About Robert Mugabe’s Honorary Degree in Law…
The University of Massachusetts (UMass) awarded Robert Mugabe an Honorary Doctorate of Law (yes, LAW) in 1986 and news today, reported in FoxNews, is that the UMass President, Jack Wilson, has recommended that the Board of Trustees revoke the honorary degree.
Last year Edinburgh University stripped Robert Mugabe of an Honorary degree they had bestowed on him, but as a Kevin Cullen writing for The Boston Globe scathingly notes, the UMass Trustees decided last year to not follow suit.
Last year, they said they wouldn’t rescind the degree, but would write a letter expressing disapproval of Mugabe’s behavior. This, no doubt, bothered Mugabe no end.
The trustees said they were very, very upset with Mugabe. That’s like members of the Reichstag saying they didn’t like the tone of Hitler’s speech to them in 1933.
The trustees said they didn’t rescind the degree because they had never rescinded one before. Following this magnificent logic, if you stumble across a dying person for the first time in your life, you should just keep walking, because, well, you never stopped to help a dying person before.
It’s high time they restore the Blue Wall as a full-fledged bar and offer two-for-one Powerhouses before trustee meetings at UMass-Amherst. Seriously, if these clowns got loaded before their meetings, could they do any worse?
The FoxNews report says that the decision on whether or not to rescind the degree will be made when the UMass Trustees meet in June. That gives us time to lobby them, doesn’t it!
Taking Action:
We would appreciate help towards identifying contact information for the UMass Trustees that we can use towards a proper action initiative that Zimbabweans everywhere can tap into. These are their names, published here on the UMass website (link). Once we’ve got enough information together, we can coordinate a way to lobby them.
I think it might help them make a decision if they heard from Zimbabweans directly.
- Robert J. Manning, Chairman, Swampscott, MA, Exp. 2011
- James J. Karam, Vice Chair, Tiverton, RI, Exp. 2009
- Ruben J. King-Shaw, Jr., Vice Chair, Carlisle, MA, Exp. 2010
- Anthony B. Beatrice, UMass Lowell Student, Lowell, MA, Exp. 2008 (Non-Voting Student)
- Lawrence F. Boyle, Esq., Milton, MA, Exp. 2011
- Jennifer C. Braceras, Esq., Concord, MA, Exp. 2011
- Matthew E. Carlin, Sudbury, MA, Exp. 2009
- Edward W. Collins, Jr., Springfield, MA, Exp. 2012
- John A. DiBiaggio, Snowmass Village, Colorado, Exp. 2008
- Tamara Endich, UMass Dartmouth Student, Truro, MA, Exp. 2008 (Non-Voting Student)
- Philip W. Johnston, Marshfield, MA, Exp. 2012
- Aleksandar Kulenovic, UMass Boston Student Trustee, Boston, MA, Exp. 2008 (Non-Voting Student)
- Richard J. Lawton, Esq., North Easton, MA, Exp. 2011
- Kenneth A. MacAfee, II, D.M.D., Needham, MA, Exp. 2011
- Bharath D. Nath, UMass Medical School Student Trustee, Worcester, MA, Exp. 2008 (Voting Student)
- William T. O’Shea, Basking Ridge, NJ, Exp. 2008
- Kerri Osterhaus-Houle, M.D., Hudson, MA, Exp. 2008
- Janet D. Pearl, M.D., Wellesley, MA, Exp. 2009
- Alda Rego, Attleboro, MA, exp. 2011
- Henry M. Thomas, III, Springfield, MA, exp. 2012
- Ruth Thompson, UMASS Amherst Student, Cambridge, MA, Exp. 2008 (Voting Student)
- Stephen P. Tocco, Reading, MA, Exp. 2011
- Barbara F. DeVico (Secretary to the Board of Trustees)
May 16th, 2008 04:38
I saw an article about the UMass honor regarding Mugabe just a day ago here in the US. Please know that the world is watching - and is in support of your efforts. You are doing great things.
June 12th, 2008 22:34
http://www.eleconomista.es/empresas-finanzas/noticias/595643/06/08/University-of-Massachusetts-revokes-Mugabe-degree.html
University of Massachusetts revokes Mugabe degree
18:45 - 12/06/2008
By Jason Szep
BOSTON (Reuters) - The University of Massachusetts onThursday rescinded an honorary law degree awarded 22 years agoto Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, calling his politics”egregious” and his leadership an “assault on human rights.”
The state university has never before revoked an honorarydegree in its 145-year history.
“Rescinding an honorary degree is a step to be taken inonly the rarest and most grievous of circumstances,” RobertManning, chairman of school’s board of trustees, said in astatement after the unanimous vote by the 22-member board.
“Robert Mugabe’s performance and policies in Zimbabwe areso egregious as to warrant this ultimate expression ofdisapproval,” he said.
Mugabe, 84, led the nation to independence from Britain in1980 but has become an international pariah, accused of humanrights abuses and ineffective economic policies that haveresulted in rampant inflation, food shortages and poverty.
Mugabe and his officials are accused of intimidatingopponents since a poll in March in which opposition leaderMorgan Tsvangirai won but fell short of the margin needed foroutright victory, necessitating a runoff later this month.
U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said on Monday that a freeand fair election scheduled for June 27 was impossible becauseof a systematic campaign of murder and brutality unleashed byMugabe’s ZANU-PF party in which at least 36 people have died.
He was awarded the honorary doctorate of laws degree inOctober 1986 for his “exemplary devotion to social justice.”
The university’s president at the time, David Knapp, saidMugabe’s “gentle firmness in the face of anger and intellectualapproach to matters which inflame the emotions of others, arehallmarks of quiet integrity.”
The school’s current president, Jack Wilson, said theuniversity was compelled to take action because Mugabe’s”transgressions have led the world community to condemn hisgovernment’s assault on human rights and on the rule of law.”
Under Mugabe’s 28 years in power, Zimbabwe has slipped intoeconomic and political crisis, with deepening unrest betweenMugabe’s security forces and opposition groups.
He blames deteriorating conditions on sanctions imposed bythe West and regards opposition politicians as puppets ofWestern governments, led by Britain.
Kevin Murphy, a Massachusetts lawmaker, urged theuniversity to revoke the degree because of escalatingstate-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe.
Last year, Edinburgh University withdraw a degree awardedin 1984 for Mugabe’s services to education, also citing humanrights violations by his government.