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MWWWR On the Move s p e c i a l e d i t i o n

fall 2003 Ireland’s Mary Robinson to Receive Pearl S. Buck Award

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland who recently stepped down as United Nations high commissioner for human rights, has been chosen to receive the Pearl S. Buck Award for 2003. Robinson, known throughout the world as a champion of human rights, will accept the award on campus on November 22.

As Ireland’s president from 1990 to 1997, Robinson forged new economic and political ties to other nations and particularly reached out to developing countries. She frequently linked the history of the Great Irish Famine to

contemporary issues of poverty and malnutrition and was the fi rst head of state to visit Somalia during its 1992 famine, for which she received the CARE International Humanitarian Award. Within Ireland, Robinson’s causes included women’s rights, and she urged the liberalization of laws preventing divorce.

In her U.N. post from 1997 to 2002, Robinson put a spotlight on human rights by visiting Rwanda, South Africa, Colombia, Cambodia, and other countries that have been criticized for their civil rights records. She was the fi rst U.N. high commissioner to visit China, where she signed an agreement endorsing the improvement of human rights. Similarly, Robinson strengthened U.N. human rights monitoring in over 20 countries and in such war-torn regions as Kosovo in the former Yugoslavia.

Today Robinson serves as director of the Ethical Globalization Initiative, a new venture she formed in partnership with the Aspen Institute, the International Council on Human Rights Policy, and the State of the World Forum. Based in New York, EGI’s goal is to advance human rights around the world, in part by making recommendations for integrating those rights into the legal systems of nations worldwide.

Before her election as Ireland’s fi rst female head of state, Robinson served as a senator in the Irish parliament for 20 years and gained an international reputation as a constitutional and European civil rights lawyer. She previously had been the youngest Reid Professor of Constitutional and Criminal Law at continued on page 4

“This century has to be the century

when women make a difference.“ Mary Robinson

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A VOICE HEARD AROUND THE WORLD Mary Robinson’s speeches, delivered to audiences worldwide, have touched on many global issues. Following are excerpts from her talks.

On Human Rights Abuses and Civil Wars:“Over the past 10 years, both as president of Ireland and as United Nations high commissioner for human rights, I have visited some of the globe’s most catastrophic confl ict zones. I listened to civilian victims, government leaders, and combatants alike in places like Rwanda, Chechnya, East Timor, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and most recently, Afghanistan. The common thread I found so often was that human rights abuses had precipitated the confl ict…All too often, corrupt and undemocratic governments which denied people basic rights precipitated rebellion and dissent.”

On Corruption’s Pernicious Effects:“Corruption destroys a crucial social good—trust—in society and in government. This strikes at the heart of the economic system, discourages productive investments, and inhibits growth. It also severely undermines democracy and democratic institutions, and may well foster the belief that democracy is not capable of providing needed security…Here in Europe, there are regular reports of corruption even reaching to the very highest levels of authority. These include bribery to obtain government contracts in education or construction, to avoid environmental regulations or obtain favorable legislation…Corruption attacks society as a whole and cripples essential societal functions.”

On Terrorism’s Threat to Human Rights:“Human rights will be the losers if we aren’t successful in preventing new acts of terrorism around the world.

Governments will feel the need to limit further civil and political rights in the name of security. Economic and social rights, such as the right to decent employment, to education, to adequate health care, cannot be progressively implemented in the absence of effective public services and steady economic growth. If the global economy falters, efforts to lift billions out of poverty will be put at risk. On top of these challenges, more terrorism may also mean a continued deepening of the gulf between the West and the Islamic world and a further erosion of respect for international law and institutions.”

On the Growing Distrust of Our Governments and Institutions:“Added to the ongoing threat of terrorism is a growing feeling of distrust for institutions and leaders both at the national and international levels. Gallup International’s 2002 Voice of the People survey spoke with 36,000 citizens across 47 countries on six continents. Respondents were asked to rate their level of trust in 17 different institutions “to operate in the best interest of society.” People around the world expressed the lowest levels of trust in national legislative bodies and large companies.”

On Corporate Responsibility:“How do we go about addressing apparent confl icts between the values of the market and the values of human rights? The fi rst step, I believe, is to recognize that the objectives of international human rights and international trade in fact have much in common. Both seek to improve standards of living in larger freedom.”

and “It’s not a simple case of choosing between voluntary or regulatory systems to induce corporate responsibility. If indeed we believe that universal principles in the areas of human rights, labor rights, and the environment should become an integral part of business strategies and day-to-day operations, regulation alone won’t be suffi cient. It must be coupled with a concerted effort to stimulate good practices, to be innovative, to give leadership...Regulation is crucial to minimize abuses and to enforce compliance with minimum norms, but regulation alone won’t establish the business case for making necessary changes. To do so we must provide incentives so that doing the right thing also makes good business sense.”

On Women’s Role in Keeping Peace:“This century has to be the century when women make a difference. Let me pay a special tribute here to the role of women’s groups—both international and local women’s groups—in peace building. I saw this fi rst-hand when I visited Somalia and Rwanda as president of Ireland. But I have really been privileged to see how vital it is in the many situations of confl ict and post-confl ict I have witnessed as [U.N.] high commissioner.”

During her visit to campus on November 21

and 22, Mary Robinson will meet with students

and other members of the R-MWC community.

The public is invited to the award ceremony. For

further information, please call the R-MWC

Communications Offi ce at 434-947-8142.

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PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS

When she accepts the Pearl S. Buck Award, Mary Robinson will join a select cadre of accomplished women. Previous recipients of the award have been:

CORAZON AQUINO, president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992, who led a revolution against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and restored the Philippines to

democracy. Aquino, who survived seven coup attempts as president, established a new constitutional order that provided for orderly elections and the transition of power.

SHEIKH HASINA, prime minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001, who overcame periods of imprisonment and political exile to lead her party and her nation. At

great personal risk over the course of her career, Hasina fought to end martial law in Bangladesh and to hold democratic elections.

JEHAN SADAT, internationally recognized advocate for women’s rights and peace who, as fi rst lady of Egypt, played a key role in reforming her country’s civil rights laws. As the widow

of slain Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, she has been a strong force in creating educational and economic opportunities for women in the Middle East.

Endowed Funding for the Pearl S. Buck Award is a key goal of Vita Abundantior: Changing Lives for a Changing World, The Campaign for Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. The award program brings students in touch with inspiring role models who embody the ideals of Buck, one of the 20th century’s most infl uential women whose legacy continues into the 21st century.

of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992, who led a revolution against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and restored the

recognized advocate for women’s rights and peace who, as fi rst lady of Egypt, played a key role in reforming her country’s civil rights laws. As the widow

the People’s Republic of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001, who overcame periods of imprisonment and political exile to lead her party and her nation. At

THE LEGACY OF PEARL S. BUCK

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck was a woman ahead of her time. Buck championed civil rights, women’s rights, and the rights of those with disabilities long before they became political issues, and her pioneering efforts to increase understanding between Asian nations and America left a lasting legacy.

She was a prolifi c author, with more than 100 books to her credit. Her most widely recognized book, The Good Earth, was one of the most popular novels of the 20th century and garnered the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, Buck became the fi rst American woman to receive the Nobel Prize for literature. She was the

most widely translated American writer (in more than 60 languages) at the time of her death in 1973.

Buck was a crusader who used her infl uence to advance children’s and civil rights

causes. She was instrumental in establishing Welcome House, Inc., the world’s fi rst interracial and

international adoption agency, and she ultimately adopted several interracial children. Her Pearl S. Buck Foundation, launched in 1964 and since merged with Welcome House, was dedicated

to providing foster care for Amerasian orphans who couldn’t be adopted. Buck also wrote The

Child Who Never Grew, an account of her own mentally retarded daughter

Carol that is now regarded as a landmark in the annals of disabilities. As one of the

early proponents of the Urban League and the NAACP, Buck was active in promoting African

American civil rights, and she later worked on behalf of the Equal Rights Amendment.

She was also a founder of the East and West Association, dedicated to cultural exchange between Asia and America, and she led political opposition to U. S. laws aimed at preventing immigration of the Chinese. Buck, whose parents were missionaries to China, spent much of her life in that country and spoke both Chinese and English.

Non-Profi t Org.US Post agePAIDPermit No. 6Lynchburg, VA

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

2500 RIVERMONT AVENUE

LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24503-1526

special edi tion

ROBINSONcontinued from page 1

Trinity College, Dublin. Robinson was also a member of the Inter-national Commission of Jurists from 1987 to 1990 and the Advisory Committee of Interrights from 1984 to 1990. She holds law degrees from the King’s Inns in Dublin and from Harvard University.

“A world connected by technology, information, transportation, and commerce must also be connected by shared values and norms of behavior,” Robinson has noted. “Essentially, my argument is that the binding human framework must become part of the rules of the road of globalization.”

The award honors R-MWC’s remarkable alumna Pearl Sydenstricker Buck ’14, the fi rst American woman to receive the Nobel Prize for literature, and it recognizes women who embody her humanitarian ideals and commitments.

PEARL S. BUCK AWARD NOVEMBER 22, 2003

WHERE IS PEARL?“Where is Pearl?” is the question circulating on campus as the Buck Award ceremony approaches. The query refers to none other than the College’s dissemination of 230 copies of The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck’s 1931 novel chronicling life in a Chinese peasant village.

Copies of the book, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the William Dean Howells Medal for fi ction, have been dispatched to the far corners of the earth. They are accompanied by a message asking recipients to in turn give the book to someone else, or simply to leave it in a busy place. Readers are also asked to visit our Web site, www.whereispearl.com,

to fi nd out where their copy came from, and to post a message about where they found it.

Where is Pearl? We’ll keep you posted.

WHERE IS PEARL?WHERE IS PEARL?“Where is Pearl?” is the question circulating on campus as the Buck Award ceremony approaches. The query refers to none other than the College’s dissemination of 230 copies ofGood Earthchronicling life in a Chinese peasant village.

Copies of the book, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the William Dean Howells Medal for fi ction, have been dispatched to the far corners of the earth. They are accompanied by a message asking recipients to in turn

to fi nd out where their copy came from, and to post a message about where they

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Whereis Pearl?