Monday, February 18, 2008
US Presidential Race
2008 is shaping up to be a historic year for the US Presidency with a woman and an African American man both with legitimate aspirations for the November election. Regardless of the outcome, there has been a momentous resurgence of interest in US politics for many discouraged voters. Our interest for this post, however, is the wider impact of the US Presidency for the world. We are asking for your thoughts and perspectives about the impacts, implications, and possible consequences that stem from the US Presidential race. What are your thoughts as you view this Presidential race from your perspective, location, etc.?
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
February 13th Apology
Dear Friends,
This article appeared in the Associated Press. Anne and Hohia, what's your view of this latest development? Should the world rejoice or not?
Jan. 30, 2008
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -
Australia's government announced Wednesday it will issue its first formal apology to country's indigenous people next month for past policies that forcibly removed generations of Aboriginal children from their families.The apology would be a milestone on an issue that has divided Australians for decades.
The Feb. 13 apology to the so-called "stolen generations" of Aborigines will be the first item of business for the new Parliament, Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said."The apology will be made on behalf of the Australian government and does not attribute guilt to the current generation of Australian people," Macklin said in a statement.
While the new government is swiftly responding to decade-old calls for an apology, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is refusing demands from some Aboriginal leaders to pay compensation for the suffering of broken families.Activist Michael Mansell, who is legal director of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Center, has urged the government to set up a 1 billion Australian dollar (US$882 million; euro601 million) compensation fund.*'Very emotional'*
Christine King, from the Stolen Generations Alliance, one of the key indigenous groups the government has consulted in crafting the apology, said she was "overwhelmed" that a date had finally been set."Older people thought they would never live to see this day," King said through tears. "It's very emotional for me and it's very important."
Barbara Livesey, chief executive of Reconciliation Australia, a government-commissioned agency tasked with bringing black and white Australians together, said the apology on the day after Parliament resumes for the first time since November elections would be a historic moment.
"It's a moment that all Australians should feel incredibly proud of, that we're recognizing the mistakes of the past," she said.
But opposition leader Brendan Nelson, whose conservative Liberal Party was thrown out of office in November after almost 12 years in power, questioned whether the apology deserved to be the new government's first item of business. Macklin said she had sought broad input on the wording of the apology, which she hoped would signal the beginning of a new relationship between mainstream Australia and its Aboriginal minority. "Once we establish this respect, the government can work with indigenous communities to improve services aimed at closing the 17-year life expectancy gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians," she said.*Stolen generations*
Australia's original inhabitants, Aborigines number about 450,000 among a population of 21 million. Aborigines are the poorest ethnic group in Australia and are most likely to be jailed, unemployed and illiterate.An apology would mark a significant milestone in a debate about how best to acknowledge Aborigines who were affected by a string of 20th century policies that separated mixed-blood Aboriginal children from their families — frequently referred to as Australia's stolen generations.
From 1910 until the 1970s, around 100,000 mostly mixed-blood Aboriginal children were taken from their parents under state and federal laws based on a premise that Aborigines were a doomed race and saving the children was a humane alternative. A national inquiry into stolen generation held in 1997 found that many children taken from their families suffered long-term psychological effects stemming from the loss of family and culture. The inquiry recommended that state and federal authorities apologize and pay compensation to those who were removed from their families. But then-Prime Minister John Howard steadfastly refused to do either, saying his government should not be held responsible for the policies of former officials.
This article appeared in the Associated Press. Anne and Hohia, what's your view of this latest development? Should the world rejoice or not?
Jan. 30, 2008
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -
Australia's government announced Wednesday it will issue its first formal apology to country's indigenous people next month for past policies that forcibly removed generations of Aboriginal children from their families.The apology would be a milestone on an issue that has divided Australians for decades.
The Feb. 13 apology to the so-called "stolen generations" of Aborigines will be the first item of business for the new Parliament, Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said."The apology will be made on behalf of the Australian government and does not attribute guilt to the current generation of Australian people," Macklin said in a statement.
While the new government is swiftly responding to decade-old calls for an apology, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is refusing demands from some Aboriginal leaders to pay compensation for the suffering of broken families.Activist Michael Mansell, who is legal director of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Center, has urged the government to set up a 1 billion Australian dollar (US$882 million; euro601 million) compensation fund.*'Very emotional'*
Christine King, from the Stolen Generations Alliance, one of the key indigenous groups the government has consulted in crafting the apology, said she was "overwhelmed" that a date had finally been set."Older people thought they would never live to see this day," King said through tears. "It's very emotional for me and it's very important."
Barbara Livesey, chief executive of Reconciliation Australia, a government-commissioned agency tasked with bringing black and white Australians together, said the apology on the day after Parliament resumes for the first time since November elections would be a historic moment.
"It's a moment that all Australians should feel incredibly proud of, that we're recognizing the mistakes of the past," she said.
But opposition leader Brendan Nelson, whose conservative Liberal Party was thrown out of office in November after almost 12 years in power, questioned whether the apology deserved to be the new government's first item of business. Macklin said she had sought broad input on the wording of the apology, which she hoped would signal the beginning of a new relationship between mainstream Australia and its Aboriginal minority. "Once we establish this respect, the government can work with indigenous communities to improve services aimed at closing the 17-year life expectancy gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians," she said.*Stolen generations*
Australia's original inhabitants, Aborigines number about 450,000 among a population of 21 million. Aborigines are the poorest ethnic group in Australia and are most likely to be jailed, unemployed and illiterate.An apology would mark a significant milestone in a debate about how best to acknowledge Aborigines who were affected by a string of 20th century policies that separated mixed-blood Aboriginal children from their families — frequently referred to as Australia's stolen generations.
From 1910 until the 1970s, around 100,000 mostly mixed-blood Aboriginal children were taken from their parents under state and federal laws based on a premise that Aborigines were a doomed race and saving the children was a humane alternative. A national inquiry into stolen generation held in 1997 found that many children taken from their families suffered long-term psychological effects stemming from the loss of family and culture. The inquiry recommended that state and federal authorities apologize and pay compensation to those who were removed from their families. But then-Prime Minister John Howard steadfastly refused to do either, saying his government should not be held responsible for the policies of former officials.
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