Simone George

Activist, Change agent, Lawyer, Writer/Editor

Driven by a belief in fairness, Simone George is a human rights lawyer and activist. In her human rights legal practice, Simone George represents women and, through them, their children, who are victims of controlling behavior, abuse or violence. Simone believes that the system isn't broken but built this way -- and that getting to justice requires advocates to be more courageous on behalf of those they represent. Using a principle-based approach to her work, George co-authored the national study, "The lawlessness of the home," co-created an international summit in 2016 to cultivate the leadership required to the system and contributed to amendments to domestic violence legislation that is now a significant statement of legal, social and political justice in Ireland. George was also active in the campaigns for marriage equality and reproductive rights in Ireland. When the Pope came to Ireland in August 2018, George, together with a flying column of activists, created Stand For Truth. they created an alternative public space using music and spoken word art to stand in solidarity with those abused by the church. She was recently featured as an activist in music artist, Hozier's video for Nina Cried Power, a song that the artist describes as "a thank you note to the spirit and legacy of protest." Building on her legal training that began with law degrees from NUI Galway and a Master's from the College of Europe, Bruges, George went on to create public-private partnerships across Africa for BP Solar. Now, following years in big 5 and boutique law firms in Dublin, she practices as a consultant commercial litigator. In 2010, George's partner, blind adventure athlete Mark Pollock, broke his back, and together the two learned how paralysis strikes at the very heart of what it means to be human. Her research, which began by Pollock's hospital bed, became the start of their next adventure -- to cure paralysis in our lifetime. She has been a catalyst for ground-breaking collaborations between scientists and robotics engineers working to cure paralysis and is the subject of award-winning feature documentary film, Unbreakable. George's TED Talk given with Pollock at TED 2018, "A love letter to realism at a time of grief" describes their quest to find a paralysis cure and has been described as “the most powerful, moving talk I have ever seen at Ted”, Amy Cuddy. https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_pollock_and_simone_george_a_love_letter_to_realism_in_a_time_of_grief?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare In addition, George is a director on the board of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, sits on the Advisory Board of HerStory and holds a diploma in Global Leadership and Public Policy for the 21st Century from Harvard University. George is presently bi-locating between New York and Dublin. She is a visiting scholar with the Centre for Gender and Sexuality at Columbia University in New York and practicing as a lawyer in Dublin.

Human Rights, Equality, Feminisms, Science and a Paralysis Cure

Resolving the tension between acceptance+hope

Citizen Science, Equality, Feminisms, Gender, Grief, Justice, Paralysis Cures, Sexuality, Storytelling

TED talks have been part of my learning and my life really, as long as I can remember. Bryan Stevenson's talk about justice really helped shape and support me in my work as a human rights lawyer. It was the gateway to all his phenomenal work, most recently to visit with a TED group to The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery, which visit has changed me forever. Brené Brown's talks still help me to step into the arena, and Andrew Soloman's talk about the worst moments in our lives, has held my hand when it needed held. Jill Bolte Taylor's talk may have been the first I ever watched and come back to when I need it; and it still moves me to tears and into action - to understand our bodies as our bodies and also part of the greater universe - to hold both at the same time. Being invited to speak in Vancouver at TED 2018 was an unimaginable honour and frankly terrifying though worth all the fear because joining this community has been incredible. Not only connecting with the people I have met in person, but with those right around the world who have watched our talk and those who have got in touch to let us know what our talk meant to them and to share their stories with us. TED is a super-connector with great power for good. Our TED Talk, "A love letter to realism at a time of grief" describes Mark and my quest to find a paralysis cure and is at: https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_pollock_and_simone_george_a_love_letter_to_realism_in_a_time_of_grief?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare A piece I wrote about my TED story, from the experience of writing it, through delivering it and the goodness that came back to me was published in the Irish Times "Simone George on the tears and therapy of giving a Ted Talk" and you can read the piece here: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/simone-george-on-the-tears-and-therapy-of-giving-a-ted-talk-1.3642257 I am so happy I will get to be at TED 2019 to support other speakers and to experience these incredible talks live.

Being silly