It is with profound sadness that FFI announces the death of President Carter. Former U.S. President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jimmy Carter, passed away on December 29th, at his home in Plains, Georgia.
A news clipping from 1977
On March 1st, 1977, the newly inaugurated President Carter, in support of his long-time friend, Friendship Force founder Wayne Smith (seen with the Carters in the main photo), formally introduced Friendship Force at a White House gathering of State Governors. The two men could not have known how much this decision and the vision behind it would impact world communities in the next 45 years. What began as an experiment has become a global phenomenon, with thousands of people from more than 80 countries having participated as hosts or citizen ambassadors to date.
Post-presidency, Carter continued with his gracious support of the organization for many, many years and the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter served as its Honorary Chairperson until 2002. The Carters attended the International Friendship Force Conference in 2000, in Wisconsin, USA, to celebrate the retirement of Friendship Force’s then-president, founder Wayne Smith. President and Rosalynn Carter visited the offices of Friendship Force several times to show their support for the staff who were headquartered there. Despite the Carters officially parting ways with the organization in 2003, their championing of human rights and their core message of peace continues to be upheld by Friendship Force to this day.
Friendship Force International owes a profound debt of gratitude to President and Mrs. Carter for their unwavering advocacy and steadfast belief in the organization and its mission. We extend our sympathies to his family for their loss.
U.S. President Joe Biden has said a state funeral will be held in Washington DC. Friendship Force members are invited to post a tribute on the Carter Center’s website here. The Carter Center advocates for democracy and human rights around the world.