John Hume Jr. pays tribute to ‘global peacemaker’ Jimmy Carter
John Hume Jr. has paid tribute to the late US President Jimmy Carter for his role as a ‘global peacemaker’.
Mr. Hume, Chair of the John and Pat Hume Foundation said: “President Jimmy Carter and Nobel Peace laureate was a global peacemaker, a courageous advocate for human rights and an extraordinary humanitarian.
“In 1979, counselled by Governor Hugh Carey from New York, Senator Pat Moynihan and Senator Ted Kennedy in the Senate, and Speaker Tip O’Neill and guided by my father’s deep commitment to non-violence, peaceful change and human rights, President Carter made a ground-breaking statement on peace and economic support for Northern Ireland.
"This statement was the foundation stone in the United States positive and constructive influence on the NI peace process over the next 30 years.”
He was speaking following news of Mr. Carter’s death at the age of 100 at his home in Georgia on Sunday.
Mr. Hume said the offer of US economic goodwill was a consistent theme in his father’s attempt to build an ‘axis of positive US interest’ in Ireland.
"This was given meaning with support for International Fund, driven by US Congress support, after the Anglo-Irish Agreement. This support continued with President Clinton's special economic conference after ceasefires and originally appointing Sen. George Mitchell and Sen. Pat Leahy as Economic Envoy’ .
“The legacy of President Carter is the Carter Centre, which has and continues to be an exemplar on how to promote conflict resolution, human rights and the easing of human suffering,” he said.