Former US President Jimmy Carter Meets Lebanese American University's President in Beirut
Lebanese American University (LAU) president, Dr. Joseph Jabbra, hosted former United States President Jimmy Carter at his residence, along with members of Lebanon's business community. President Carter and Dr. Jabbra discussed issues surrounding the country and the region.
President Carter is in Lebanon to monitor the election and the formation of the next government for the Carter Center, the organization that the former president founded with his wife Rosalynn in 1982 that works to strengthen democratic institutions throughout the world. The Carter Center has also worked to fight and eradicate disease in Africa and Latin America, improve the rights and status of those suffering from mental illness and improve farmers' harvests in 15 countries. Dr. Jabbra paid tribute to President Carter during his visit, saying "President Jimmy Carter has shown his passion for improving the quality of life of people throughout the world for many decades. I am happy that he has worked so hard for Lebanon and the region and I'm grateful for his support for institutions like LAU. I was honored by his presence during what is a very important time for us all."
The Carter Center launched its election observation mission to Lebanon in early February 2009, and after receiving accreditation from Lebanon's Ministry of the Interior and Municipalities in March, dispatched six long-term observers to monitor the electoral process leading to parliamentary elections in all 26 electoral districts.
Lebanese American University dates back to 1835 when it was established in Beirut as the American School for Girls by Presbyterian missionaries. Today LAU is a non-profit, co-educational, private university that operates under a charter from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. It offers graduate and undergraduate degrees of study in five academic schools housed on two campuses in Beirut and Byblos, Lebanon.
