As Ireland’s first female President and a life-long human rights advocate, Mary Robinson has championed the need for equality world-wide. Tomorrow evening, she will discuss her new memoir Everybody Matters at The Cooper Union Great Hall in New York. The book seeks to lift the veil of her public life to chart her own personal journey towards a fairer world. Everybody Matters was shortlisted for the Political Book Awards 2013 Political Book of the Year and offers advice and inspiration for anyone wishing to engage in similar work, arguing that no matter what kind of contribution an individual can make, it matters.
Robinson, born in 1944, almost became a nun before finding her calling in the service of human rights. To the partial surprise of Ireland, she became the country’s first female president in 1990 and served until 1997. Subsequently, she was appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997-2002 and has been honorary President of Oxfam since 2002. Since then, Robinson co-founded the Council of Women World Leaders, led the New York-based Realizing Rights (offering practical implementation training for economic, social, and gender equality in primarily African countries), and has received several international awards including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Indira Gandhi and Sydney Peace Prizes.
Currently, Robinson is head of her own foundation, Climate Justice, which seeks to champion the rights of the mostly rural poor affected by climate change. Look to Irish America’s forthcoming issue for a featured Q&A with her as well.
Event Details:
Free Author’s Talk with Mary Robinson: Former President of Ireland
Tuesday, March 12, 2013 6:30PM – 8:30PM
The Great Hall in The Cooper Union Foundation Building
7 East 7th Street
New York, NY
FREE
Leave a Reply