Ireland's First Woman President

Mary Robinson, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and first woman president of Ireland will speak on "Ethical Globalization" at Denison University on Thursday (April 20) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Slayter Auditorium. Her lecture, which is sponsored by the McGregor Fund, is free and open to the public.

Robinson was elected president of Ireland in 1990 after a 20-year career in the Senate. During her distinguished seven-year presidency, Robinson placed special emphasis on the needs of developing countries, linking the history of the Great Irish Famine to today's nutrition, poverty, and policy issues. Robinson resigned before the end of her final term as president when U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan nominated her for the newly-created position of High Commissioner for Human Rights in 1997. As High Commissioner from 1997 to 2002, Robinson worked to integrate human rights concerns in all the activities of the United Nations.

As an academic (Trinity College law faculty 1968-1990), legislator (Senator 1969-1989), and barrister (Senior Counsel 1980) she has always sought to use law as an instrument for social change, arguing landmark cases before the European Court of Human Rights as well as in the Irish courts and the European Court in Luxemburg. A committed European, she also served on the International Commission of Jurists, and the Advisory Committee of Interrights. She has been honored with some 30 honorary degrees and with the CARE Humanitarian Award for Emergency Relief in 1993 for her efforts in Somalia and the International Human Rights Award from the International League of Human Rights, New York.

The McGregor Fund grant is for programs enhancing student intellectual engagement through shared, theme-related experiences both inside and outside the classroom. This year's theme is "Built by Rasp and Bicycle," a consideration of how we make our homes, and how they make us.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- Former president of Ireland and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson speaking on "Ethical Globalization"; 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday (April 20), Slayter Auditorium (200 North Road). Free and open to the public. Call 740-587-6211 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575