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Politics & Government

Ex-Ireland President Gives Speech on Human Rights

Ireland's first female president, Mary Robinson, spoke at Wilson Hall at Monmouth University on Tuesday evening on the subject of basic human rights everyone should be afforded.

Hundreds upon hundreds of individuals travelled to West Long Branch on Tuesday at Wilson Hall, as a huge crowd packed into the Monmouth University building to hear a lecture by Ireland’s first female president, Mary Robinson.

Robinson’s lecture was part of the school’s 10th Annual Institute for Global Understanding Convention. The theme of this year’s convention is “One World, One Humanity: Creating Our Common Future.”

Robinson was the seventh president of Ireland, as well as the nation's first female leader. She served from 1990 until 1997. Following her stint as president, she served as the United Nations High Commissioner of Human Rights.

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Since her time in charge of Ireland, she has also served as chancellor at the University of Dublin, became a professor at Columbia University, and most notably, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2009. 

Prior to the event, there was a brief concert given by the Highland Girls Ensemble, a group of several young women who sang “Love Rescue Me,” by one of Ireland's native bands, U2.

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Following the performance, Monmouth University President Paul Gaffney took the stage to introduce Robinson. Gaffney noted that there would be many other events taking part throughout the week in conjunction with the Global Understanding Convention, including a 5K run which will take place later this week.

“She is an influential person who is determined to leave this world a much better place than she found it,” Gaffney said, leading to a standing ovation for the former president of Ireland as she began her presentation, titled, “Hard Times, Human Rights and our Common Future.” 

Robinson thanked everyone for coming to the event, noting she couldn’t believe how many people came out as she pointed to students who were perched on steps a few floors above her. 

She explained she has been looking forward to this speech for quite some time, and got right on the topic of human rights. She said this was something she cared deeply about, and something all human beings should all have, no matter race, religion or gender. However, she said many people still don’t know exactly what human rights are comprised of.

“I believe all people are born with distinct rights, including having food, water and dignity,” she said, adding that she has asked this question of many women in Africa, and has found that the answer she always seemed to get is that human rights equals having fresh water and no violence.

Robinson then brought up how when she left the presidency and went to work for the United Nations around 2000, she believed strides were made within making sure everyone had the same human rights. However, after the attacks on America on Sept. 11, she saw a sudden downturn in the treatment of people’s human rights by various governments throughout the world.

“With the ‘War on Terrorism,’ human rights were cast aside and dismissed,” she said. “We did not fully comply with human rights and anytime I asked about them, I was told the war on terrorism was more important.” 

However, in the years that followed, she said she believes the promotion of human rights are making a comeback, and it is something she still fights for to this day. 

“We live in a demented world, but despite all of the senseless violence, many people yearn for dignity,” she said.

She noted one issue about human rights is that many people in the Middle East believe the rights are only for the Western World, however she wants people to understand human rights are part of the global agenda. These rights include the freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion.

She concluded the lecture by urging everyone in the audience to reach their full potential in regards to helping others who are less fortunate. She said she knows there is a saying that “anyone can make a difference,” but she emphasized that everybody should to out and literally try to make a difference. That way, she explained, the world could become a better place in regards to the expansion of unalienable human rights.

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