PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has paid tribute to former US president, Nobel Peace Prize winner and human rights campaigner Jimmy Carter, who has died aged 100.
Carter, who was the 39th President of the United States, died “peacefully” at his home in Plains in Georgia, “surrounded by his family,” the Carter Centre said in a statement yesterday. He had been in hospice care for nearly two years.
The Democrat was the oldest living ex-US president and the longest-living American president too.
US President Joe Biden has declared 9 January a national day of mourning for Carter, calling on Americans to visit their places of worship to “pay homage” to the late US leader.
In a statement, President Michael D Higgins said the former US president would be remembered “as a principled man who dedicated his life to seeking to advance the cause of peace across the world”.
“The values that a global public have come to associate with former President of the United States, Jimmy Carter, for younger generations in particular, will have been through their awareness, and admiration, of the work of the Carter Center. These values were, however, ones that can be seen to have informed all of his life,” he said.
His exceptional contribution was in his quest to understand the obstacles to peace.
“Almost uniquely as a former President, his greatest legacy will however perhaps be his distinguished record and commitment to human rights in the decades following his Presidency.”
President Higgins commended the work of the Carter Centre, along with Carter’s voluntary work with charities, such as Habitat for Humanity.
Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia. pic.twitter.com/aqYmcE9tXi
— The Carter Center (@CarterCenter) December 29, 2024
“He provided consistent support for those seeking to build a better and more just world, helped to provide greater access to healthcare to many of the most vulnerable across the planet, and drew attention to human rights abuses wherever he saw them,” he said.
I cannot think of anyone who would be more appalled at the images on the television screens of the world of tiny children, a few weeks old or less, being buried having died from hypothermia, their mothers malnourished and the last of their working hospitals razed.
He continued: ““A thoroughly decent man of great integrity” is how those who knew him will describe President Jimmy Carter, who leaves a rich legacy of public service.
“On behalf of the people of Ireland, may I express my sympathies to President Carter’s children and extended family, to President Joe Biden, to the people of the United States, and to his wide circle of colleagues and friends across the globe.
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dhílis.”
Taoiseach Simon Harris said it was with “the utmost sadness” that he learned of Carter’s death.
“As 39th President of the United States, Jimmy Carter served in his nation’s highest office with distinction before forging an enduring legacy as a global statesman and human rights pioneer,” Harris said.
It is with the utmost sadness that I have learned of the death of former US
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) December 29, 2024
President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter.
May he rest in peace.
Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/lYxPwhGKub
“At 100 years old, President Carter did some of his most impactful work after he left the Oval Office in a retirement that lasted more than four decades.”
The Taoiseach said that Carter’s work in the Middle East remains of global significance and is “a reminder of the moral obligation on the world leaders of today as a humanitarian catastrophe on an unprecedented scale unfolds there now”.
Jimmy Carter’s legacy is a reminder of what diplomacy can achieve; the peace deal he helped to forge between Israel and Egypt at Camp David stands to this day.
He also said that Carter was a keen supporter of peace in Ireland and a respected voice on the road to the Good Friday Agreement.
“The world has lost a great humanitarian, the United States has lost a great President, and a family has lost a wonderful decent man. May he rest in peace.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he was “deeply saddened” to learn of Carter’s death.
“President Carter truly lived a life less ordinary, with a deep commitment to peace in the Middle East, human and civil rights, housing, and ending the arms race between the US and the Soviet Union,” Martin said.
“The personification of public service, his work extended to our own island, as he took the first decisive steps to proactive and transformational US engagement on Northern Ireland. This commitment to peace in Ireland endures today.
“A humanitarian to the end, my condolences go to President Carter’s family, friends and the American people.”
Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1′s Morning Ireland today, former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson spoke fondly of Carter and said: “I loved him dearly”.
Robinson, who is chairperson of the Elders, the group of global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, became friends with Carter through the organisation. The former US President was a founding member of the group which focuses on peace, justice and human rights.
In particular, Robinson highlighted Carter’s work and understanding of environmental issues, noting that he even put solar panels on the White House in 1979. These were removed by President Regan in 1986.
US Ambassador Claire Cronin said Carter was a “remarkable statesman, humanitarian, and a man whose unwavering commitment to peace and justice has left an indelible mark on our world”.
“As we reflect on President Carter’s remarkable legacy, we are reminded of his profound influence and the lessons he imparted through his words and actions,” she said.
“In 1977, as Northern Ireland was engulfed in The Troubles, President Carter issued the first formal statement on Northern Ireland by a U.S. president. This groundbreaking initiative established the precedent for the pivotal role successive U.S. presidents would play in securing peace and lay the groundwork for the Good Friday Agreement.
His message was clear: peace is possible through dialogue and mutual respect. This statement not only resonated with the people of Northern Ireland but also galvanised international support for peace efforts in the region.
“His legacy of compassion and service stands as a guiding light, reminding us all of the impact one individual can have in making the world a better place.”
US President Joe Biden, one of the first elected politicians to endorse Carter’s bid for the presidency in 1976, said the world had “lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian”.
“Over six decades, we had the honour of calling Jimmy Carter a dear friend. But, what’s extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people throughout America and the world who never met him thought of him as a dear friend as well,” he said.
Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian. pic.twitter.com/Ki7Rhbent0
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 29, 2024
“With his compassion and moral clarity, he worked to eradicate disease, forge peace, advance civil rights and human rights, promote free and fair elections, house the homeless, and always advocate for the least among us.”
Among former US presidents, Bill Clinton said his predecessor had “worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world.”
George W. Bush said Carter “dignified the office. And his efforts to leave behind a better world didn’t end with the presidency.”
Barack Obama hailed Carter for teaching “all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service.”
President Carter taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from this remarkable man. https://t.co/dZHL0Nu0Tj
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2024
US Vice President Kamala Harris said Carter “reminded our nation and the world that there is strength in decency and compassion”.
“His life and legacy continue to inspire me – and will inspire generations to come,” she said. “Our world is a better place because of President Carter.”
US president-elect Donald Trump said Americans owed Carter “a debt of gratitude”.
“The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans,” he said on social media, adding later that “I strongly disagreed with him philosophically and politically.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for Carter’s “noble legacy” to live on.
“His work advanced peace, health and democracy worldwide,” she said. “He will be remembered for his moral leadership.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Carter would be remembered “for his solidarity with the vulnerable, his abiding grace, and his unrelenting faith in the common good and our common humanity.”
Carter was preceded in death by Rosalynn, his wife of 77 years. She died on 19 November 2023, at age 96.
He is survived by the couple’s four children – three sons and a daughter.
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