Biehls to discuss social justice, community values during visit

by Sarah R. Buchholz , Chronicle staff

ctivists Peter and Linda Biehl, whose daughter Amy was murdered in South Africa during the final months of apartheid, will be on campus Nov. 6-8 for a series of events, including a public presentation and reception.

     The presentation, "The Life, Death, and Legacy of Amy Biehl," is scheduled for 7:30-9 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center auditorium. Peter and Linda Biehl will show part of the award-winning documentary "Long Night's Journey into Day" about South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which highlights the case of Amy's killers.

     The Biehls, who actively supported amnesty for the four young men who killed their daughter during the commission's hearings, also will address the audience. The event and the reception that follows are free and the campus community and the public are invited to attend.

     Their visit is the result of an invitation by interim Chancellor Marcellette G. Williams, who is integrating the Biehls' work into a year-long campus-wide conversation about "living values," to promote discussion about enablement, social justice, and community values.

     "By inviting the Biehls to visit UMass, I hope to offer the campus community an opportunity to meet with two people who live these values every day," Williams said.
Since their daughter's death, the Biehls have established a foundation in her name dedicated to empowering disadvantaged communities.

     For more information about the Biehls, visit the Web site (www.umass.edu/livingvalues).