Make Indigenous Poverty History
Campaign update 15th February 2008

The Federal Government Apologises to the Stolen Generations

On Wednesday 13th February 2008, Australia witnessed an historic event, the Prime Minister, on behalf of the Parliament, and the country, apologised to the Stolen Generations. This apology which had been a long time coming was met with tears, relief and an overwhelming sense of occasion.

Three of us from NATSIEC went to Canberra, and after queuing for some hours were able to watch the proceedings from the public gallery in the House of Representatives. It was indeed an honour and we felt privileged to be there. Afterwards, as we went down to the lawn and met up with friends and family from all around Australia all we heard was how much this day meant to Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. That while we all recognised that without action the words will end up being empty and meaningless - on this day there was more hope that things might change than we had experienced in a very long time.  

The words have been said, now it is up to each and every one of us that the promise they contained; the promise that not only do we recognise past injustices but that we will all work towards ending poverty and discrimination and disparities in health, education and housing becomes a reality.

To see photos of our day in Canberra click here http://www.ncca.org.au/natsiec 

 

To read or listen to the Prime Mininster's speech click here

 

 
THE NCCA CELEBRATES THE APOLOGY TO THE STOLEN GENERATIONS
 
 

The NCCA welcomes the apology offered to the Stolen Generations by the Federal Government last Wednesday in Parliament. The Churches have long held hope that our Federal Parliament could acknowledge the past and the pain that many of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters have suffered.

 

The Stolen Generations have held a special place in the heart of many of our faithful. We rejoice with them that finally their life experiences have been recognised and that we, as a nation, can accept our failures of the past.

 

This apology has created an atmosphere of hope and forgiveness that, at more than any other time in Australia's history, allows for the possibility of real advancement along the journey to Reconciliation.

 

Words of course we've heard before, but what is needed now is to back them up with action.

 

The Prime Minister's plan for action, as outlined in his speech, is therefore welcomed. In particular, we congratulate the Prime Minister on recognising the need to set time bound and measurable goals, which has been the position of the NCCA through its campaign to Make Indigenous Poverty History.

 

We applaud the Prime Minister's leadership and hope that he will continue to consult with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to ensure that past mistakes are not repeated and that Indigenous peoples are enabled to create their own solutions. At last Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are being heard and their life experiences validated.  Their voices must never be silenced again.

 

We churches must also play our part. We cannot ignore our role in the events of the past. Many congregations have already offered their apologies to the Stolen Generations. We too, as people of faith, must move beyond words and convert our recognition of the plight of our fellow Australians the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples into action.

 

We call on all our faithful to reflect upon the words of the Prime Minister last Wednesday and to honestly examine our own heart and conscience to recognise where we continue to fail our fellow Australians. We too must act to diminish the many disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous in our common lives. As people of faith and good citizens it is our responsibility to ensure that our elected representatives remain true to their words.

 

We pray that this new beginning can be carried forward with the same good will and bi-partisan spirit that was shown in parliament and all around the nation on Wednesday morning.

 

This campaign is all about getting involved and supporting initiatives that work. If you know about local programs and ideas that are making a difference please let us know. Also, don't forget to tell us about activities that you organise to support the campaign, we'll post it on the website to inspire others.
Sincerely,
NATSIEC
 
email: natsiec@ncca.org.au
 
The Make Indigenous Poverty History campaign is an initiative of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commision (NATSIEC) which is a commission of the National Council of Churches in Australia.
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