It seems such a long time ago, but it’s less than four weeks since Ian and I spent a thoughtful couple of hours exploring the Jimmy Carter Museum in Atlanta Georgia. We like these places. Some might think we’re addicted to American politics – and perhaps we are – but presidential libraries have a way of bringing long-past events back with vivid immediacy. Jimmy Carter was really a Washington outsider – a long shot for election really, but a trusted rural Christian American whose values could restore the American image of itself – wholesome, just, ethical, honest and personable. The saga with Richard Nixon had left deep scars. Once elected, he set about being The President of The United States, and unlike the current incumbent, did not spend much time thinking about whether he’d be re-elected. He never had his eyes on that particular prize.
Two things stood out for me.
(1)The Middle East conversations at Camp David with Sadat and Begin. It was extraordinary that Carter managed to keep the parties “at the table”. They were so very hostile to each other and negotiations had deteriorated to a sort of shuttle diplomacy between cabins at Camp David. As a mediator, I’ve been very reluctant to use personal power to keep people in the process, but Carter risked all that. After different parties had stormed off and were packing their bags to go home, Carter sat with each leader in a reflective frame of mind. He went in to Sadat with a picture of Sadat’s family in his hands. He had written the name of every child and grandchild on that photo. Carter said, “If you walk away, what will we be leaving our grandchildren that we love so much? Our common ground – you, me, and Begin – is that our grandchildren need us to stick at it.” Sadat unpacked his bags.
To Begin, he said, “If you pack up and go home I will take it as an affront to our friendship which we both value highly, and that you have reneged on your promises not to pull out”. Begin stayed. When the chips are down, relationship is EVERYTHING! They worked on and signed the peace treaty. Getting them to enact it was another challenge. Perhaps us mediators have to recognise that on very specific occasions, we have to eat every sandwich in the lunchbox!
(2) I had not remembered that the very painful negotiations around the freeing of the hostages in Iran came to a positive conclusion on the very day of the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had defeated an embattled Carter at the polls. It was said that the Carter administration had two White Houses – the one engaged with government, and the one that conducted the negotiations for the release of the hostages without war or bloodshed. Jimmy Carter was able to greet the hostages as they came off the plane that day. Every single hostage was safe. He said, “This is the happiest day of my life!” On the day that might have been the most painful of days, Carter was able to celebrate the success of his deeply held values and cherish the outcome for the individuals for whom he had fought so hard. This is a man I could follow.
So – back to the Museum. Here there were photos of the meetings with faces wrinkled with worry and heads in hands as the negotiations inched along. It took me back to the large photos in the John F Kennedy Presidential Library of both JFK and Attorney-General Bobby Kennedy with their heads in their hands as they worked through the Bay of Pigs crisis. I recalled the agonies of diplomacy when walking so close to a catastrophe for the nation and for the world,
and I began to wonder how the new President will handle such delicate challenges. Bluster and blank assurances just won’t cut it. And now, three weeks later, Donald Trump is on the sharp end of diplomatic negotiations. Hold on, everybody!
