Je pense que l’article remet en perspective, mais voilà, juste pour continuer de suivre ce qui se passe en matière de réconciliation, un article récent de The Age, qui fait suite à ce qui s’est passé en WA ou en Tasmanie. Il ne s’agit pas de lancer une polémique, mais de regarder, d’essayer de comprendre.
Calls for Stolen Generations compensation
Reko Rennie
October 20, 2006 – 5:00PM
The Victorian Aboriginal community is calling on the state government to follow Tasmania’s example after it announced a record $5 million compensation package to members of the Stolen Generation.
Under Tasmania’s compensation package, launched this week by Premier Paul Lennon and set to go to parliament on October 31, children of deceased members of the stolen generations will receive up to $5,000, capped at $20,000 per family.
The remainder of the funding will be divided between living members.
Chief executive officer of the Victorian Stolen Generations organisation, Tony McCartney, welcomed the Tasmanian announcement during a community day in Thornbury today.
« It certainly sends a clear message to our people that there is somebody in this country that’s showing some leadership and it’s coming from Tasmania, it’s not only coming from the government down there but it’s coming from the (Aboriginal) people, the leadership of the Aboriginal people.
« I think for us here we need to be working with the government and establishing a process and it needs to be a fair process where people can have an opportunity to present their facts and an assessment is made and compensation is given.
The Victorian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Gavin Jennings, was expected to attend today’s Stolen Generation community event, but cancelled due to other commitments.
Mr McCartney said the compensation is great, but the fight for recognition, rights and compensation is nothing new.
« The fight has always been there and we know best of all in the last few years that our communities have been the whipping tools of government, whether it’s commonwealth or state, but we never give up, we’ve been here for thousands of years, as most people know and recognise, and we will continue to get their compensation and the rest of those issues that we rightly deserve to have access to, » he said.
Stolen Generations Victorian co-chairperson, Mick Edwards, said there is still a long way to go.
« This has been going on with our people for over 200 years, removed from our lands. The Stolen Generations is only one small little piece, only one little spoke in the wheel of history in this country, so we’ve got a long long journey to travel in the humanity in this land. »
The Victorian Government helped fund $5.1 million to establish the Stolen Generations Organisation as a key part of the State Governments’ response to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s Report, Bringing Them Home.
The organisation was established after the Victorian Government accepted a key recommendation of a community-based government advisory body, the Stolen Generations Taskforce, which undertook consultations and developed a service model.
theage.com.au with AAP
, le il y a 18 années et 1 mois.
