12.07.2015 Views

Bringing-Them-Home-Report-Web

Bringing-Them-Home-Report-Web

Bringing-Them-Home-Report-Web

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

(c) An official declaration or a judicial decision restoring the dignity, reputation andlegal rights of the victim and/or of persons connected with the victim;(d) Apology, including public acknowledgment of the facts and acceptance ofresponsibility;(e)(f)Judicial or administrative sanctions against persons responsible for the violations;Commemorations and paying tribute to the victims;(g) Inclusion in human rights training and history textbooks of an accurate account of theviolations committed in the field of human rights and humanitarian law;(h)Preventing the recurrence of violations …For victims of gross human rights violations, establishing the truth about the past is acritically important measure of reparation (Orentlicher 1994 page 457). For manyvictims and their families, an accurate and truthful description of past policies andpractices and of their consequences is the first requirement of justice and the firststep towards healing wounds (Danieli 1992 page 210). Also essential is anacknowledgment of responsibility (Danieli 1992 page 208). Related to calls for truthand acknowledgment of responsibility, the Inquiry has heard demands for apologiesto the individuals, families and communities who have survived the removal ofIndigenous children.The Canadian Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recently recommended theestablishment of a public inquiry to investigate the Canadian policy of removingIndigenous children to residential schools. It is proposed that the inquiry should inturn ‘recommend remedial action by governments and the responsible churches …including as appropriate, apologies by those responsible’ in addition to the paymentof compensation (1996b Volume 5 page 143).The Inquiry was told that both governments and non-government agencies, includingthe churches and missions, should acknowledge their part in the separation ofIndigenous families and apologise to the victims. ATSIC submitted,The prospect of apologies to indigenous people has been raised on many occasions. There isno uniform view about reparations but there is a consistent view of indigenous people as tothe necessity for apologies … an apology must be matched by a commitment to rectify pastmistakes through reparation and compensation.… ATSIC considers that reconciliation must surely begin with this one elementary condition:an apology. Indigenous people may then feel that the issue of separation, and the injustices itcaused, have been acknowledged by those present-day government and non-governmentorganisations who are directly connected with organisations responsible for past policies andpractices (submission 684 page 32).‘[T]he assimilation policy that operated in this country be [should be] denouncedofficially by governments across the country’ (Aboriginal Legal Rights Movementsubmission 484 recommendation 18); ‘public acknowledgment and apologies[should] take place from the Australian population including especially governmentorganisations, church bodies’ (SA Aboriginal Child Care Agency submission 347recommendation 5). Link-Up (NSW) called for ‘a full public disclosure of the facts of

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!