Carter set to host Atlanta summit

Human Rights Defenders Forum starts Saturday.

Fresh from a nasty spill that gave him a black eye and 14 stitches, former President Jimmy Carter is keeping a busy schedule. This weekend, Car- ter, currently at a Habitat for Humanity build in Nashville, Tennessee, is set to host the Carter Center’s 12th Human Rights Defenders Forum.

Running from Saturday until Tuesday in Atlanta, the forum will gather dozens of activists, peacemakers and community leaders from 28 countries to talk about “Building Solidarity Toward Equality for All.”

The former president is scheduled to attend the final day of the conference, offer- ing remarks to the attend- ees on Tuesday morning, followed by a question and answer session to close out the conference at 3:50 p.m.

Session topics include global protection for activists; challenges for women defenders and peacemakers; and the importance of mutually supporting civil, economic, political and social rights.

Three sessions Tuesday will be livestreamed on cartercenter.org and Facebook. com/forumonwomen.

Viewers can participate and submit questions using the hashtag #BuildingSolidarity.

The theme of this year’s conference builds on work the Carter Center has been doing but also points it toward the future. In September, Carter said when he finally relinquishes power at the Carter Center, he wants to ensure the organization keeps working on “securing human rights.” But the question is when. Earlier this year, Carter fell on his way to a turkey hunt and broke his hip. Two weeks later, he was back teaching Sunday school. Last Sunday, the 95-year-old Carter tripped at his Plains home and bumped his head. He got stitches, put on a Braves cap and flew to Nashville to build houses.