The Michigan Daily --Friday, May 9, 1986 - Page 3 Mandela honored in special ceremony By PHILIP I. LEVY The University's commen- cement ceremony ended last week and Nelson Mandela did not receive an official honorary degree, but supporters of the jailed South African activist vowed to continue the battle in the fall. Preceding the commencement ceremony last Saturday, they gave Mandela an honorary degree of their own in a ceremony on the Diag. UNIVERSITY administrators, who along with the Board of Regents, refused to give Mandela the honor, praised the ceremony. They continued, however, to defend their handling of the con- troversy. Mandela was not honored by the University because of a regent's by-law prohibiting the giving of honorary degrees to those who cannot accept them in person. The special ceremony, which was organized by the Free South Africa Coordinating Committee (FSACC), began on the Diag at 10 a.m., three hours before the University's commencement exercises at Michigan Stadium. Congressman George Crockett (D-Detroit), a vehement op- featured speaker. was the Mandela, a British-trained lawyer, led the South African revolutionary group, the African National Congress, before his 1962 arrest under anti-com- munism laws. He was sentenced to life rimprisonment. Activists on his behalf say he symbolizes the struggle against apartheid, is a leader of black South Africans, and is representative of political prisoners worldwide. FSACC MEMBERS assert that Mandela has continued to work against apartheid. They say he has repeatedly been offered his release if he renounces the use of violence to overthrow apartheid, but has pledged to accept oniy an .unconditional release. His determination and devotion to the cause have inspired others in the anti-apartheid movement, sup- porters say. According to Barbara Ran- shy, leader of FSACC, the ceremony was held to give students and faculty members an opportunity to honor Mandela and his achievements. In absen- tia, Mandela was awarded an honorary "Doctor of Humane Letters" by University sociology Sprof Aldon Morris. The doctorate, which is given to actual honorary degree recipien- ts, was accepted in the form of a plaque by Thabi Nyide of the African National Congress. She expressed gratitude for this recognition of Mandela's cause. RANSBY SAID the ceremony also protested the University administration's treatment of Mandela supporters. She said the administration showed poor faith by not telling FSACC members until April that a regents by-law requires Citizens of all ages honor jailed South African activist Nelson Man- dela at a special commencement last Saturday. The decision to hold honorary degree recipients to ac- cept the degrees in person. The regents by-laws govern the University. "We feel the University acted in fundamentally bad faith. We are angry, frustrated and disap- pointed with the administration," Ransby said. UNIVERSITY President Harold Shapiro has said the ad- ministration thought supporters of Mandela were aware of the by- law. One of the administration's representatives on the Univer- sity's Honorary Degree Commit- tee, Vice President for Gover- nment Relations Richard Ken- nedy, continued to defend the University's decision to review the by-law instead of granting Mandela a degree. "In retrospect, should we have handled it differently?" he mused. "I don't think we should have.". Kennedy said that while the regents had the power to bypass the by-law requiring Man- dela's attendance, such excep- tions are rare. HE ADDED that much of the criticism the University has received "ignored the history of the University's public stance against apartheid." He recalled that the University was one of the first to adopt the Sullivan prin- ciples for dealing with businesses that do business in South Africa. Nonetheless, Kennedy praised FSACC for organizing last Satur- day's ceremony. He called it "an expression by a group of serious, dedicated individuals." "I really don't think it em- barassed the University," he said. ADMINISTRATION officials said they have not yet deter-, mined a format for a committee to review the honorary degree policy. The review wasordered by the regents at their April meeting after students protested the current policy by occupying the regents room for the night. The regents' resolution said the review process "should include representatives from the Univer- sity administration, the faculty and the student body." The resolution of the issue, however, failed to please Congressman Crockett and other speakers at the ceremony. "THE UNIVERSITY of Michigan cannot afford to hide behind outdated rules and regulations when issues of such importance are pressing," Crockett said. He said it was shameful that Mandela's "unconscionable im- prisonment was seized on as a justification for a refusal to honor him." After the ceremony, Crockett called the by-law "a cop-out" and asserted that "racism entered in- to the matter" of not granting a degree to Mandela. He declined to elaborate. Crockett has been active in the movement to draw attention to Mandela's situation. He authored a House resolution calling for Mandela's release. AFTER HER speech, Nyide, of the African National Congress said a University degree would have represented a statement of world opinion and would have had a positive effect because "the South African government can- not stand in isolation." Ratisby said she "hopes at least the University feels embarassed and perhaps moved to reflect on the way they handled the mat- ter." FSACC MEMBER Hector Daily Photo by ANDI SCHREIBER the ceremony was made after the Board of Regents refused to award Mandela an honorary degree at the regular commencement. Delgado pledged that the heralded as an "alternative organization will continue the commencement", but Delgado effort for recognition of Mandela, said that out of respect for paren- saying, "in September, we'll pick ts of graduating students, FSACC up where we left off." decided not to compete with the The event had originally been regular commencement. LSAT To introduce you to our LSAT Skills Program We Invite You to Attend LESSON 1 - LOGICAL REASONING MONDAY, MAY 12,6 P.M. or WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 6 P.M. 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