DUBLIN, Ireland — When Mary Robinson's past and present positions are read off, a listener might think that the speaker is talking about several people. Robinson is the former Irish president and former UN High Commission of Human Rights, one of Time Magazine's 100 Heroes & Icons, founder of Trinity's College Irish Centre for European Law, and president of Realizing Rights, The Ethical Globalization Initiative.

Robinson, in speaking to the 1,850 attendees at WOCCU's conference, stated that credit unions had a part in promoting human rights. She said all humans had the right to health, housing, food, sanitation, water and the participation in public discussion, but also they had a right to financial dignity, the later being where credit unions were the most important.

She said in many cases trade agreements hurt human rights because governments in accepting aid were required to cut the social services that brought the most basic of rights to the poor of their countries. Private banks aren't apt to help the poor, leaving them without the resources to develop a decent standard of living for themselves and their families.