第1451期:了不起的道歉,写在澳洲国家致歉日。

今天是个了不起的日子,尤其对澳大利亚这个国家而言。

今天是澳大利亚的National Sorry Day. 我们来回顾一段了不起的澳洲历史。

2008年2月13日,上午9点半,澳大利亚时任总理Kevin Rudd对全国发表了一个公开致歉,全文如下:

I move:

That today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.
We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

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

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement, and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

— Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, 13 February 2008, at a sitting of the Parliament of Australia.

手稿影印版参见澳大利亚国会官网:https://www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Parliament/Art/Exhibitions/Custom_Media/Apology_to_Australias_Indigenous_Peoples

这份致歉由澳大利亚国会批准,由总理亲自宣布,被称为the National Apology.

这是一个迟来的道歉。

道歉者是澳大利亚政府,致歉的对象是澳大利亚原住民(Australia’s Indigenous peoples)。

道歉的内容是政府在1905-1967期间以文化融合为由,强行拆散了大批原住民家庭,把原住民儿童集中进行教育。那些被迫失去了父母的孩子被称为“the stolen generation”。

简单说,这段时期的澳大利亚政府认为某些原住民民族太落后,于是决定强行把他们的小孩带走,统一给他们进行现代化教育,以便使他们未来能融入澳大利亚白人社会。这种propaganda都比唱的好听。

具体请参阅:https://www.commonground.org.au/learn/the-stolen-generations

澳大利亚社会对这项政策和历史的批评从未停止过。至1997年,一份长达680多页的深度调查报告“Bring Them Home”终于打动了国会,并最终促成了2008年2月的那次总理公开致歉讲话。

世界上勇于直面历史的政府不多,敢于公开认错并向民众道歉的政府更少。

今天人们之所以仍然不断提及1970年在波兰下跪的德国总理Willy Brandt,正是因为这样的人太少了。

不封杀历史,不粉饰错误的国家,有前途。