terça-feira, fevereiro 12, 2008

Australia to apologize for Aborigines' pain

The Australian government will apologize Wednedsday for years of "mistreatment" that have inflicted "profound grief, suffering and loss" on the country's Aboriginal people.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd introduced a motion in parliament on Tuesday that contains the apology. Lawmakers plan to vote on it Wednesday, and it's expected to pass unanimously, said a spokeswoman for Jenny Macklin, the minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

"We apologize for the laws and policies of successive parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians," the proposed apology reads.

The apology deals in particular with generations of indigenous children who were taken from their families by the government. Those children became known as the "Stolen Generations."

"For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for the families left behind, we say sorry," the text reads.

Former Prime Minister John Howard refused to offer an apology, saying the current generation should not be held accountable for past misdeeds. He instead issued a statement of regret.

Rudd, who defeated Howard last November, made an apology part of his election campaign.

Fonte CNN

Bem, este cavalheiro, apenas algumas horas após ter sido empossado com Primeiro Ministro da Austrália, rectificou o Acordo de Kyoto que o anterior governo se tinha recusado a assinar.

Agora, pede desculpas ao povo aborígene pelos mal tratos sofridos ao longo dos anos.

É preciso não esquecer que nomeou para o Ministério do Ambiente, Herança e Artes o sr. Peter Garrett, ex-vocalista do Midnight Oil...

Hum, pena é que o sr.
Peter Garrett seja um cristão praticante mas, como me disseram hoje, todos cometemos erros...

At the closing ceremony of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the group performed before Prime Minister John Howard and a television audience of hundreds of millions, wearing black tracksuits bearing the word "sorry."

This referred to the Howard Government's refusal to apologise to Aboriginal Australians for the former policy of removing of Aboriginal children from their families.


Midnight Oil - Beds are burning

, shockwave-flash@http://www.youtube.com/v/LLxOq5SNLIg&rel=1" class="__noscriptPlaceholder__" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/LLxOq5SNLIg&rel=1" id="">


Beds are burning

Out where the river broke
The bloodwood and the desert oak
Holden wrecks and boiling diesels
Steam in forty five degrees

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
Let's give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning
How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning

From Kintore East to Yuendemu
The western desert lives and breathes
In forty five degrees

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
Let's give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning
How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning

The time has come
To say fair's fair
To pay the rent, now
To pay our share
The time has come
A fact's a fact
It belongs to them
we'r gonna give it back

How can we dance when our earth is turning
How do we sleep while our beds are burning

Texto completo do pedido de desculpas

National Sorry Day

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