28 May 2001
COMMUNITY URGED TO KEEP UP MOMENTUM ON RECONCILIATION
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission strongly supports the Australian community's commemoration of Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week.
Hundreds of community events are being held around the country this year from May 26 to June 3, including commemorative activities in every capital city and gatherings in some regional centres.
The theme of National Reconciliation week, Keeping the Flame Alive is intended to ensure that community support for Reconciliation, as demonstrated in last year's Corroboree 2000 events and the people's walks for reconciliation, is increased.
A special focus will be on creating a healing environment for the families and communities of indigenous people who were forcibly removed.
The Commission's President, Professor Alice Tay, encourages families and individuals affected by forced removal to share their experiences at commemorative activities.
"I'm heartened to hear that some indigenous people who were removed are planning reunions with the communities from where they were taken," Professor Tay said.
"It's also heartening to see the strong level of community activity supporting the third anniversary of Sorry Day and the Reconciliation movement in general."
However, Professor Tay said there still needs to be a stronger level of support from all levels of government and again urged governments to fully implement the 1997 Bringing Them Home report.
To help move forward the debate, the Commission is currently in the process of collecting submissions from Indigenous Australians to facilitate public discussion about ways to provide reparations for the Stolen Generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The report will be presented for debate amongst representatives from Indigenous organisations, government, political parties, industry, churches, academics and the community sector at a Reparations Conference in Sydney in August 2001.
For interviews with
Professor Alice Tay, President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity
Commission please contact:
Catherine Falkland on (02) 9284 9791
