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By Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
On Feb. 13, the Australian Prime
Minister delivered a speech in parliament where he extended the
nation’s apology to the “stolen generations,” the Aborigines.
Here is the partial text of Australia’s apology.
“Today we honor the Indigenous
peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human
history.
We reflect on their past
mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the
mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished
chapter in our nation’s history.
The time has now come for the
nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the
wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the
future.
We apologize for the laws and
policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have
inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow
Australians.
We apologize especially for the
removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their
families, their communities and their country.
For the pain, suffering and hurt
of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their
families left behind, we say sorry.
To the mothers and the fathers,
the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and
communities, we say sorry.
And for the indignity and
degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we
say sorry.
We the Parliament of Australia
respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in
which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.
For the future we take heart;
resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent
can now be written.
We today take this first step by
acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces
all Australians.
A future where this Parliament
resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen
again.
A future where we harness the
determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to
close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational
achievement and economic opportunity.
A future where we embrace the
possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old
approaches have failed.
A future based on mutual respect,
mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.
A future where all Australians,
whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal
opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in
the history of this great country, Australia.”
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