Always talking about human rights.

Question: What is your legacy?

Mary Robinson:Well in a way that’s more for others, but I think it’s true to say that I’ve been very much identified with human rights. Some people don’t like that. They say, “Oh, she’s always talking about human rights.” But I think it’s important that we know that we have values. And then we hold governments accountable and the business sector accountable. If I’ve contributed significantly to that, I’d be very happy with that. As it happens, I’ve been recently asked and very honored to become one of the elders working with incredible people like ________ himself, Nelson Mandela, Graca his wife, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, Muhammad Yunis, Ella Bhatt of India and so forth. And I’ve been able to encourage that we as elder remind the world of human rights. I’m glad that that can be part of what I can say. And I believe that . . . I believe that there’s a growing idealism in young people. They’re longing for that voice. Why do so many young people listen to __________ . . . love him in a way that’s hard to understand basically? It’s because he stands for the values that would make our world a more peaceful, a more . . . a fairer and a better place for the dignity and rights of everybody in the world. We could do it.

Recorded on: 7/25/07