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"MRS ROBINSON”: A Story of Women Leadership, Climate Justice and Unwavering Hope
Mrs. Robinson visited UNESCO Headquarters to mark the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, and to attend a special screening of the documentary ‘MRS ROBINSON’. The event, organized by the Permanent Delegation of Ireland to UNESCO and the Embassy of Ireland in France, celebrated the extraordinary life and legacy of Mary Robinson—Ireland’s first woman President, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Chair of The Elders and co-founder of Climate Justice organization, Project Dandelion.
Directed by Aoife Kelleher, the film tells the powerful story of a woman who has dedicated her life to advancing human rights, climate justice and inclusive leadership—principles that lie at the heart of multilateralism and of UNESCO’s mission to build peace through dialogue and cooperation.
“Prisoner of Hope”
"When things get tough, you have to get smarter". Asking the audience not to give up on hope, she shared advice from her fellow Elder, Archbishop Desmond Tutu who taught her to be a “prisoner of hope.” Mary Robinson reminded the audience that hope is action – hope is what we can do.
She spoke openly of the vulnerability she experienced early in her time as UN High Commissioner, which taught her how storytelling grounded in emotion often resonates more deeply than data alone.
In her opening remarks, Begoña Lasagabaster, Director for Gender Equality at UNESCO, reflected on the profound alignment between Mary Robinson’s legacy and the core values of UNESCO.
Your actions throughout your career are at the heart of UNESCO’s mandate—whether it is your commitment to culture as a driver of change, your fight for the education of women and girls, your engagement for climate justice and ocean protection, or your unwavering defense of human rights.
Feminist leadership and the urgency of climate justice
The documentary also introduced , a women-led global campaign for climate justice that unites leaders, organizations, and individuals to accelerate action toward a climate-safe world. Inspired by the resilience of the dandelion, the initiative emphasizes the power of grassroots movements, collective action to drive systemic change and women leading with non-hierarchical courage and solution focused practicality.
Climate justice is about affordable, accessible, renewable energy…often out of reach for many in the Global South.
A renewed call for inclusive multilateralism
Mrs Robinson continued with her message of hope for a continued multilateral system that works smarter and that must include all representations of society making it a more composite multilateralism grounded in human rights.
Quoting Article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, she reminded the audience: “Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible”
This, she noted, is a powerful reminder that the full expression of one’s potential is only possible through meaningful engagement with and contribution to community - a principle of hope that lies at the core of both her life’s work and UNESCO’s mission.
