2008 Kevin Rudd Apology Speech

How Many People Were Affected By The Stolen Generation?

To begin with, it is estimated that between 1883 and 1969 more than 6,200 children were stolen in NSW alone. 1 in 6 girls ran away from the camps after they were taken. A 1994 survey taken by the Australian Bureau Of Statistics found that one in every 10 Aboriginal people that were over the age of 25 at the time had been removed from their families in their childhood. Many more statistics fly around the globe as they tell the unethical practices inducted into the Australian society.

Discussion 1

Why Is Sorry Day So Important ?

National Sorry Day - which is held on a yearly basis on the 26th of May - marks the day of recognition and acknowledgement towards the members of the Stolen Generation. It is an important day as it is a natinal reminder to all of the Australian citizens that the traditional owners of the land were mistreated and that we should take the inititaive to say Sorry. This day supports the healing of the thousands of affected Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders since European colonisation.

Discussion 2

What Is The Apology Speech ?

The national apology made by Australia's former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, on the 13th of February 2008 was an official speech which apologised for the laws and policies that were forced upon the Parliament and government successors that had given the Aboriginal community years of ultimate grief, loss and suffrage.

Discussion 1

Who Is Kevin Rudd ?

Kevin Michael Rudd, born 21st September 1957, is a former Australian politician best known as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia; serving from December 2007 to June 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013. When he was apart of office, he was the leader of the Australian Labor Party.

Discussion 2

What Did Kevin Rudd Say Sorry For ?

Kevin Rudd said sorry to all those who were affected during the "Stolen Generation". The Stolen generation refers to the children of the Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders who were forcefully removed from their families and inducted into white societies and families as a result of the various policies introduced by the government at the time. Many were also placed in camps to wash them from all they knew so that they could become more "white". This took place between 1910 to 1970; on the soils the Aboriginal people could once call their Safe Heaven, had then been turned into 60 years' worth of a grieving battle.

Discussion

3

Did It Change The People's Perspective?

Kevin Rudd's speech affected many people, mostly those who were affected by the Stolen Generation. It was the first time someone from the official government had taken up the inititative to genuinely apologise for the mishappenings and mistakes of the past. The whole nation watched and listened on to the speech which is now heavily regarded as one of the most famou speeches of our Australian history.

However, many find that this speech was "morally demanded" and "politically overdue". Whilst some people celerbrated the significance in the moment in which they were given justice, many others believed that it "assuaged white guilt". Whether the speech made things better or worse, well, that debate still lives on.

Discussion 1

How Has It Been Viewed Over Time ?

Over time, people have mixed views about it. Some people want more to the apology as they feel that the apology was nothing but a way to seem as if the government cared. Others are satisfied with the apology as they do not feel the need to ask for more. However, a debate topic tends to spark up in a conversation around the 26th of January; should the date of Australia Day be changed? Once again, there are people on both sides of the fence here. We have people who believe that this date marks the new civilisation movement of Australia as a nation; we also have people who believe that this day marks the end of the blissful lives of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders and the beginning of years and decades of suffrage and mourning.

Discussion 2