Ireland’s Mary Robinson: Advanced Social Change through Unifying Opposing Forces
By Richard Howitt, Skytop Contributor / January 17th, 2022
Richard’s background celebrates three decades as a strategic thinker who integrates innovation into organizational practice. A 22-year member of the European Parliament Rapporteur on Corporate Social Responsibility, he led the EU’s Non-Financial Reporting Directive. This initiative, recognized as the world’s foremost legislation on Corporate Transparency, brought him to new challenges.
This includes his work as CEO of the International Integrated Reporting Council, the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure, Advisor to the UN Global Compact, Member of the European Commission SDG Platform, and the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights Reporting Framework Eminent Persons’ Group.
Richard is recognized as a Sage Top 100 Global Business Influencer, Thomson Reuters ‘Top 30’ Influencer in Risk, Compliance and Regtech. He is a Member of the B20 International Business Leaders’ Group and its Climate and Resource Efficiency Task Force. He currently serves as Strategic Advisor on Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, and Senior Associate at the law firm Frank Bold LLC.
Be the Change
To be truly transformative requires an ability to transform oneself first.
Such is the quality demonstrated by lawyer cum senior politician cum global diplomat cum elder stateswoman: Mary Robinson.
Her autobiography is subtitled, ‘Everybody Matters: My Life Giving Voice’.
Perhaps that is an indication that leading women in business, politics or wider society transform by enabling people and ideas which had always been there, a new opportunity to flourish.
Mary, A First Encounter of The Remarkable Kind
I first encountered Mary in European politics after her historic election as the first woman President of Ireland in 1990.
Everyone loves Ireland and the Irish, but it has been a deeply conservative country throughout living memory. So, it was not simply the election of a woman Head of State, but Mary’s integrity in using high office to challenge issues in which her country traditionally struggled–contraception, gay rights, abortion, women’s rights and children’s rights–that truly marked her character.
Moving Ireland Forward Successfully
Ireland and its population today is more modern, more progressive, more tolerant and more open, thanks to Mary. The seeds for this were indeed already there, but it was Mary who enabled this to be realised, transforming a whole country and the life prospects for many of its people.
Initially elected as a member of the centre-left Irish Labour Party to the Upper House of the Irish Parliament, she resigned the Whip, demonstrating a fierce determination to remain true to her own convictions and to independence in thought and action. It didn’t stop Labour subsequently supporting her as a Presidential candidate, recognising her broader appeal across the political spectrum.
This served her well as President, where she brought to the office new authority and a sense of morality in how she conducted the role.
It is this ethical dimension to Mary’s character, which exhibited itself many times over, when I encountered her in later roles on human rights, climate change and women’s equality.
A Ground Breaker and Unifier Despite Long Held Tradition
As she had initiated the first ever meeting between Irish and British Heads of State, given the difficult history between the two countries, as UN High Commissioner she chose to go to Rwanda amid the genocide.
As a Barrister before her Presidency, it was apt that Mary went on to one of the highest possible international roles, as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Since completing her term of office, she established two NGOs, first on Ethical Globalisation, a second on Climate Change.
Mary keenly spotted issues and acted on them before they became generally accepted. That is a true mark of leadership.
An Authentic Transformer
When I saw her most recently, Mary explained how the two organisations had served their purpose and been closed, with the learning passed to new multi-stakeholder coalitions.
The emphasis for Mary was on the actual transformation, not in creating organisations for her own ego, one of the few things (to her credit) which she lacks.
Indeed, Mary would probably be embarrassed by these words and, whenever I have seen her, speaks to and treats people with thought, care and humility.
Chair of the Elders
Today, Mary is Chair of ‘The Elders’, a group of retired, high-serving international statesmen and women who continue to speak out and act on key issues globally, first established by Nelson Mandela.
In many cultures, age and seniority is seen as a mark of wisdom and this is undoubtedly true in relation to ‘The Elders’, who help us learn from the successes – and mistakes – of history.
However, the fact that this unique group of people have chosen Mary Robinson as their figurehead is recognition that Mary continues to play a transformative role at the highest level, an achievement which she has shown throughout all stages of what is – and continues to be – an illustrious career.
Transformative, indeed.