TORONTO — Canadians honored former South African president Nelson Mandela Saturday with a university doctorate, renamed a school after him, and released a new song about his work for needy children composed by entertainer Raffi.
At Toronto's Park Public School, Mandela and his wife, Graca Machel, participated in the official renaming of the school to the Nelson Mandela Park Public School.
In a celebrity greeting, African drums and songs about freedom welcomed the 83-year-old Mandela, jailed for 27 years by South Africa's apartheid rulers until his release in 1990.
He became the country's first democratic president in elections in 1994 when he began a peaceful process of change to uplift the lives of millions of black South Africans.
Dressed in a loose-fitting, bright tribal shirt for which he is known, Mandela broke into a dance as he entered the school's hall filled with cheering children and their parents.
"It is a dream come true for all of us," said school principal Catharine Montgomery.
The school, which represents Canada's ethnic diversity, was selected for the honor by the Canadian chapter of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, set up by Mandela in 1995, because of its programs on South Africa and Mandela's life.
"You are the future leaders of the world, and it is an honor for us to be here to interact with you," Mandela said, adding, "And I love each and every one of you."
Overcome with tears
He and Machel comforted a student overcome with emotion as she burst into tears while presenting Mandela with a gift. Pulling a white handkerchief from his pocket, Mandela wiped her tears and hugged her.
"I'll never forget this. It is an honor to be in a school with his name," said 11-year-old student Salima Sabah, wiping her own tears.
At Ryerson University, Mandela and his wife were awarded honorary doctorates of law for their dedication to peace and children's rights.
Honoring Mandela as a freedom fighter, a nation-builder, and champion of children's rights, Ryerson president Claude Lajeunesse said his work was an example to all.
"Through his work we are beginning to understand how children are exploited, how they suffer and how important it is to act swiftly in their urgent call for help," he said.
Mandela dedicated the doctorate to the children and youth of Burundi and the quest for peace in the small African country, ravaged by conflict since 1993 between Hutu rebels and the Tutsi-dominated army.
Mandela, who has taken on the role of elder statesman since his retirement in 1999, brokered a peace deal in Burundi, where more than 200,000 people have died, which led to the installation of a transitional government on Nov. 1.
"Burundi has taken a courageous step towards peace," he told about 1,000 academics and students at Ryerson. "It shall rise from the ashes of its conflict and develop to be a place of security and opportunity for its people—if it looks after and nurtures its children," he added.
A plea for peace
He appealed to educational institutions, like Ryerson, to help educate children from Burundi, and pleaded for peace.
"The world needs to combine its efforts and energies to bring peace to all the troubled parts of our planet. Our own humble efforts in Burundi we saw as a modest contribution to what should be a global quest for lasting peace."
Machel, revered as a national hero in her homeland of Mozambique that was shattered by a 16-year civil war that ended with elections in 1994, was honored for her work as an advocate for rights of women and children. She is best known for a revealing U.N. report on the impact of armed conflict on children.
She said statistics painted a terrible picture of the lives of children around the world which often left her feeling impatient and frustrated for change.
"We have the resources, we have the capacity and so it is totally unacceptable that we allow millions of children to suffer so," she appealed.
Inspired by Mandela's work, Raffi closed the ceremony with a song he composed especially for him, called "Turn the World Around."
"We heard it from Mandela, turn the world around for the children, turn this world around. He's done it before, and now we hear his call for the children, turn this world around," Raffi sang, while Mandela smiled from his seat.
Mandela later attended a sold-out private fundraiser for his children's fund where tickets went for C$5,000 ($3,000) a piece. He visits Ottawa Monday where he will be made an honorary citizen.