The Carter Center (audio)

Mental illnesses are extremely common—one in four Americans will experience one in their lifetime—yet advances in treatment and understanding of mental illnesses have not changed public perception of these disorders. Many people incorrectly believe mental illnesses cannot be treated or that a person with a mental illness is more likely to be violent. Noted mental health and anti-stigma experts Dr. Patrick Corrigan, Dr. Ben Druss, and Charles Willis address these and other misconceptions that are the most harmful to efforts to improve access to mental health care and fight discrimination against people with mental illness. The discussion is facilitated by the Center's Mental Health Program Director Dr. Thom Bornemann. 4/16/2009

Election observers play a vital role in the elections of countries emerging from conflict. Their presence deters interference or fraud and reassures voters that they can safely and secretly cast their ballots, and their assessments are central to determining whether an election is considered genuinely democratic. Hear from leaders in the field of international election observation and administration as they discuss witnessing elections in countries emerging from warfare or under threat of new conflict. Recent and upcoming election projects will be analyzed as well as emerging standards for credible elections, a project spearheaded by The Carter Center. Panelists include Ammar Dwaik; former chief electoral officer of the Palestinian Central Election Commission; Ambassador Christian Strohal, permanent representative of Austria to the United Nations and specialized agencies in Geneva, and former director of the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights; and Ilona Tip, senior advisor of conflict management, democracy, and electoral education at the Electoral Institute of South Africa (EISA). David Carroll, director of the Carter Center's Democracy Program, will moderate. 2/25/2009

When The Carter Center began leading the campaign to eradicate Guinea worm in 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases of the disease in 20 countries in Africa and Asia. Today, there are fewer than 5,000 cases in six African countries—Sudan, Ghana, Mali, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Niger—making Guinea worm disease poised to be the next disease after smallpox to be eradicated. Dr. Donald Hopkins, who directs all health programs at The Carter Center and is a leading expert on disease eradication including smallpox, and Dr. Ernesto Ruiz-Tiben, who leads the Center's Guinea worm eradication program, discuss the journey toward this public health achievement and the strategy to reach zero cases of the disease. 1/15/2009

The U.S. human rights record has been greatly tarnished by Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and other events during recent years. Join former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian human rights defender Saad Ibrahim, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA Larry Cox, and Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Sima Samar as they discuss how the next administration can restore the reputation of the United States on human rights. Event will be moderated by Karin Ryan, director of the Carter Center's Human Rights Program. 12/03/2008

In the dense forests of Uganda, the fight against river blindness follows an especially challenging mission. Watch public health specialists from The Carter Center as they journey to the black fly's breeding area, discover how freshwater crabs play a unique role in the life cycle of the insect, and learn how dedicated field workers devote tireless efforts to the demanding job of eradicating the fly and the terrible disease it carries. 10/1/2008

In the dense forests of Uganda, the fight against river blindness follows an especially challenging mission. Watch public health specialists from The Carter Center as they journey to the black fly's breeding area, discover how freshwater crabs play a unique role in the life cycle of the insect, and learn how dedicated field workers devote tireless efforts to the demanding job of eradicating the fly and the terrible disease it carries. 10/1/2008

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter discuss current initiatives at The Carter Center and their recent activities. Moderated by Carter Center CEO Dr. John Hardman.

Panel discussion on the role of the media during Liberia's civil war, moderated by Isha Sesay, host of CNN International's Inside Africa, held at The Carter Center on June 4, 2008. Sponsored by The Carter Center; Emory Institute for Developing Nations; Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP; and Atlanta Friends of the Liberian Truth & Reconciliation Commission.

The Guinea worm eradication campaign in Southern Sudan led by The Carter Center, Southern Sudan's government, and other key partners. See how Guinea worm disease affects the lives of villagers who struggle to survive in a land just emerging from decades of civil war, and how the Carter Center's dedicated health workers face enormous challenges on the front lines of this historic final battle. 5/1/2008

The end of Guinea worm disease is within reach -- the result of a 22-year eradication campaign led by The Carter Center. In 1986, there were 3.5 million cases of Guinea worm in 20 countries in Africa and Asia. That number has now been reduced by more than 99 percent, with fewer than 5,000 cases remaining worldwide, concentrated primarily in Ghana and Sudan. 5/1/2008

There is a critical shortage of global health care workers to combat life-threatening diseases, most severely in the poor countries of sub-Saharan Africa. For more than a decade, the Carter Center's Ethiopia Public Health Training Initiative has worked to build a skilled national health care workforce through specialized curricula and enhanced learning environments. A panel will discuss the shortage of health care workers, the Carter Center's EPHTI work, and whether the EPHTI model can be applied elsewhere.

Panelists Professor Mary Brown-Bullock, president emeriti of Agnes Scott College and visiting distinguished professor of China Studies at Emory University; Professor Fei-Ling Wang of Georgia Institute of Technology; and Professor Yawei Liu, director of the China Program at The Carter Center discuss prospects of democratization in China. Dr. John Stremlau, vice-president of the Carter Center's Peace Programs, moderates. This event also addresses the work of President Carter and The Carter Center in China in the context of growing tension between Washington and Beijing, the pressure of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on the Chinese government with a new leadership in place, and the increasing concern that China will either collapse without political reform or possibly present a new development model for the world.

The level of secrecy in the U.S. government is at a level not seen before. Security legislation has eroded the right to information in the United States since 9/11. Recent legislation passed by Congress aims to strengthen the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which is a critical tool for both reporters and citizens to research public information that could otherwise stay hidden. The panel includes Tom Blanton, director of the National Security Archive, which collects and publishes declassified documents obtained through FOIA; Michelle Roberts, award-winning journalist from The Oregonian, who used FOIA to expose abuse at state mental health facilities in Oregon; and Kevin Dunion, Scotland's information commissioner, who is responsible for enforcing the Freedom of Information Act and Scottish Environmental Information Regulations. Moderated by Carter Center Americas Program Assistant Director Laura Neuman. Panelists share their experiences regarding how the right to information protects people and how the more information there is available, the better decisions we as a public can make.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter; U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young; Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA; Sergei Kovalev, Russian human rights activist and former Gulag prisoner; and Isaac Newton Farris Jr., nephew of the late Martin Luther King Jr., and president and CEO of The King Center in Atlanta discuss the suppression of political and religious dissidents in the former Soviet Union, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, and the current work of The Carter Center on human rights. The event coincided with Human Rights Day and the opening of a special exhibit at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic site called GULAG: Soviet Forced Labor Camps and the Struggle for Freedom. Sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site,  Amnesty International, and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library. Moderated by Karin Ryan, director of the Carter Center's Human Rights Program.

As part of The Carter Center's 25th anniversary, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter discuss current peace and health initiatives at The Carter Center and reflect on past accomplishments. Moderated by Carter Center President and CEO, Dr. John Hardman.