‘Mary Robinson has not only shone a light on human suffering, but illuminated a better future for our world.’ – Barack Obama
Shortlisted for the Political Book Awards Political Book of the Year
Mary Robinson has spent her life in pursuit of a fairer world.
Now, for the first time, she reveals what lies behind the vision, strength and determination that helped her to achieve extraordinary things, as the first female President of Ireland and, later, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
From her early upbringing to her later career, Mary has never lost sight of her strong values. They drove her to help legalise contraception in a deeply Catholic Ireland, and, later, to make history as the first woman President of Ireland in 1990. She kept a deep passion for human rights at her core when she founded Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative and also the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice, which seeks to protect those most vulnerable to the impact of climate change around the world.
Told with the same calm conviction and modest pride that has guided her life, Everybody Matters will inspire everyone who reads it with the belief that
each of us can, in our own way, help to change the world for the better. >/h3>
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Reviews
'Mary "rights-based" Robinson has been right about a lot of things... human wrongs and human rights... not just in theory but in practice and in action, whether for Ireland as President, for the UN as Rights Commissioner, at GAVI as Chair, or at the Elders. We need more Marys. Hail Mary.'
'Mary Robinson has all the Gaelic attributes; she is warm, friendly and engaging. She is really passionate about human rights, especially the rights of women and young girls, and cares deeply about the environment. This is her story, the story of the lawyer who rose to be Ireland's first woman President and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.'
'Like many English words, the word "bold" - brave to the British - acquired new depths across the Irish Channel. It gained a sense of rebellion and a twinkle of mischief. Mary Robinson is a bold woman. Whether taking on the oppressive orthodoxy of Catholic dogma embedded in the Constitution, the rights of women, the oppressed and the dispossessed, she has been bold, courageous, compassionate and fiercely determined to do what is right. Even when she was a young girl playing the part of Batman, she took on the entire forces of evil and has been a fearless champion of those in need ever since. This is an extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman, who is also one of my heroes.'
'As an advocate for the hungry and the hunted, the forgotten and the ignored, Mary Robinson has not only shone a light on human suffering, but illuminated a better future for our world.'
A candid and understated account of her life.
Everybody Matters has all the hallmarks of the woman herself. Concerned for the truth, unflinching in the telling of it and passionate to achieve a fairer world. I hope it inspires as many as possible.
Intimate, candid and intriguing
An extraordinary book
Sensitive, idealistic and unashamedly feminist.
Engrossing memoir... an inspiring read.