Wednesday 13 February 2008

A Long Time Coming...

Today is an important day in Australian history - or I believe we will look back and see it as such. Today, in the first day of Parliament for the year, our government made an official apology to the 'Stolen Generations', Indigenous people who were taken from their families throughout the 20th Century. The broadcast can be viewed at the Live Broadcasting site and the report 'Bringing Them Home' is also available. Some personal Oral Histories of members of the Stolen Generation can be found at The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission site.
Hopefully, this day will mark a significant improvement in relations between Indigenous people and the rest of Australia, as long as it becomes more than just words, and that the statements and promises made today are fulfilled. The speeches were very moving, but will only be useful if they prove to me more than just words of political expediency.

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