Defenders to the fore of Human Rights Lecture

Pakistani human rights advocate Hina Jilani delivered the Mary Robinson Centre’s third International Human Rights Lecture last Saturday. Ms Jilani is a member of The Elders, a group of statesmen and stateswomen, peace activists and human rights advocates, brought together by Nelson Mandela.
Speaking to a capacity audience at Ballina Arts Centre, Mary Robinson introduced Jilani, a lawyer and an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, as ‘somebody I have admired greatly for a very long number of years’.
In her lecture, Hina Jilani spoke of the challenges of protecting human rights defenders and enabling them continue their vital work, acknowledging that ‘it has been the biggest challenge of my life to find the right way to protect human rights defenders’. 
Recognising the power of civil society to protect human rights even when they are not afforded by governments, Jilani asserted that conflict is destroying human values around the world, even where there is peace. 
“Success and optimism are key to encouraging continuation in human rights activism. We have achieved great things, but there is much more to be done,” she said, adding that she had learnt much from the work of Mary Robinson and Mary Lawlor (founder of Front Line Defenders, the Irish-based International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders) and their ability not to be deterred in the face of challenges. 
Mary Robinson described that resilience as vital, citing Archbishop Tutu’s declaration that he was a ‘prisoner of hope’ as a reminder of the hope that sustains human rights defenders in their work, while Mary Lawlor, who was also present, added that ‘hope is always stronger than fear for human rights defenders.’