Mission:
The Carter Center, in partnership with Emory University, is guided by a fundamental commitment to human rights and the alleviation of human suffering; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health.

Background:
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter established the Carter Center in 1982 to advance health and peace worldwide. Initially, President Carter envisioned the Center as a small and secluded facility for conflict resolution similar to Camp David, where he negotiated a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. However, the Center's staff soon recognized that international problems related to health, food, and democracy issues must be addressed locally as well. Today the Center works on these issues throughout the world.

Since the Center's inception, it has constantly assessed the threat or existence of world conflicts, interceding on many occasions or encouraging others to do so. The Center has also reduced serious diseases in developing countries, helped African farmers improve their food crops, assisted nations in conducting honest and safe elections, addressed mental illness in the U.S., and reached out to the needy in Atlanta and other cities.

Outstanding Feature:
The Carter Center Web site provides information on the organization's work, as well as background on the larger issues at stake. In addition to a keyword search box available at the top of every page, visitors can browse by subject area, first choosing among the major sections — About Us, Peace Programs, Health Programs, Activities by Country, Support Our Work, Facilities & Events, and News & Info. Within each of those categories, a list of options is presented in a sidebar. For example, specific topics within Health Programs include Guinea Worm, Trachoma, and the Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative.