February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Robinson, who acts as head of the Ethical Globalization Initiative in New York, squeezed in a two-day trip to Phoenix, where she captivated audiences with accounts of her work as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and focused on the need to raise awareness about poverty and AIDS in Africa.
On Sunday, a crowd of 500 turned out to Robinson speaking at a dinner reception in the Royal Palms Hotel. The following day, she addressed a crowd of 300 at a special luncheon held in her honor in the Irish Cultural and Learning Center, which opened in November 2003.
After lunch, she was whisked off to address a slightly younger crowd at the Vanderbilt School in Phoenix, before sitting down to dinner with prominent members of Arizona’s 48,000 strong Irish Community.
“It was a real whirlwind visit,” according to Bill O’Brien, director of the Irish Cultural and Learning Center. “She’s one dedicated lady, and a great speaker. The crowds stood up and kept applauding — they loved it.”
He said the Irish community in Arizona were very taken with Robinson.
“For all the things she’s done, she was very down to earth. No airs, just straight talking. I was impressed. Everybody was.”