Honorary degree citation - Elisabeth Mann Borgese*
By: David Frost, June 1997
Mr. Chancellor, I have the honour to introduce to you Elisabeth Mann Borgese, an outstanding international environmentalist. Her insistence upon the trans-national nature of the environment led to the 1976 Barcelona Convention against pollution of the Mediterranean, the Law of the Sea Convention in 1982 and a number of the decisions of the Rio Conference on Environment and Development. Dr. Mann Borgese is an inspiration to all of us who share a concern for the environment and who work for its preservation or remediation.
Born in Germany, Elizabeth Mann Borgese completed her BA in Classical Studies at the Freies Gymnasium in Zurich, Switerzland and a Diploma in Piano from the Conservatory of Music in Zurich. She had an honorary Doctor of Humanities conferred upon her in 1986 at Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax and, in the same year, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Elisabeth Mann Borgese est fondatrice et présidente honoraire de l'Institut international de l'océan. II s'agit d'un organisme sans but lucratif indépendant, international et non gouvernemental dont le siège social se trouve à Malte et qui possède des centres opérationnels dans neuf pays, dont le Canada. Elle est également membre fondatrice du Club de Rome où elle continue à faire valoir l'importance des problématiques globales Elle est experte-conseil auprès de la Banque mondiale et d'un certain nombre d'organismes des Nations Unies.
Depuis 1981, elle enseigne la science politique et le droit à l'Université Dalhousie, à Halifax. Elle a été boursière Killam de 1979 à 1981 et Senior Fellow du Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions à Santa Barbara en Californie, de 1964 à 1979.
Dr. Mann Borgese has published extensively in international law and political science journals, as well as contributed chapters to books about ocean affairs. Her own major works on the subject include The Ocean Regime (1968), the Drama of the Oceans (1976), Seafarm (1981), The Mines of Neptune (1985), The Future of the Oceans (1987). She has edited several other works including Ocean Frontiers (1992) and the 13-volume Ocean Yearbook (1982-), and has also published short stories, children’s books and a play. She was editor of Intercultural Publications from 1952 to 1964 and research associate and editor of Common Cause, at the University of Chicago (1946-52).
For her efforts in preserving the environment, Dr. Mann Borgese has been rewarded with the Medal of High Merit from the government of Austria, the Gold Medal by the governement of Malta, the Sasakawa United Nations Environement Prize, the Order of Columbia, the Friendship Award from the People’s Republic of Chinas, and the St. Francis of Assisi International Environment Prize.
Monsieur le Chancelier, j’ai le privilège et l’honneur de vous présenter, au nom du Sénat et par autorité du Conseil d’administration, Mme Elisabeth Mann Borgese à qui je vous demande de bien vouloir octroyer le diplôme de doctorat honorifique en droit.
* deceased
