aquarium, said an increase in recreational fishing and kayaking activities on Bubbly Creek won't disturb wildlife.
"As long as people are being respectful, the wildlife knows how to interact with us," Cooper said.
Victoria Malis is a Medill Investigative Lab reporter and an MSJ candidate at Northwestern University. Reporting on transportation and infrastructure on Chicago's Southwest Side.