Former President Jimmy Carter was named Monday as the 1990 recipient of the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, which carries with it a $100,000 prize.
Carter, the second medal recipient, was cited "for his active involvement during the past few years in issues of liberty around the globe and his exemplary use of the post-presidential period," said Martin Meyerson, chairman of the 12-member selection committee and former president of the University of Pennsylvania.Carter, who was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980, will receive the medal in a ceremony in front of Independence Hall July 4. President and Barbara Bush have been invited to attend. Carter also will be honored July 3 in a formal salute at the Walnut Street Theatre and at a dinner.
Since leaving office Carter has devoted his efforts to mediating in international disputes, acting as neutral observer in Latin American elections, and working as a carpenter for Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit group that has helped build housing for the poor throughout the world.
The Carter Center at Emory University in Atlanta draws international scholars and politicians to discuss conflict resolution, global health, food security and human rights.
"President Carter has shown the world that he is a man of many and diverse roles," Meyerson said. "One day he is a mediator attempting to strike peace between rival factions. The next he may be found discussing human-rights issues with a head of state. On another, he may be dealing with the realities of famine, poverty, disease control and other issues which haunt the Third World countries."