Former Irish president and United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, feels "quite daunted" and
"overwhelmed" ahead of the 10th Nelson Mandela Lecture. Sixty-eight-year-old Robinson will deliver
the lecture in Cape Town on Sunday. She says "very eminent" speakers
have preceded her, such as Kofi Annan, Desmond Tutu, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and
the late Wangari Maathai.
Robinson's lecture also coincides with the 50th anniversary
of Mandela's arrest near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal before he was jailed for 27
years.
Robinson, who describes herself as a “human rights-driven
person” became acutely aware of the injustice of climate change during the last
decade. On a personal level her concerns about climate change focus on the type
of world her four grandchildren will inherit if, as she says “…we don’t take
the whole climate issue more seriously.”
Her concern for the environment also led her to be the founding president of Realizing Rights for ethical globalisation. The rich world, she says, needs to understand that its greenhouse gas emissions are affecting poor countries, including Liberia.
"My friend, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, would say to me: 'Mary, when I was growing up, we predicted when the rain would come. Now, it comes later, it stays much longer, I can't mend my roads'. The Horn of Africa had the eight hottest years ever measured in succession. It's going to affect food security. Now we're seeing drought in the United States - that's going to put up food prices over the next few months."
Robinson is also one of former president Nelson Mandela's ten Elders. They include some of her heroes such as Desmond Tutu, Graça Machel, Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter and Ela Bhatt. Together, they work for peace and human rights worldwide.
"I do emphasize at all times that I'm one of the younger elders, that's because I get a lot of teasing about being an elder. But it is a great privilege, and, of course, we have a beloved Chair, Archbishop Tutu."
The life-long human rights advocate admits that she finds it difficult to bite her tongue when the Elders meet or visit controversial leaders, organisations and countries. These can include Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, Omar al-Bashir, Hamas and North Korea.
"I will meet people, whom I have strong reservations about, but I accept that we have championed the idea that we will, as indeed Nelson Mandela himself said: Go places where others don't go, Speak to everyone, and be humble and not believe that we have the answers."
Mary Robinson first met Nelson Mandela in, what she calls, "a wave of emotion" in 1994. She was Ireland's first female president. He was being inaugurated as South Africa's first democratically elected black leader.
Mary Robinson first met Nelson Mandela in, what she calls, "a wave of emotion" in 1994
"That was an absolutely unforgettable experience. I do regard him as probably the most impressive person I've ever met; because of his own track record of serving in such a principled way, enduring 27 years in prison. One of his most attractive traits is this wonderful - and slightly self-deprecating humour. But also the humanity of the man - being able to really touch you in a particular way, as he does for millions of people who've never met him." Halfway through Mary Robinson's one-term presidency of Ireland, from 1990 to 1997, her popularity rating reached an unprecedented 93 per cent. She attributes that to her not being responsible for hard decisions, such as increasing taxation or removing popular programmes. "I wanted to be a president with a purpose, to rejuvenate and revitalize the office because I saw, as a constitutional lawyer, that the six men who had been presidents before me, had been dominated by a tradition that the president didn't really engage. But, as a non-executive president, you could be close to the community, you could link with the Diaspora, and also extend a hand of friendship to communities in Northern Ireland." Her term as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002, was initially difficult. The office was new, underfunded and had been dogged by high-level infighting. "If I achieved anything at the office of High Commissioner, apart from highlighting victims and going to places like Chechnya or East Timor or Sierra Leone or Kosovo, where terrible violations were taking place, it was that I left the office in a much stronger way to carry on the work." Mary Robinson is also the chancellor of Trinity College Dublin. She serves on several boards, including the European Climate and Mo Ibrahim foundations. She's also a member of the Club of Madrid, the Royal Irish Academy and the American Philosophical Society. When this woman, wife and mother of three is not juggling her high-profile positions and long list of commitments to diverse causes, she makes time for life’s quieter delights. “We have a home in the west of Ireland and we have some land on a lake, and I can go for walks in the woods. I started life as a bookworm and I've really continued to be a great reader; and having long meals over a bottle of wine with friends, talking into the night."
1944 | Mary Therese Winifred Bourke was born to medical doctors Aubrey and Tessa Bourke |
1969 | She first hit national headlines as one of University of Dublin's three members of Seanad Eireann to which she was first elected, as an independent candidate |
1970 | She married Nicholas Robinson |
1973 | As a senator she served on the Joint Committee on EC Secondary Legislation parliamentary committee from 1973 to 2011 |
1977 | She served as chairperson of the Social Affairs Sub-Committee 1977 to 1987 |
1979 | She was elected to the Dublin City Council and served here until 1983 |
1987 | Also, while she was senator, she served as chairperson of the Legal Affairs parliamentary committee from1987 to 1989 |
1990 | Elected as President of Ireland. She served from 1990-1997 |
1997 | She was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002 |
1998 | She became the Chancellor of the University of Dublin |
2001 | Presided over the World Conference Against Racism in Durban |
2002 | Honorary president of Oxfam International (to date) |
2007 | Formation of The Elders - a group of world leaders to contribute their wisdom, independent leadership and integrity to tackle some of the world's toughest problems |
2009 | On 4 September, Robinson expressed disappointment and regret at the United States and Israel for pulling out of the World Racism Conference. She had been the conference's driving force. In the conference declaration, Zionism was equated to racism |
2009 | Received Medal of Freedom from US President Barack Obama |
Ma
ry Robinson first met Nelson Mandela in, what she calls, "a wave of emotion" in 1994. She was Ireland's first female president. He was being inaugurated as South Africa's first democratically elected black leader.
"That was an absolutely unforgettable experience. I do regard him as probably the most impressive person I've ever met; because of his own track record of serving in such a principled way, enduring 27 years in prison. One of his most attractive traits is this wonderful - and slightly self-deprecating humour. But also the humanity of the man - being able to really touch you in a particular way, as he does for millions of people who've never met him."
Halfway through Mary Robinson's one-term presidency of Ireland, from 1990 to 1997, her popularity rating reached an unprecedented 93 per cent. She attributes that to her not being responsible for hard decisions, such as increasing taxation or removing popular programmes.
"I wanted to be a president with a purpose, to rejuvenate and revitalize the office because I saw, as a constitutional lawyer, that the six men who had been presidents before me, had been dominated by a tradition that the president didn't really engage. But, as a non-executive president, you could be close to the community, you could link with the Diaspora, and also extend a hand of friendship to communities in Northern Ireland."
Her term as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002, was initially difficult. The office was new, underfunded and had been dogged by high-level infighting.
"If I achieved anything at the office of High Commissioner, apart from highlighting victims and going to places like Chechnya or East Timor or Sierra Leone or Kosovo, where terrible violations were taking place, it was that I left the office in a much stronger way to carry on the work."
Mary Robinson is also the chancellor of Trinity College Dublin. She serves on several boards, including the European Climate and Mo Ibrahim foundations. She's also a member of the Club of Madrid, the Royal Irish Academy and the American Philosophical Society.
When this woman, wife and mother of three is not juggling her high-profile positions and long list of commitments to diverse causes, she makes time for life’s quieter delights.
“We have a home in the west of Ireland and we have some land on a lake, and I can go for walks in the woods. I started life as a bookworm and I've really continued to be a great reader; and having long meals over a bottle of wine with friends, talking into the night."
