By no small margin, IMO.  Much of what he has done has flown completely under the radar (at lest in this country).  Yes, his role in Habitat for Humanity is well known.  There was the time he was sent to oversee an election (Panama?) and give it the stamp of approval.  Oops!  You don't send Jimmy Carter to approve corrupt elections.

His quiet victory, virtually eliminating the Guinea worm in humans.  He did this through his Carter Foundation, a pharmaceutical company that he convinced to make and donate the vaccine for and a company that made well digging equipment.  The foundation went to communities in Africa. taught the women how the parasite lived and spread (larvae in the pooled water they were drinking) had wells dug so clean water was available and administered the vaccines for those afflicted.  Their efforts brought the curse of the worm (which grows to several feet inside the bodies of living humans) from decimal places well beyond the thousands to a few hundred cases world-wide.  I find it funny that Carter fully "got" that for this to work, they had to teach the women, that teaching this to the men was simply wasted effort!

His book "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power" is a powerful and very disturbing read.  I went to hear him talk about it at Portland's iconic bookstore.  Turned out he wasn't going to talk, just sign the books.  Well, I was there so I bought one and got in line.  Roughly number 600 of a thousand.  Hours later when my turn came, a shrunken old man scribbled his signature in my book without ever looking up.  I could be disappointed,  Instead I felt honored to be in the presence of perhaps the humblest man I will ever meet.

Ben

By no small margin, IMO.  Much of what he has done has flown completely under the radar (at lest in this country).  Yes, his role in Habitat for Humanity is well known.  There was the time he was sent to oversee an election (Panama?) and give it the stamp of approval.  Oops!  You don't send Jimmy Carter to approve corrupt elections.

His quiet victory, virtually eliminating the Guinea worm in humans.  He did this through his Carter Foundation, a pharmaceutical company that he convinced to make and donate the vaccine for and a company that made well digging equipment.  The foundation went to communities in Africa. taught the women how the parasite lived and spread (larvae in the pooled water they were drinking) had wells dug so clean water was available and administered the vaccines for those afflicted.  Their efforts brought the curse of the worm (which grows to several feet inside the bodies of living humans) from decimal places well beyond the thousands to a few hundred cases world-wide.  I find it funny that Carter fully "got" that for this to work, they had to teach the women, that teaching this to the men was simply wasted effort!

His book "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power" is a powerful and very disturbing read.  I went to hear him talk about it at Portland's iconic bookstore.  Turned out he wasn't going to talk, just sign the books.  Well, I was there so I bought one and got in line.  Roughly number 600 of a thousand.  Hours later when my turn came, a shrunken old man scribbled his signature in my book without ever looking up.  I could be disappointed,  Instead I felt honored to be in the presence of perhaps the humblest man I will ever meet.

Ben

By no small margin, IMO.  Much of what he has done has flown completely under the radar (at lest in this country).  Yes, his role in Habitat for Humanity is well known.  There was the time he was sent to oversee an election (Panama?) and give it the stamp of approval.  Oops!  You don't send Jimmy Carter to approve corrupt elections.

His quiet victory, virtually eliminating the Guinea worm in humans.  He did this through his Carter Foundation, a pharmaceutical company that he convinced to make and donate the vaccine for and a company that made well digging equipment.  The foundation went to communities in Africa. taught the women how the parasite lived and spread (larvae in the pooled water they were drinking) had wells dug so clean water was available and administered the vaccines for those afflicted.  Their efforts brought the curse of the worm (which grows to several feet inside the bodies of living humans) from decimal places well beyond the thousands to a few hundred cases world-wide.  I find it funny that Carter fully "got" that for this to work, they had to teach the women, that teaching this to the men was simply wasted effort!

His book "A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence and Power" is a powerful and very disturbing read.  I went to hear him talk about it at Portland's iconic bookstore.  Turned out he wasn't going to talk, just sign the books.  Well, I was there so I bought one and got in line.  Roughly number 600 of a thousand.  Hours later when my turn came, a shrunken old man scribbled his signature in my book without ever looking up.  I could be disappointed,  Instead I felt honored to be in the presence of perhaps the humblest man I will ever meet.

Ben