Apology: An essential first step
We welcome the formal apology to the Stolen Generations by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The apology will help to develop respect and establish meaningful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and is essential to reconciliation.
The Government and Opposition's decision to take a bipartisan approach to addressing the serious human rights violations of Indigenous Australians is also very welcome. We support the approach which places indigenous human rights above politics and which aims to:
- provide every indigenous four year old in a remote community with early childhood education within five years
- halve the gap between white and black Australia in literacy and numeracy within a decade
- halve the infant mortality rates within a generation
- close the life expectancy gap
While health and education are critical issues, they should be viewed as one part of a broader approach to reparation. The Stolen Generations have a right to restitution, rehabilitation, guarantees against repetition and compensation. These remedies are covered in the 1997 Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's (HREOC) report Bringing Them Home. We continue to call on the Australian Government to implement these recommendations.
Background
HREOC outlined 54 recommendations in the 1997 Bringing Them Home report, as a result of its enquiry into the removal of Indigenous children from their families. It found between 1 in 10 and 3 in 10 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from between 1910 and 1970, and many were sexually, physically and mentally abused.
The report's recommendations are supported by international law which provides that where a person's human rights have been violated, they must have access to an 'effective remedy' (Article 2(3) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights).
Your say
Use the comments below to tell us your reaction to the Prime Minister's apology and how you think it will impact all Australians
Comments
Steve | Posted on 21 February 2008, 09:50PM | Report comment
I live on Sydneys North shore, in one of the blue ribbon Liberal electorates. I was deeply saddened, recently, by comments made to me by a person whom I consider a close friend. That is, that the position the Aboriginals find themselves in is “their own fault”. If they had looked after their kids better they wouldn’t have been taken away. Doc’s do this to white families every day don’t they? I’m not saying that all Liberal voters think this way, they don’t, but it is not an uncommon to hear similar views aired by some right wing supporters in our community.
There is obviously a lot of misunderstanding in our society as to what saying sorry is all about. I was appalled to find out that one survey found that over thirty percent of the people interviewed thought that saying sorry was unnecessary. I think the next step is to try and remove these negative, intransigent ideas from our community.
katie13 | Posted on 21 February 2008, 09:40PM | Report comment
I think it was a landmark day in Australia’s history. One word will hopefully do so much for reconciliation. We must maintain the pressure for the government to make good on their word. Closing the gap should be the priority now for government policy, programs and assistance to our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.
Katie | Posted on 21 February 2008, 08:16PM | Report comment
I think this Apology is going to have a generally positive impact on Australia. The people that are naturally going to be impacted the most are the victims of the ‘Stolen Generation’ because this is the first time someone official has actually admitted that it happened. I think bringing in Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister was a very wise move made by Australians as this step has been needed to be made for a while now and he’s been the only one brave enough to make it, so thank you Prime Minister and let’s hope that this situation is never reversed as Australia looks towards a bright and positive future in terms of our relationship with the Aborigines and may we learn from teh mistake and NEVER repeat it.
ralph | Posted on 21 February 2008, 06:45PM | Report comment
good stuff. the real test of our society’s integrity and compassion is still to come.
Meredith Rogers | Posted on 21 February 2008, 04:44PM | Report comment
I was heartened by Mr Rudd’s apology. I feel responsible for our atrocious treatment of indigenous Australians. I look forward to the nation celebrating National Sorry Day on 13 February and using the opportunity to review and (hopefully) celebrate the progress towards the goals the PM announced. This could be the foundation of a new patriotism, as we experience the unifying effect of collectively achieving a challenging goal.
Ray Smith | Posted on 21 February 2008, 11:09AM | Report comment
Since the ‘invasion’ by Westerners, Indiginous Australians have suffered a ‘hidden’ history of genecide, mistreatment and exploitation of ‘their’ land. We can only be greatfull that they have managed to survive such treatment, so we can help redeam their cultural heritage and self determination. Saying sorry is the first step in helping ‘our’ proud nation move forward ‘together’.
Joe Selvaretnam | Posted on 21 February 2008, 10:41AM | Report comment
The Apology was a tremendous national moment and it is quite amazing to witness the PM being so unequivocal about Parliament’s apology.
The challenge is what we do after this.I am reminded that the Victorian govt also apologised about a decade ago and what have we learnt from that? Has there been a real improvement of the lifes of the impacted community?? So Rudd must take stock and not aplogise for the UNFULFILLED APOLOGY.
Wendy Miller | Posted on 21 February 2008, 10:41AM | Report comment
I felt all the activism, all the battles & all the work done to get to this point was validated.
I felt an immeasurably damaging tumour was not only removed from our Nation - but indeed that the psychological excuses and shameful lack of moral values that could cling to this tumour were cast loose & now have no place in our culture.
I feel that this Apology should pave the way for fearless transparency, for recognition, honest and frank documentation (and dissemination) of Australia’s racial history.
I feel that this Apology and the clarity, care and earnestness it enables should be carefully directed to working over the long-term with indigenous communities to tackle root causes of key problems and to try to embody the deep understandng and unique relationship Aboriginals have with the land/sea/sky into the way we - as an entire society - understand Australia. This could perhaps be reflected in Policy spanning education, to development, to heritage…
Sally Lloyd | Posted on 21 February 2008, 10:00AM | Report comment
Was very moved by the apology but feel unless the motivation is kept in the public eye and followed up by the media like everything else it will fade in most people’s minds except those involved in the indiginous debate.
Natacha | Posted on 20 February 2008, 02:38PM | Report comment
If we did such wonderful things for these children why are so many of them in pain? Why did the apology mean so much to them? Most of these children were not being abused by their parents but risked abuse when taken into care. Any act we commit that puts a child in danger should be avoided.
We have to acknowledge the bad things in the past if we want to be proud of the good. By apologising we are acknowledging what happened and reaching out to those who need it. Hearing the stories of children taken from their families makes me want to reach out, hug them and say ‘What happened to you was wrong and I’m sorry’.
aj lambert | Posted on 19 February 2008, 01:16PM | Report comment
yes, sorry we gave you an education, sorry we provided you with a future.
we are definately sorry we gave you an education to read because you read our policies and used them against us.
there are still people today, everyday, being abused in more ways then one. should our government have to apologise for that too? yep, i commented.
Sheena Graham | Posted on 13 February 2008, 08:44PM | Report comment
One word - Finally!