-----Original Message----- From: Webcentral <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >April 3, 2000 > > > > > > > >STOLEN GENERATIONS REQUIRE SOCIAL JUSTICE > > >The Australian Parliament should formally apologise to Indigenous >Australians for the devastating consequences of past laws, policies and >practices which led to the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait >Islander children from their families. > >The laws resulted in many Aboriginal children being removed from their >families, traumatising many generations. > >The children were not only isolated from their families and their country >but were forbidden to speak their language or practice their culture. > >Education was often very basic. >Excessive physical punishments were common. >Children were often sexually abused. >Many never received wages. >Authorities failed to care for and protect their children. > >The Stolen Generations resulted in devastation for the community, families, >parents and children. Its effects have been felt by many generations and are >still impacting on the community today. > >More than one million people have signed Sorry Books around Australia. > >It is a pity the Federal Government seeks to continue to re-open these >wounds, rather than help heal them. > >ATSIC believes the Australian Parliament should formally apologise. > >We also believe that Australian government's current laws and practices >affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children do not, but should, >meet the requirements of the relevant United Nations conventions to which >Australia is a signatory. > >Reparation and compensation should be made to those who were separated >through a reparation tribunal to avoid the unnecessary trauma and expense of >seeking redress through the courts. > > >Geoff Clark, Chairman >ATSIC > >Further information Paul Molloy (02) 6121 4961 0419 690 926 > ATSIC Office of Public Affairs > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
