Kerry Kennedy

Kerry Kennedy
Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Kerry Kennedy
Birth date	September 8, 1959
Birth place	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation	Human rights activist, writer
Parents	Robert F. Kennedy, Ethel Skakel Kennedy
Relatives	Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., Rose Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy

Kerry Kennedy is a prominent human rights activist and writer, known for her work with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, which she chairs. As the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, she has followed in her family's footsteps in advocating for social justice and human rights, often working with organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and the United Nations. Her work has taken her to various parts of the world, including South Africa, where she has worked with Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress, and Latin America, where she has collaborated with Rigoberta Menchú and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. She has also been involved with the European Court of Human Rights and the International Criminal Court.

Early life and education

Kerry Kennedy was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy. She is a member of the prominent Kennedy family, which includes John F. Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, and Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.. She grew up surrounded by politics and social activism, often accompanying her father on his United States Senate campaigns and attending events with Martin Luther King Jr. and César Chávez. Kennedy attended The Putney School in Vermont and later graduated from Brown University, where she studied anthropology and worked with the Brown University Debate Team. She also spent time at the University of Cambridge, where she was a member of the Cambridge Union Society and engaged with Amnesty International and the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

Career and activism

Kerry Kennedy's career in human rights activism began in the 1980s, when she worked with the New York City Commission on Human Rights and the National Organization for Women. She later joined the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization, which was founded by her father in 1968. As the chair of the organization, Kennedy has worked on various campaigns, including the Campaign for the Rights of the Child and the Stop Violence Against Women campaign, often collaborating with UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the International Rescue Committee. She has also been involved in the European Union's European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights and the United States Agency for International Development's Human Rights and Democracy Fund. Kennedy has written several books on human rights, including Speak Truth to Power: Human Rights Defenders Who Are Changing Our World, which features interviews with Desmond Tutu, Malala Yousafzai, and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Personal life

Kerry Kennedy is married to Andrew Cuomo, the former Governor of New York, and has three daughters, Cara Kennedy-Cuomo, Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo, and Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served on the boards of the New York City Bar Association and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Kennedy has also been involved with the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She has attended events at the World Economic Forum and the Clinton Global Initiative, and has worked with Kofi Annan and the United Nations Development Programme.

Legal issues and controversies

Kerry Kennedy has been involved in several high-profile legal cases, including a drunk driving charge in 2012, which was later dismissed. She has also been a vocal critic of the Guantánamo Bay detention center and has worked with the Center for Constitutional Rights to advocate for the rights of detainees. Kennedy has been involved in several lawsuits against the United States government, including a case challenging the Patriot Act and another related to the CIA's torture program. She has worked with ACLU lawyers, including Anthony Romero and Jameel Jaffer, and has collaborated with Human Rights Watch and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Awards and recognition

Kerry Kennedy has received numerous awards for her human rights work, including the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award, the Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights, and the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. She has also been honored by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Jewish Committee, and the Catholic Charities USA. Kennedy has received honorary degrees from Yale University, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania, and has been recognized by the United States Congress for her contributions to human rights. She has worked with Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Elie Wiesel and Shirin Ebadi, and has collaborated with the Nobel Women's Initiative and the International Peace Institute.