An Interview with Ireland's first female president (deadline: 5/23)
We have spent two weeks discussing Ireland, her relationship with the UK, and the lives and works of two famous Irish writers--James Joyce and W. B. Yeats. In the following link, you can listen to an interview with Ireland's first female president and a former United Nations high commissioner--Mary Robinson. In this interview, she talks about Ireland's social class gap, gender imbalance, Catholicism, the transformation of Ireland, and her advocation for "climate justice." Listen to the story and write down anything that inspires or interests you in this interview.
56 comments:
69902622 Michelle Lin
There are two topics interest me the most when listening to an interview with Mary Robinson. The first one is about religion. Although being a Catholic, she does not need to go to Mass every Sunday and feel guilty if she does not because she disagrees so much of what the church stands for. As to me, I believe in God rather than religions as they are created and divided by men, and furthermore some even comprise patriarchy and class-system . In some countries, blind-worshiped adherents are unbelievably fighting for the name of their sacred God. Though I only believe in God of nature and the beauty of it, I consent to the importance of spirituality that religions bring. However, if religions and churches, or other formations, are made for worshiping the grace of God and subliming the followers, they should then be more open-minded and doing more things for mutual benefits for a better world. In this sense, I agree with Mary Robinson’s expectation of the need of global ethic standard given by the religion of the world. The second topic catches my attention is the climate justice. The term “climate refugees” has been using over the last decades, and it surely becomes a global phenomenon. Mass people suffer from environmental disasters, such as droughts, sea level rise, desertification, and abnormal weather changes, causing migrations and border conflicts. Mary Robinson takes notice of and shows her compassion for those who are not able to leave and still live poorly. It is indeed the injustice in the twenty-first century, and it needs to be concerned as well as assisted world-widely.
Kimlake 49902004
Mary Robinson’s new book is named Everybody Matters, so I understand that what she aspires is equality. In this interview, she talks about gender equality, religion, and climate change which I’m interested. I’m somewhat used to the idea that western societies are open and equal generally, but as I look deeper, I start to know that they are not. Speaking of issues of gender equality, they do better than the rest of the world in many ways. However, they still have many things to do. Like Robinson says, just decades ago, women are asked what they do to get married. Besides, Catholicism is conservative. Just as she says, there are still many things to be achieved. I believe her election as the first female president in Ireland is not easy and is a great landmark. I also respect her to change her faith conciously and have her own opinions. In addition, I also agree her opinions of climate change. The inferior ones who live in underdeveloped countries don’t contribute to global warming, yet, ironically, they are the ones who are impaired severely, and the consequences cause their situations to be even worse. It is really unfair. The above is what the interview inspires and interests me.
At the beginning of the interview, Mary Robinson says that her interest in human rights is aroused by being the only girl among four brothers in the family. This is quite interesting. As a young girl, she must have been observant to notice the social imbalance between men and women. Fortunately, her parents didn’t treat her differently from how they treated her brothers. Maybe her parents’ equal treatment and liberal attitudes towards the children make her think that women deserves equal human rights as men despite the low social status of women in Ireland then.
At the end of the interview, she explains the name of her foundation—Climate Justice. Then, she points out the idea that climate change actually makes the situation of poor countries and communities even worse. Those people in poverty would suffer from the consequences even though they don’t make any contribution, which is what she meant by ‘‘climate injustice’’. Her original points are impressive and illuminating. They provide a new way to see climate change and make one think more about its influences. Lastly, she makes a connection between climate justice and human rights, and then expresses her ideals of the basic life of a citizen in the 21st century, which shows her concerns about people’s needs in daily life. The needs may seem simple and may be easily neglected but are actually primary and foremost.
49902038 Vera
After listened to the interview of Mary Robinson, the issues she talked about make me associate with two things – Jane Eyre and Taiwanese environmental consciousness.
Personally, I do not have any religion. In Jane Eyre, St. John Eyre Rivers is a man who completely believes in God that he even tries to use God’s name to decide Jane’s destiny. I think that is one of the reasons that I don’t have religion. I believe every religion has their good and beauty intention. However, people often become too dependent on it. They let their religion control his or her life, view and future…etc. I disagree on people using God’s name to justify their behavior. And the horrible thing is that those people didn’t even realize that they are using their religion as an excuse; they honestly believe that they are doing what their God wants. And I find out that there are many religions have sexual discrimination. In Bible, the pain of birth is a punishment for women. I don’t have religion, because I don’t want anything to restrain my personality and life. Sometimes, religion can make people find themselves and their life; for me, I just want to live completely free.
Mary Robinson cares a lot about global environment. I think Taiwan has a successful education of energy saving. I have seen some foreigners wasted the resource they have, and they even questioned us about the point of energy saving. We need to fight for the balance of “Climate Justice”. Besides helping those poor developing countries to get better life, we need to help and train ourselves to protect our environment.
Mia 49902028
In my opinion, Mary Robinson is lucky to born in a liberal family. It is quite interesting, and must confuse her that she owned human rights and was equal in her family, and continually had conversations about what do you do for you when getting in marriage in school. It sounds like her home is her real school, which teaches her liberal attitudes and critical thinking. I feel curious how her parents could be so enlightened in that time, and want to see their education to their children, not only to girl, but boys, how they teach their sons to treat women equal in that time? It must be wise and charming.
Mary Robinson’s new book title is Everybody Matters, and in the end she talks about the injustice of climate change — “the worst of the impacts are felt by those who contributed least to causing the problem.” It means the worst impacts will be felt by the poorest people. I feel so sad and shame about being one of those who enjoy clean water, light in the home without gratitude. It is everybody’s responsibility to face climate change, but we are still selfish overusing those energies, and never care people in poverty may be the first victim all over the world. Also, she mentions that 2.6 billion, mainly women, still cook on open fires, and I feel, still our world is filled with inequalities, but how can we living in a comfortable world, but don’t help those people who still face inequalities, and we keep quiet? All justice should be voiced if we know that it is right, otherwise, we are like those ignorant hegemony.
Mario 49902064
Mary Robinson is dedicated to lending her voice to make a difference. She give an understanding of the challenges she faced growing up and how overcoming them shaped her life. In this interview she had talk about the society, women’s right and religion. Mary Robinson had realize about how the people treat the women in the society. As I listen to her, she said every time she met her brother the only conversation that they has were “what they decided to do after she get married.” She think the society had treat her in differently from her brother and herself. And that is connect her the climate change too. At the end, she has found the independence she needs to work effectively on behalf of the millions of poor around the world most affected by climate change. Which including the people who cook on open fires. So she came out with a book call “Everybody Matters” from the title I think she had included all the people that effected by the climate change are matters. People should care and help the people that are needed. I think she is a great ambassador for our country. She speaks her mind and many in the US detest her for that. They have no expectation that a Woman has a mind of her own and to make matters for every people.
410002057
Robinson said three things at least I found interesting in the interview.
First, Robinson was Ireland’s first female president. I was astonished because I never thought that Ireland could have a female president. I considered Ireland a periphery country in Europe, and having traditional Catholic beliefs. Comparing to other west Europe countries like UK and Germany, Ireland was not willing to change. They were aboriginal people rather than like their modernized neighbor countries. But they had had a female president, so I thought Ireland must have changed a lot.
Second, she disapproved religion to control people. She said people don’t need to feel guilty if they don’t go to mass every Sunday. Mostly, I agreed with what she said, and I had other opinions. I hate go to mass every Sunday, too, though I never go to mass, but I could imagine. Imagined that I had no mood to listen to teacher for she always preaching homosexuality or feminism every week on her class, she “forced” me to believe the whole thing but I was rather not to know about her theory which was so ridiculous for me. Similarly, Robinson seemed to say that Churches were brainwashing people and “forced” them to obey their teachings. That was all wrong.
Third, the host said to Robinson that a young women died for trouble pregnancy for doctors refused her abortion. I thought the main reason was because most Catholic Church’s doctrines are rather ridiculous. In this case they forbade all abortion. This was why I thought that was all wrong. If people were forced to believe the whole thing, they would be stupid and dummy. Then, they could no longer think critically, defending the good and refusing the bad. Finally, this attitude might cause trouble to the society.
49804003 Doris
The first female president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, thanks to her parents, had led an unwonted but a carefree childhood the same as her four brothers. However, most of women are shackled by patripotestal consciousness. Take W.B. Yeats for instance, his image of the ideal woman is pictured as a flourishing hidden tree rooted in a perpetual place which implies that the New Woman, who’s strong-minded and owns novel ideas, is difficult to have a foothold on society. Another cause which leads to an intangible demarcation line between human beings is class difference. After the colonization of the United Kingdom, the Irish has been deeply affected by their refined culture. Nevertheless, this kind of refinement is regarded as hypocritical, especial for middle-class people who consider themselves indifferent or repellent to artistic and cultural values. Like what James Joyce has mentioned, he sees himself as a rebel against those vile philistines. On the contrary, people who live in the elemental as well as primitive places are unsophisticated and simple-minded yet mostly in poverty and distress. To sum up, through this interview, we can realize that even in the twenty-first century, people, especially in poor countries, are still under the imbalance of class, gender, and human rights. And, all we can do is to remove inequality from our world in order to bring happiness.
49902056 Aere
In this interview, Mary Roberson talks about issue of human right, religion, poverty, and climate problem. Although as a president of a country, I found her conversation is really solid and intelligent. I think that won’t bring about controversy and compel people to follow her thoughts; instead, there are many spaces left for us to think more about her words and experiences. She also involves in every specific issue; for the climate change, she doesn't focus only on environment effects, but pay attention to poverty problem that climate change worsens. I think she is wise and humane because many politicians or philanthropists actually don’t really know what those issue cause behind, they just write it out and read it out. It seems that foreign leaders have such wide vision except for Taiwan. So, I appreciate her awareness of global issue.
It is interesting that she is the middle sibling member in her family, so I think her medium conversation might also be trained from there. The most important thing, her liberal and generous parents are the most critical characters in her life, who give her freedom and right to achieve whatever she should have as her brothers have. Besides, she doesn't waste them and takes them to help more people in need. I’m proud of her although I’m not an Irish but as a global member.
1. Robinson has great parents who are not in favor of sons. They treat their children equally. Their family education make Robinson.
2. Women in Ireland have to keep reaching true gender balance hard. There are still too few women in council.
3. I do not agree her opinions with beliefs. It is always about people, not about the world. God make people to highlight him. She should make peace with God, not judge the church.
4. Many people destroy the nature for their own interests. Robinson runs Climate Justice to work on human rights and justices.
49902006 Bradshaw
Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland, talks about her “fight” for the right during her childhood. Being the only girl of the five children, Robinson realizes she must fight for the imbalanced right between the genders.
Then, Robinson talks about her attitude toward religion. She mentions both of her parents are Catholics. Under that situation, it is expected that their children are pious. In the beginning, she decides to be a nun; however, she changes her mind, for she wants to handle it differently.
“I don't need to go to mass every Sunday and feel guilty if I don't. I don't feel compelled…because I disagree with so much of what the church stands for.” That is true; there are lots of things unfair to female or homosexual in religion. The world is changing, so as people’s attitude to the Bible. In the Bible, it says that you cannot plant more than one kind of food. It is quite unreasonable now, and most of people do not care about that rule. Most important, it shows that the Bible is changeable. In the same way, why should not people change their thought toward man cannot have relationship with man? Furthermore, the Bible is copied from the ancient time. How could it be assured there is no miscopy? Or, there is no personal emotion adds in?
One thing that interests me most is the religious part. I want to talk about the effect of Catholicism on Ireland. Before Mary Robinson mentions the story of the young wife’s death, my impression of Catholicism is that it is kind of conservative religion. The reason I have this impression mainly depends on the rejection of the abortion. It may fit the custom in the old days. However, when the female rights arise, it is not suitable for these days. Then Robinson mentions the story of the young wife who died in Ireland because the hospital refused her an abortion. I think that there is no definitely good or bad religion, and that it is freewill to believe in a religion, but some creeds really need changing in order to follow the currency and keep the tradition at the same time. In this story, the Catholics choose to follow the tradition but forget the mother’s life is as important as the baby. If they save the mother’s life, the mother will thank the doctors and have another baby latter. Of course, the devout Catholics will surely blame the hospital if the doctors choose to save the mother. In sum, this story is a turning point of the creed because many people in Ireland come into the street for the mother.
Tavia 49902065
First, I want to talk about Mary Robinson’s interview on Catholicism. She believes in Catholicism but she doesn't go to mass every Sunday and she feels guilty. It is the question about what is the church stand for when we believe in the religion that we should go to the church every Sunday. It is the way of the church operated standard. If we don’t have this standard, we do not feel guilty. It is also like there are many fair standard in the society that lead to racism. If we don’t think white and black ethnicity is different, it would not have racism. So it is about the standard and the way what people think. Everyone doesn't do wrong. We can loyalty believe in the religion. But the loyalty of religion standard is not about go to the church every Sunday. I agree that people don’t go to the church every Sunday is not equal to don’t believe to the religion. And the climate justice also interests me. I agree that Mary Robinson says we should get the solidarity as a race. All the country should be equal. In the rich country people have enough electricity and energy that make the climate change. But in the poverty country have not enough energy and their environment and climate are also change. So it should have the climate justice. The rich country must help the poor developing countries. I think her saying about human life together is true. The cooperation of human is important. We can not only care of our own country.
In the interview, I’m interested in two things that Mary Robinson is talking about and I agree with her. One is about the religion and the other is the ‘’climate justice’’. She says that she doesn’t need to go to mass every Sunday and feel guilty if she doesn’t and she disagree with so much of what the churches stand for, particularly in reproductive health. I agree with her because I also think that religions in the world should be good to give people the ethical standard and comfort but not a set of rules or routine that people have to follow with no reason. If people worship god and pope, something like that blindly, it would be easy to be used and cheated. And religion will come down to corruption. The other is about the climate justice. People in the poor countries are exploited. They have no choice to cut their trees and plant cash crops and there is little profit they can get from it. It’s very hard for them to make a living. In addition to that, they have to suffer from the pain that climate change brings and everything is still getting worse and worse. I think it’s really unfair and injustice. We are all human beings but we don’t share all the sources in this world fairly. They don’t use fossil fuel and they don’t have car and they don’t make tons of trash but why do they have to take the consequences. As a human being like other creatures living in this world should have the basic right to have clean water and light and the right to live.
Celia 49902066
In this interview, it has some interesting parts engage my curiousness. First is her background of growth. In the beginning of the interview, Mary Roberson talks about her childhood and thank you for her parents. In the patripotestal periods, it is fortunate that she was born in a free family, her parents treat her as equal as her brothers and I think one of reasons make her became a successful, critical and liberal president. Second is about her attitudes of religion, she says that she doesn’t go to church in every Sunday and she disagree so much of what the church stand for. I agree with her because I think it is a formula thing. If we have god in mind, it doesn’t matter how much we go to church because he/she always be with us. And the most attractive part is her foundation for ‘climate justice’, I appreciate that she not only cares about the environment change, but that force on poverty issue which is around the climate change. I like the sentence she says”….injustice of how climate change is undermining poverty, in poor country ….”. And I think it is our responsibilities to make it to change. I adore her world view and noble character. And I glad that she let us “Everybody” know that we still have a charge to take the world balance.
49902060 Joanne
After listening to the interview, I feel more curiosity and admiration toward Mary Robinson. She holds spellbinding opinions which make people think and reflect. Among her points of view, I'm impressed by some of them. First, she is deeply influenced by family. Although her parents educate her and her brothers with a fair way, the society during her growing stage still gives females a hard time. The contrast may be the main reason of forming her strong conscious toward gender issue. She talks about the thing she's asked in school before she graduates is marriage. It makes me think of a movie called "Mona Lisa Smile";it talks about the phenomenon in USA that the ultimate goal for girls is to get marriage in 1950s, and even the education of girl's college at that time is based on forming a perfect wife instead of a scholar. Besides, when it comes to religion, she says that she's interested in the religions of the world giving us a kind of global, ethical standard. That's quite pregnant with meaning . She animates the convention thing, religion a different concept, discovering the connection and relationship between religion and people and society nowadays.
49902024 Lauren
The first point which interests me is the ‘true gender balance’ that Robinson talks about in the interview. She says that she can’t name that lost but we haven’t reach the ‘true gender balance’ because there are still too few women on the higher class business. I believe that she is not just talking about Ireland or the U.S.A. but the whole world. Although we’ve been in progress these years, the two genders are still treated unequally. I think the worst thing is not that we feel that it is a long way to reach the real balance but lives with it without conscious. Also, it is a responsible for all women in this world to let the voice out and wake up those who have been blinded by the society. Second, the ‘climate justice’, they talk about how the climate changes connect to justice. The developed and developing countries have been polluted our nature for a long time. The effects not only influence those countries but also other undeveloped countries which don’t have any electrical products or factories. As the global climate changes happen all over the world, it is not fair for them to take the responsibility. But I think that we should focus on decrease the pollution rather than give poor country the life ‘basic’. So it would be reasonable for us that they have the responsibility of climate changes? It is right that everyone in this world have rights to live with clean water and basic life supports. But I feel the ‘climate justice’ she talks about is a little bit twisted from how I think justice should be.
Judy 49902027
I think Mary Robinson’s family has a great influence on her that the education she had makes her an independent and unconventional woman. The environment of Ireland at that time when she was a child wouldn’t allow women have the same right as man to study; however, her parents let her do what she wants and treat her equally as her four brothers. And that leads her to becoming a women who thinks independently which I think it is an important trait and also the reason why she can achieve and contribute so much to the world. I’m quite amazed by her advocacy for climate justice and human rights. She points out that even nowadays there are still people who don’t have electricity, and many people especially women die because they ingest fumes while they are cooking with coal and animal dung. She says, "So, how come when we have clean cook stoves now, when we have D lights that can be recharged in the solar, wonderful sun that shines in poor developing countries, how come we haven't got the solidarity as a race to say, 'Everybody should have the basics of clean water, light in the home'? It’s indeed a great spirit to speak out for those in need and encourage people around the world to help each other. She’s such a respectable leader that our world desperately needs now.
As I listened to President Mary Robinson, things that impressed me most were both her attitude questioning the church as well as the “climate justice”. The president questioned what church represented, and arousing conscious. She was strictly disagree what sometimes church has done. She was more interested in the religion of the world, the global ethical standard. She advocated,” We do need the spirituality of the great religions of the world.” She considered that the human rights and dignity were more important. In the interview, she still mentioned that one single human tragedy can evoke a need for change. When lots of unfair things going on, if one day people got realized why they should suffered so much, it probably were not their false, they would stand up and rebel it. People won’t be always blinded. Still one part of the “climate justice”, I was really astonished by the term she used and things she tried to convey us. People should put climate change into justice, still lots of people lived under the bad situation, difficult circumstances. As I read the document from UNEP, I was astonished by the unfair of distribution. Those developed countries didn’t care about the developing countries. But who should suffer most are those poor and needy counties. She aims to help the poor, arousing the awareness of humanity, and making sure people lived in developing countries would have the basic needs.
I think Mary Robinson is a great woman who advocates equality. The tittle of her memoir "Everybody Matters: My Life Giving Voice" tells us that what she wants is equality of all the people in the world. She thinks that everyone is at the same importance. And her life is to speak out for people who are treated unequally and unjustly. After I listened this interview and thought of the title of her memoir, I felt so ashamed that I was unconscious of what is happening in the world. I have clean water to use but I never care about people in Africa or other least developed countries that don’t have clean water and electricity. Mary Robinson is fortunate because she has enlightened parents who give her freedom to do what she wants to do. It seems impossible in Ireland at that time which women’s place in Ireland is only in the home. Mary Robinson is the first female president in Ireland. I think this accomplishment is incredible. She also says that although Clinton is defeated by Obama in the president campaign, there may be one day the U.S. has a female president. I think there is still a lot of injustice and inequality in the world waiting for us to find out and solve. If people can speak out the injustice and inequality but do not keep silent, the world may be better.
I am very glad that woman can also be a president. Although women’s position has been higher gradually, it is not easy to be a female president. I think that it is a big transformation of Ireland society. I admire Mary Robinson because she is brave to do what other women dare to do. When she was a child, she didn’t follow the main stream and did what she thought was right. If I was the girl at that time, I think I wouldn’t have the encouragement to against the whole society. It is also a big step of democracy of Ireland politics.
Besides, she also establishes a foundation which called Climate Justice. I very like her perspective of the name ‘’climate’’ because she thinks some poor countries are poverty result of the bad climate especially in Africa. According to her description, I think I am very lucky and well-being because I can drink clear water and have food to eat every. We have electricity, fossil oil and gas to use but for African, they even can’t drink clear water needless to say other basic essential necessities. Some powerful countries usually say they will help the weakness but in fact, they may exploit the poor countries. Contrast to those politicians, Mary Robinson takes action really to help them. I want to help the weak if I have the power in the future. I think Mary Robinson plays an important role in people’s mind all over the world now. I hope that there are many people can be touched by her in the society.
49902030 Angela
In this interview, Mary Robinson mentions that most of women in Ireland still not standing an equal position compare with men. Fortunately, her parents gave her right and treated her equally and I think it is an important reason that she can compete with others and have her own mind to think what she wants not like other girls who just think about getting married after graduation. So, to be treated equally and having own thought is definitely an important reason she became the first female president in Ireland.
In religion issue, as we know, most people in Ireland are devout Catholic and some of them were religion fanatics who obey the Catholicism blindly but through the transformation of Ireland, people have the right to choose their own spiritual belief. They don’t need to be struggling for believing Catholicism. Mary Robinson breaks the rule about going to church. She disagree what the church stands for and decide not to go to Mass. I think it is a brave action and it means that people in Ireland are changing.
In climate justice issue, she advocates that people should value this problem because nowadays still have lot of people cannot have clean water or electric energy. I think if people cannot contend their basic needs and having a good living standard, they don’t need to say nothing of gender, religion and so on. So, I think everybody should respect the climate problem; everybody matters.
There are two parts that intrigues me in the interview of Mary Robinson.The first part is Mary Robinson’s background, she talked about her background and how it affected her. Being the only female children in her family didn’t make her feel neglected, nor special. It just made her realized that she had to face the inequality in human rights in the early age. Her parents set up a good example by telling her that she has just as much right as her brothers, which was very unfitting at the time. It seems to me that a person’s background can have great effect on a person. Those people who make changes in the world often think outside of the box or their thoughts just didn’t fit in the mainstream.
The second part is about the ability of questioning. In her interview, she mentioned about questioning. She thinks that people shouldn’t feel guilty or compelled to go to the Mass. She is not questioning the religion itself, but the additional creeds behind. I think the ability to question something is considered important nowadays because in the age of information explosion, it is crucial for people have doubts instead of take everything in without thinking.
49902042 Pansy
In this interview, I am interested in two issues, that is, gender and religion.
Mary Robinson shared about her background with us. She told us that her early interest in human rights came from the fact that she was the only girl with four brothers. Therefore, she had to be engaged in equality of human rights by herself. These words catch my attention most. It is not fair that her brothers can get everything without any efforts just because they are men; however, Robinson, represents all women, have to do a lot of efforts to get human rights. The process of engaging in gender equality is difficult. I think Mary Robinson is brave and respectable. Without these female pioneers, women cannot enjoy these human rights now.
Religion catches my eye, too. The event about the young wife died in hospital of Ireland because she had a trouble pregnancy and they refused her an abortion. Their religion forbidden them to do abortion, however, they killed this young woman indirectly and her baby died together. These religious followers insisted their doctrine rigidly and that caused two lives dead. I think religion is a good thing which can make people braver and have more confidence; however, it will become a weapon to hurt people if the religious followers follow the doctrine blindly. Robinson proposed an idea that “sometimes one single human tragedy that evokes a need for change.” With this sentence I am wondering that why we always do the change until there is someone sacrifices. If those people in the hospital of Ireland allowed this young wife do an abortion, she would not die. If they could do the change at that time, they could save a precious life. I think we should think about this issue.
Ben 龔駿達 49902049
In the speech, the first thing I heard was that she’s the only girl in her family. She said that she had four brothers, two younger and two older. Family was just like a small society, in fact, it is, it is the smallest unit of our society. Were it not for the good education she had in her family, she would not have the right and clear values toward human rights. If she had been treat unfairly, she would not know how equality plays a big role in society. The second thing I want to say may not have too much connection with her speech, but they mention why there are no female presidents in America. I remember during America’s last election, my father and I were disgusting who would be the next presidents of United States of America. My father said that even though America said they are a free country, they could not endure letting a black or female be elect as a president, but, if they have to choose, they will definitely choose Obama. I ask why to my father, he said that in America, some of the powers were control by black, such as music, sport, and other entertainment, so they own these, but, America is an extreme patriarchal society, they only support women in theory. Their main stream was still following it. Why I said these, because, president is a leader of the nation, people, and also the nation image. The moment that Mary Robinson been choose as the first female president of Ireland, not just show that the country respect the people’s will but also fight for equality, that something we still need more effort to it. For this point, I think they had already surpassed America, and be more like a free country. That a country really respect equality and human right.
Monica W10102006
There are few thing quite inspired me after listening this interview. First, is you’ll never know how powerful your youth life influence your future especially in spiritual aspect. Mary Robinson said she lived in a 4 brothers family and it forced her to seek her deserved right also her parents encouraged her to do so, but situation was not like that in Ireland at that time. She finally found out those things affected her since then. so it is very important to built right world outlook and be curious about your surrounding things,Since they may influence your future life.
Second, a very small forward step may determine your destiny. Mary said she think the decision of been a member of EU was the transforming decision for Ireland. And since then Ireland gained a great deal but also affected by EU’s financial constraints. It occurs to me that there is no one-sided beneficial thing in the world. Human beings, also, we suffer a lot from others. The important thing is how to adjust ourselves and make the decision-- move on or not, so that we can maximize the benefit and minimize the harm.
Third, it is not easy to changed the old things especially when it comes to religion. Religion should be regarded as good for people but it became obstacle for Ireland for a long time. The pathetic thing happened on that woman indeed evoked many people’s anger and a need of change. Sometimes it destined to sacrifice something to achieve a higher level.
I agree with the point that Mary Robinson talks about “climate justice”. Climate is a very important element in our life. We can see that countries in good climate areas develop better and faster. Because they have the climate that is suitable for plants to grow and comfortable for humans to live, they need no worries to think about how to survive so that they can do other things like literature or art. In contrast, low developed countries are located in worse climate areas where little crop can be grown. People in those places have difficulties planting things so that they might not have enough food neither can they sell their crops to make money. That makes them poorer and poorer. Worst of all, those rich people in rich countries still want to deprive low developed countries resources by using machines to get the only products they can make and sell them all over the world to make money. The poor people nearly have a chance to change their situation. When climate changes come, people who are at the worse situation will first be affected. And those rich people who are likely to have power to influence the world still only care about making money. They don’t have a thought that nature belongs to everyone. They don’t think about how to make up the problem. What a shame for this world! How indifferent it is! Why don’t those human beings who are the same as the others give a hand or just cease the harm? I think that it is a serious point that we need to consider.
410002037 Chou
During this interview, Robinson gave us the scenery of social phenomenon in Ireland from her early age to recent years. I think this is good chance for us to recognize this country. The most interesting part is that when she mentioned her last year in boarding school. She said ‘‘the conversation between us was what do you do for a year or two before getting married?’’ This really gave us the vivid view of social expectation at that time. And from her words, we can know that the religion causes people somehow follow the paternalistic and authoritarian. I think here she was going to talk about the religion had become kind of formalism. So she did not like it. However, she still mentioned that the good side of the religion - to give the ethic standard. Final, the interview came to her foundation - Climate Justice. She said ‘‘the injustice of how climate change is undermining poverty in very poor countries and very poor communities.’’ Those words gave me a great impression. The climate change is caused by the vast majority in developed countries. We enjoy the clean water and convenient devices. However, the developing countries need to suffer those bad impacts. How injustice is it. We do have the responsibilities to the climate change and the third world people. Moreover, everyone has the right to live in basic living situation. That was why Robinson name her new book’s title as ‘‘Everybody Matters’’.
Irene 49902034
After listening Mary Robinson‘s the interview, I think the two main ideas are equality and justice about human rights. In my opinion, Mary Robinson is an open-minded and freethinking woman who is not be restricted by the tradition. Her perspectives on gender and religion makes me admire her a lot. From her point of view, it is important to reach true gender balance, in other words, the status between women and men should be equal. Besides, she mentioned about her attitude toward attending Mass. To be honest, I am so surprise when she said” I don't need to go to Mass every Sunday and feel guilty if I don't.' I don't feel compelled to do it every Sunday or in a sort of strictly paid-up way because I disagree with so much of what the church stands for…” I always regard religion as the most unshakable part in Irishman’s life but she broke this rule. I think it is not easy for women to own these innovative and impartial opinions like her at that time.
When Mary Robinson talked about Climate Justice, she said” Everybody should have the basics of clean water, light in the home.” It makes me think of Virginia Woolf’s “A room of one’s own.” It is important for everybody to own the basic need in life and the basic need should be equal to everybody no matter the gender or race. All of us have the responsibility to focus on the climate injustice and help each other to achieve climate justice. That’s everybody matters.
49902002
Helen
In this interview, I found two issues that I interested in that are gender and Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice.
Robinson is the only girl with her four brothers and fortunately her parents are fair to her and love their children equally. Robinson says the society makes very clear that women should be in the home. No doubt, this is unfair to women, why women should always stay at home to do house chores and take care of babies? I believe that women can be as strong as men, for example, women can work in parliament and business. Women also have rights to be candidates in elections and have a chance to become a president like Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland. This shows that female is capable to deal with the national affairs. Robinson also talks about sometimes there are something need to be dealt with but few people show consideration for it, such as a young woman was raped in a bus in India. I think people should be aware of women rights because we know all men are created equal.
In the end of this interview I feel Robinson’s foundation is quite meaningful and special. She shares a shocking statistic that 1.3 billion people don’t have any electricity. She thinks all people in our earth should have the basics of clean water and light so she combines human rights with climate justice. I totally agree with her idea because these two things are quite similar and relative to our daily life. It also makes me think of the construction of Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, we all have rights to agree or disagree with the nuclear power plant. But we also need to take upon ourselves the consequences, because all citizens are connected to each other, no one can be separated in our environment so everyone shares justice together.
Michelle 49902022
In this interview, there are two topics that interest me a lot, the first one is about the childhood of Mary Robinson.
She talked about by being the only girl in family with two older brothers and two younger brothers, she has equal right like her brothers’ and these background arise her first interested in human right. Well I really can understand Mary Robinson’s feeling because I have two sisters one older and one younger and sometimes what I feel is like her, I have to fight for my right because girls are really care about equality and when we grow up also we have to fight for our right or fight for others right in the society. So as soon as I listen to the last section of this interview when she talked about the climate justice immediately I realize why this woman is the Ireland's first female president because she is the kind of person who would fight for other people’s right. The relation of human being’s background and what they do is really interest me.
The second topic I interested in is about climate justice. This semester I take the course Literature and the Environment and in the class I learn a lot about how terrible climate change occur and how huge it can change our life. And in my opinion I agree with this idea of climate justice and the foundation of MRFCJ. Why those poor people who don’t use oil at once and don’t have one car in their lives should bear the effect of climate change is a good question and I think it’s just injustice and we should think about it.
Amy Sun 410002003
There is one point that interests me in this interview.That is Mary Robinson’s foundation- Climate Justice.
Mary Robinson’s foundation- Climate Justice reminds me that I have seen one film is called- The Carbon Rush. This film is talking about Emissions Trading System how to damage the developing countries and their people. In this video, I saw the how the big and famous companies colludes with the government of developing countries. Cap and Trade, it looks good to reduce carbon emission, but actually it isn’t. The big company (always in developed country) through carbon offset this project to get more carbon credit. For example, in Brail, people cut rain forest and plant the Eucalyptus, on the surface is to restore special plants, but the reality is that causes people don’t have land to grow cereal crops and also make environment’s destructions. This kind of problem also happens in Indonesia, India and China…etc, I really don’t how can those developed countries do such this things! Don’t they know earth is going to died? And how can they ignore those poor who damage by Cap and Trade? Just like Mary Robinson said: “Because of the injustice of how climate change is undermining poverty in very poor countries and very poor communities.” The injustice just causes by Cap and Trade, and I think this issue we should consider about it.
*Correction
For example, in "Brazil"...
After listening to this interview, my first reaction is: I am going to find this book and read it. There are some good points that Mary Robinson made, and that is worth thinking. First is the pregnancy of the young woman being refused abortion, and second is her point about human rights and climate injustice.
I have learned the information from Jeremy long time ago in a debate we had on abortion that in Ireland, it is forbidden to give up the life of a baby and doctors refuses to do the abortion. Many Irish women have to do it in Britain or other countries. I think this concept of forbidding abortion is totally wrong; all women have the right to choose whether or not she wants to have a baby. We are not a jar that holds strawberry jam; we are human with thought and rights. It’s unfair and pity that a fine woman died of this kind of unequal right. Mary Robinson said that ‘something that was tolerated and not spoken about for a very long time becomes something that has to be dealt with.’ I agreed with what she said. Sometimes we just cannot let go of these things that seems so normal in our society but it is actually wrong. Just like the concept of gay couple and gay marriage. Older generation often told us that it is wrong and disgusting, it is against the nature. It seems so normal twenty or thirty years ago, nobody doubts it. Is it truly right? We protest for LGBT groups today to fight for their rights, aren’t we trying to teach other people and our next generation what is the truth? To me, we are now undoing the mistake of the previous people, and I believe we are on the right side of history.
Second is the theory of climate injustice. If a country has good climate and nice surroundings, it is inevitable that it will develop fast and well. She uses the example of Africa, and urges that they need our help. Sometimes I think that how lucky I am to be born into a Taiwanese, we lived in a place full of resources and we still don’t appreciate that. What seems to us normal and necessary is impossible and a miracle to people in Africa. I think not only should we be appreciated, we should also find a way to help others. It may sound ideal and cliché, but that’s what we, as a human being, should think deeply about it and take actions to.
410002019 Linda
英美碩三 69902613 李怡慧
There are two topics which interest me from the interview. The first one is the social imbalance between men and women. The host and Mary Robinson talked about the changes of the women’s social status from past to present. In the past, woman in Ireland should get married right after they graduate from schools, and the main focus of their lives is home. It seems that women in different countries have undergone similar situations. For example, in Virginia Woolf’s book – a room of one’s own; women were also treated as inferior to men in England. They should get married as soon as possible and stay at home to take of her family all the time. From Chinese history we can see that there was much discrimination against women as well. Nowadays, even though women’s social statuses change over time and become a lot better, most of the positions in the top levels of government or business are still held by men in most countries. Now South Korea and Ireland both have the first female president, I’m looking forward to see the day when Taiwan has the first female president.
The second topic which interests me is the injustice of how climate change is ruining people’s lives in poor countries. They don’t contribute to the pollution which is causing climate change, but they are the ones who are deeply affected by climate change. Their lives’ are endangered; it’s so unfair to them. We really should pay attention to this problem. It’s important to all living creatures on earth.
Qiana 49902068
I like this interview, especial the end of the interview, she talks about the climate justice.
At the beginning, she says “the constitution made it quite clear the place of the woman is in the home.” And I immediately think of the question that who made that constitution? However there is no doubt is male made that. And because of this I can know at that time in Ireland, the inequality between the status of male and female is already formed very early. That means when the constitution is established, that is the time that female is restricted. That constitution in some certain extent stands for the unequal treatment to female is reasonable, and it makes the unequal treatment was rationalized. As if female lacks of some kind of human rights, when they born and grew up afterward. For Mary Robinson becomes the first female president of Ireland, that makes me surprise that the great transformation of the status of female in Ireland, and I am very interested to know how male accepts that transformation.
At the end of the interview, she talks about the climate issue causes some disasters in very poor countries and very poor communities and shows some statistics. Although some countries are care about that issue, but most of people even some people around us, who really do? And take it serious to do the energy conservation, the environmental protection and some environmental work etc. It seems we are selfish and living in a selfish country. We have clean food, clean water and enjoy the superior environment that those poor people, who living in the undeveloped country don’t have. I think that is quite unfair to them. What they suffer now the bad climate that was caused by us and by people who living in the better country. That what Robinson talks about and that is really impressed me.
49902018 Jacqueline
In this interview, Mary Robinson mentioned lots of issues that related to Ireland, even the whole world. There are two issues that inspired me most: Ireland’s first female president and religion.
In the very beginning, Robinson mentioned that she had known what human right is when she was a child. That’s because of fights among her and her siblings. However she said that her parents gave as much equal freedom and right as her brothers had. She was encouraged to do whatever she wants. It is very difficult for women who live in Ireland at that time. And I think this background somehow influence her characteristic and helps her stands up to this position.
“I think we do need the spirituality of the great religions of the world. And it is important for human rights and human dignity.” As Robinson said, human beings are relating to the religions for many important reasons. And the Catholic Church is one of important issues in Ireland. We had read two Irish writers (James Joyce and W. B. Yeats) and both of them had mentioned the shortages that Catholic Church brings to Irish people. Here Robinson said that she does not like to go to Mass and finally decided not to go for it every Saturday. For this issue she also stated that she does not feel guilty if she does not. I am interesting of this issue because of Robinson’s action of protesting things she thinks are not right.
410002052 Cindy
After listening this interview, there are two parts interests me. First, the gender balance. Although our society has the equal right to everybody, there are still some unequal things happened around us. Now, we still have the unfair standing of women. The mainstream society is still held by men. In many situations, women do not have the same standard as men have. For example, we do not have many women in the top of a company, because the ability of woman is be suspected. Also, in the interview, if you are a pregnant woman, you seldom can get the job. In some custom, something that boy can do, but girl cannot do. We need to break the "invisible ceiling" that restrains women. Although I think the Western countries have more equal laws than us, they still have to work for that. Like Mary Robinson said, " but nor could I say that we have reached true gender balance." Mary Robinson being the first female president is a inspiring thing. It is a big advancement for fighting the gender balance. Second, her foundation- Climate Justice. I know climate change have an influence on our life. However, it become a big trouble in very poor countries. Climate change may bring an extreme unfair situation. The rich become richer; the poor become poorer. What cause the climate change? It is the developed countries which exhausted too much CO2 carbon dioxide and cause the global warming. Nevertheless, many terrible things happened in the area of poor counties, and they don't contribute to that. It is so injustice. The developed countries should help poor countries to get the basic needs of being a human.
After listening to the interview, I’m interested in the issue of gender. In Mary Robinson’s family, although her parents treat her as fair as her brothers, not everyone is fortunate like her to be born in so open-minded family. In that time, it’s natural for women to get married after graduating because the constitution makes it as a natural sense for people. It makes women difficult to do what they want to do. They still have to give up their dream to walk into marriage though they desirably achieve their goals. Therefore, it’s glad to see the existence of female president in Ireland. It means that Irish become liberal and get advance in their culture. And the other thing inspires me in the interview is the foundation-Climate Justice. I think Mary Robinson is a sympathetic person because she can stand in other’s shoes and be will to help others. All people know climate changes has great influence on every country, but most of us just care about effect that is related to us. Seldom people worry poor countries’ future because most of those countries can’t be able to draw people’s attention on challenges which they meet and make people help them. I think the foundation is a helpful resource for poor countries to deal with challenges. I admire for the thought that Mary founded the foundation.
In this interview, Mary Robinson has discussed four issues, gender equality, Ireland present situation, Catholicism and climate Change. In particular, I am interesting in climate justice and situation of Ireland’s economy and politics.
I think Ireland is similar to Taiwan in some way. For example, both countries situate beside powerful countries, and also exist under threaten of neighboring country. For their oppression and force, we are isolated and marginalized in the international community. Unfortunately, both countries have to maintain a contradictory relation with their neighboring country. In economy perspectives, our industries developments still have to rely on their wide market. In recent years, Ireland start to open the gate to the world, and they also make commitment to keep harmony relation with United Kingdom. These new policies improve their society and economy development. I think Ireland set a good sample for Taiwan, and we should learn from their successful experience. That is, we have to recognize national identity and set a clear goal to move forward.
She also point out a new idea “climate justice”, which stirs up my attention to those poor countries are suffering from the consequences of human’s destruction and pollution. It is unfair for those who didn’t get profit but take responsible for the environmental destruction. I think Mary Robinson is full of ambition and enthusiasm to improve Ireland and our environment. Most of all, put our thoughts into practice.
49902016 Ryan The interview was indeed interesting. Equality is what we all hang on our mouths but when asked, most of us find ourselves ashamed of what exactly we practice to promote equality, which is to say, none. In the interview, what the EU must achieve to improve on the lives of its people was mentioned. I believe this, too is an issue of equality. If people of the EU are willing to commit to a greater cause and give up some, not all, of their privileges, they may very well be able to gain immense economic, political, and possibly military advancements in the long run. If one by one, individual nations back out of the EU, before long, the cooperation maintained for already 20 years will be lost, and such a shame it'll be! I believe that with the start or through the motivation of Mary Robinson's efforts, Europe, and the rest of the world will advance in terms of equality.
49902032 Hazel
After finish listen this short interview, I didn’t really focus on what’s Ireland’s position in Europe. On the contrary, I get interested in Mary Robison’s book title “Everybody Matters,” It reminds me of what professor Chunchi had taught us that one public issue evoked because everyone cares. It’s all about you and me. When reading the background of Ireland I felt similar with the situation to Taiwan. Sometimes, we ourselves don’t even know which side to stand or which belief to hold, because the society nowadays is much more complicated than before. Having bias on particular party, and let them influence your beliefs.
I am having a class about global environment changing, when I saw the words “climate justice” I feel familiar with it. In this class I had watch several films which describe different issues in our world and happened just near our life. We don’t know there are so many things that happened around us at the same time just because we never see them or realize them. Maybe the word “justice” is not really work (base on what I saw or I knew), but I think it’s really exist. Everybody matters, if I care more and doing some actions, if you engage more and start doing something, then things might be changed. Just as what the interview mentioned there are still a lot to be improved and can help.
In the interview, I know that Robinson served as the first female president of Ireland. In this generation, some country may have female president. But a female want to be a president is a hard thing. Especially in Ireland, the traditional Catholic society. Ireland is in the Europe, near the modernistic countries. But they are not like the modernistic countries near them. They are a traditional society. But they have a big reform. They have the first female president. It can prove that they had started to change.
In the interview, the host said many girls died for abortion. Because doctors refuse to do the abortions to them in Ireland. In the traditional Catholic society, they forbid all abortion. The reason is abortion betray their belief. But I do not think it is true. People can believe all things; it also can choose to believe something. There is not everything is right. People have their rights to choose what they want to believe. When people can start to thinking the society can have the space to advance.
410002008 Treer
I think that if someone is going to be the leader of the country, even of the world, he or she should have a much more profound vision than others. Mary Robinson has the quality to be a leader, the first female president of Ireland. I think her parents did a great job on educate her. She is the only girl with four brothers, but her parents tell her the concept that she has as much right to her full achievement of whatever she could do as her brothers. This is the very foundation of her noticing the social imbalance and later developing her own points of view toward the issue of gender balance. It is hard for a woman stick to her belief and challenges the mainstream thoughts.
Another thing which impressed me a lot is about her opinion to religious belief. She is raised Catholic and she used to be determined to be a nun, but she changes her mind reversely. It is significant to do so. She is not entirely against any religious belief and that exactly why I appreciate Robinson so much. In her interview, she said, “… we do need the spirituality of the great religious of the world…” she states that religious belief is the foundation of human rights and dignity. The reason why I like her thought is that she is not against something out of no reasons. She still takes religious belief as a good thing, not simply stand against it, which shows how rational and brilliant she is.
410002044 Leo
I find two interesting parts from the interview, and the first part is about religion and sexism. In the beginning, Robinson mentioned about her family that she has four brothers two are older than her and two are younger. And she connected with the religion---Catholicism in Ireland. In my opinion, Catholic is a high patriarchy religion. For example, their pope, bishop, cardinal even Father, only males can do these jobs. Moreover, I know that Robinson was confronted with serious sexual discrimination at that time in Ireland, even now, she say that Ireland still has several laws that discriminate females.
The second part is that Mary Robinson foundation---climate justice. It makes me remind one of my classes---Literature and the Environment. The teacher always said that environment can be connected with feminist, because environment and women both are oppression by the patriarchy world. In sum, I think that our world still has large space for improvement, especially, in eliminating the sexual discrimination and environment protection. After all, these two parts are the important parts for human beings’ existence.
69902623 李姵瑩
I think the social transformation follows with social development. We can see plenty of human sufferings have been illuminated from African-American Civil Rights Movement in U.S. to the 288 Incident and Kaohsiung Incident in Taiwan. When we attend to step forward to civilization, we need to shed some blood; thus all the rights we earn are built up by blood and tears even till now. Someone must sacrifice his/her life before we take action seriously to face up to the injustice around us, like the Indian student who was raped and killed months ago. We thought we are civilized and well-educated, we talk about morality and mercy in school and in religion; nonetheless, I cannot see much of these do manifest in our society. Just take woman abortion from the interview as an example, when it comes to a dilemma between the embryo and the mother, how can we take religion constraint as an excuse refusing to provide an abortion for the mother while she is in danger? If they proclaim God is love then how can they push people to the injustice or the edge of death? If God is love how can we oppose the love of same-sex? Where are the mercy and love that we learn from the bible?
In addition, for me the climate injustice foundation in the interview is like the compensation of industrialized countries to people of the third world. We are devoted to develop industries and invent technologies, but we are making our environment become worse at the same time. Whenever the natural disaster happens, the people of the third world usually become the victims of global capitalism because they do not have enough resources and power to reduce the damage from natural disaster. In some way, we seem to take away what they deserve in order to reinforce our power. Maybe we are just the savages covered in the civilized clothing.
Which is really interesting to me is the question about why U.S. has not had female presidents yet. I ask the same question to myself - why have not Taiwanese had a female president yet? What did all Taiwanese considerate about selecting a president? Would it be merely about the candidate’s genders? Would people still have the thought about women are inferior to men? Unfortunately, I think the sexual discrimination is still stuck in people’s mind.
Also, one of the quote from President Mary Robinson interests me – “I think there is sometimes one single human tragedy that evokes a need for change.” I think people often have that kind of thought about which might not actually happened and ignore many things; people will take actions only if the tragedies happened. That is bad for the societies. Things are predictable, and they may go bad in every second. In my personal viewpoint, taking actions afterwards is good; however, if we prevent things from going wrong at every beginning. Won’t it be better?
410002016 Kenny
After listening to her interview, I was impressed by some points she mentioned in the interview. First, family education takes a great part in everybody’s life. I think her family education was a great success. Her family treated her as equal as her other four brothers, and I think it is why she can cultivate her ability and became the president. Second, she was very brave to say “I don't need to go to Mass every Sunday and feel guilty if I don't.” because the religion in Ireland was very powerful. In Ireland society almost 92 percent people were Catholic. She represented the idea of the liberty of religion belief. I think everyone has the right to choose what they want to believe in, and belief is an individual issue. Also in Ireland, the Catholic Church sometimes held some conservative concepts and reluctant to change. Their conservative rules sometimes represent the Patriarchy society. Third, I think her foundation of Climate Justice is really inspiring. In today’s society, developed country always pursue the advanced in technology and cause a lot of pollution. When the climate changes those third world countries always suffer from the fatal disaster. Because they lack of resources and support from other countries, they always become the most miserable victims in the world. So I think her foundation is helping those countries to have a better life and decrease the injustice that those developed countries influence third world countries.
Growing up in a conservative society, I often heard people say “be a lady, this is not what a girl does, if you can’t cook well, you may not be able to find a good husband, it’s nature for a woman to be a housewife and a man to be a businessman, older women are not easy to find a husband.“ As a woman myself, I can never understand why there are so many rules for girls and none of them sounds reasonable. Why do we women always have to live under men? I don’t like the idea and would never follow the idea. There might be physical differences between men and women, but there aren’t any intelligent differences between men and women. Whatever man can do, women can do it, and as a matter of fact, many women have proved that they can do better than men, Mary Robinson is on of them. I do think that each one should have one’s own right to choose what kind of person one’s wants to be. A woman can be a housewife, a man, with no doubt, can be a “househusband”. I am never a woman who follows the rules and I would never be one. As a mother, I will, by all means, educate my daughter to be an independent woman who follows her heart, too.
Sorry, I am Wesleigh Liao. 69804001
Phoenix 410002009
There are many parts in the interview that sparks my interest.
Mary Robinson talked of the unfairness of treatment between male and female during the past. I think she was very lucky because her parents gave her the sense that she had rights like her brothers to do what she wants. I think this is very important because this may be the reason she becomes what she is today--a successful and strong-will woman. If she, like the other females of her era, had been taught and discipline to be a woman who only thinks about domestic trifles and marriage, Ireland wouldn't see its first female president for another period of time.
It is true that women are still being discriminated, and I think it still a long hard way before we can walk out of these shadows. Despite these hardships, I know that as a fellow member I should also be concerned with movements that pursue equal rights. I am glad that we learn about these kinds of issue in class, because the more it is taught the more we will know about it.
Catholicism is not the only religion in which is questionable. I find this in a lot of other religions too. I think some religion are unreasonable in that they force people to do what they don't want, even if it's not for the "greater good" by telling people it is. I think, many religion started off with good intentions, but has now been corrupted.
49802032 陳蓁 Karen
It is interesting that she reflects the serious problem of extreme disparity between the poor and the rich by advocating climate justice. Those examples she addresses are practical and real, which can easily arouses the masses’ attention. I start to think that I am enjoying the best benefits from new techniques, such as the smart phone, the percolated water, the air conditioner and lights. However, I do not consider that there are lots of people who are suffering from hunger and illness because of the water and food shortage. Most of them live simple lives and keep balance between themselves and the environment. In the meantime, I and other “civilized” people, in order to have a luxurious lives, create a large amount of trash and carbon dioxide that make this earth worse to live. It is we who cause the extreme climate change, but all the people in the world have to undertake it together. They do not deserve to endure the consequences. I believe Mrs. Robinson wants everyone in the world to notice that we are linked altogether. When some of us are strong and prosperous, we have to take care for those who need a hand. The injustice shall be diminished and every man matters.
Mary Robinson talks about gender equality at first.
Since she was the only girl of the five children in her family, Mrs.Mary has realized the difference between both genders and the importance of equality.
Her parents treated kids of two genders fair, however, the society did not, and Mary Robinson sensed that in her early age.
Therefore,in order to reach the true balance,Mrs.Mary emphasizes that women should let their voice be listened.
The second thing that interests me is climate.
By the end of the speech, Mrs.Mary mentions the foundation - Climate Justice.
Later, she explains that those who share the lowest quality of life on earth indeed suffer the MOST from climate change,and they don't even make much contribution to it.
The fact is pretty ironic and bloody. Yet,the phenomenon is happening in every corner throughout the world.
A delicate meal might be a product that sacrifices a family from an underdeveloped country.
Nevertheless, under the ugly business activity, those cooperation with much benefits and worldwide fame might combine their products with a positive image. Costumer like me might be mislead by the illusion, and I become part of the guilt.
Mrs.Mary's speech enlightens me that never take things for granted. I'd better do some research before purchasing because the "real price" might cost far more than I can see.
410002012 Phillip
The activities that Marry Robison has done inspired me; She cared a lot about human right and had actually done something meaningful. It seems to me that Marry Robison has a greatly broaden international view that made her to care about the injustice things happened in the world, which is quite different from us, usually we are indifferent to our world. Also, I think Marry Robison had found the deep connection between herself and the world, which made her to care about people around the world.
The point of Climate Justice is shocking to me, especially when Marry Robison points out that African don’t have seasons anymore, though they do not use fossil fuels, do not use cars, they suffered because of climate change. That’s quite sensational, however, Marry Robinson had pointed out that there are still lots of things that we can do. I agree with the saying that “everybody should have the basics of clean water, light in the home”. However, before we could do something we should first have the basic understanding about what’s going on in the world. Further, we should actively find the connections among personal, political and worldwide.
49902046 Vicky
When I first saw this name, Mary Robinson, with a title of the first female president of Ireland, I was so impressed. The democracy of Ireland was so advanced in 1990s, such an early time. After listening to the interview, I was more adoring to her. I like her faith.
Her parents are both Catholics. Generally speaking, we would follow our parents’ religion to be our religion and then follow the organization like sheep rather than make a thorough inquiry into the truth of the organization. But she didn’t follow it blindly. It’s rare and commendable that she followed her own belief.
To the story of the young couple, she really felt regrettable that it happened. However, unlike the masses, she didn’t invariably censure the hospital. She held a positive thought that she thanks to the happening that we can see touched people come out into the streets. Everything has two sides. How to see the things is up to everybody. I believe that only positive thoughts have the ability to cause reformation, like the Taiwan Pride, which is the annual gay pride parade. They must believe there’s the possibility so that they come out. If they don’t hold a positive thought, they would just hide in home.
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