Former president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jimmy Carter was honored twice this week for his lifetime work of “waging peace, fighting disease and building hope.” On Wednesday, the 39th president of the United States was honored by the LBJ Foundation (Liberty and Justice for All Award). In a press release, via The Carter Center, President Carter remarked:
“It is a great personal honor to be given the Liberty and Justice for All Award in the name of (former President) Lyndon Johnson,” he said, “a man who helped shape my life and for whom I have the greatest admiration and appreciation.”
On Thursday, Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and Vice President Isabel Saint Malo presented President Carter with the Grand Cross grade of the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero—considered to be the country’s highest and most esteemed award. The Grand Cross was awarded for President Carter for his commitment to humanitarian efforts and for facilitating the return of the Panama Canal back to Panama. President Varela had this to say during the ceremony:
“President Carter, as a statesman, you clearly understood that the time had arrived to put aside all geopolitical interests and build a new future for the canal,” President Varela said during a ceremony at The Carter Center. “We truly understand and appreciate the sacrifice you made along the road to make all of this happen, and, from deep within our nation’s heart, we thank you.”
Younger Americans might not know that President Carter also helped to restore democracy to Panama via The Carter Center by monitoring elections, which in the past were fraudulent. The Carter Center has monitored elections in 101 countries. (You can watch President Carter receive the Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero on Periscope). In accepting the award, President Carter remarked:
“This is a glorious day for me that I will never forget,” he said. “I am overwhelmed not only with the official reception of this very high award from the government and the people of Panama, but also with the flood of memories that this event brings forward in my heart and mind.”
Congratulations to President Carter. A Facebook Page has been created for the public to pay tribute to President Carter: Honoring Jimmy Carter