The year 2000 has been an eventful one for the Carter Center. From monitoring elections in Mozambique, Peru, Venezuela and Mexico, to mediating a peace agreement between Sudan and Uganda, to participating in the first surgeon general’s report on mental health.

These are just some of the many activities highlighted by the center’s “Conversations at The Carter Center,” an annual series of four programs that are open to the public. The remainder of this year’s lineup is as follows:

“Conflict Resolution, and the Search for Reconciliation,” Feb. 8, 2001, 7–8:30 p.m. As part of Emory’s Year of Reconciliation, the center’s third program, moderated by Steven Hochman, director of research at the Carter Center, will feature Ben Hoffman, director of the conflict resolution program, and Joseph Montville, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ preventive diplomacy program.

“Has Depression Become a New Epidemic?” April 19, 2001, 7–8:30 p.m. The stigma attached to mental illness is often the biggest obstacle to proper treatment and diagnosis. Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, a long-time advocate of mental health, and U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher have rallied community mental health organizations nationwide to take action on recommendations in the first-ever surgeon general’s report on mental health.

“The report, released last December, gave a thorough account of the causes and prevalence of all forms of mental disorders, including depression, and of the many effective treatments available,” said Greg Fricchione, director of the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program. Fricchione will moderate the discussion led by Rosalynn Carter; Douglas Bremner of Yale University; and Mark Safran, chief medical officer for diabetes translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter started this year’s “Conversations” series off with a presentation that highlighted the center’s recent activities. Held Sept. 19, the event was sold out months in advance.

The second installation, “Will Democracy Endure in Latin America?” on Oct 18, followed the end of a two-day conference, “Challenges to Democracy in Latin America,” hosted by the Carter Center’s Latin American and Caribbean Program (LACP).

An international group of panelists discussed the quality of democracy in Latin America. Jennifer McCoy, LACP director, was joined by Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, former prime minister of Barbados; Leonel Fernandez Reyna, former president of the Dominican Republic; and Rafael Roncagliolo, founding member and secretary general of Transparencia in Peru.

Tickets to the remaining discussions are free to Emory staff, faculty and students. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 404-420-3804. General admission tickets are $6.