Indigenous Reparations Back On The Agenda

Level 9, 299 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000
DX 643 Sydney
Phone: 61 2 8898 6500
Fax: 61 2 8898 6555
[email protected]
www.piac.asn.au
ABN 77 002 773 524

media alert

RESTORING IDENTITY LAUNCH: 20 November 2009

WHO: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mr Tom Calma

WHAT: Calls for national reparations for Stolen Generations launch of Restoring Identity

WHEN: 11.30am, Friday 20 November 2009

WHERE: Tranby Aborignal College, 11-13 Mansfield Street, Glebe, NSW

This event starts with a welcome to country from Uncle Chikka Madden from Gadigal country.


Time to address `unfinished business', says Commissioner Calma

Reparations for Australia's stolen generations are a matter of `unfinished business', says the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mr Tom Calma.

Commissioner Calma will launch a report from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) on Friday 20 November that calls for the establishment of an Indigenous Reparations Tribunal for the Stolen Generations.

The PIAC report, Restoring Identity, addresses the failure of governments and churches to provide reparations as previously recommended by the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families in its Bringing them home report.

`Despite the fact that all Australian Parliaments have now made formal apologies and all of the major denominational churches in Australia have offered apologies to the Stolen Generations, a reparations package that guarantees against repetition and that provides for measures of restitution and rehabilitation, and monetary compensation remains a matter of unfinished business,' Mr Calma said.

`I strongly urge all governments, churches and other stakeholders to adopt and commit to the national Reparations Tribunal model recommended by PIAC and to consider a collective approach that adequately addresses the experiences of the Stolen Generations nationwide,' Mr Calma said.

Restoring Identity will be launched at 11.30am on Friday 20 November 2009 at Tranby Aborignal College, 11-13 Mansfield Street, Glebe, NSW. Media are welcome to attend

The report can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/yjrqyph

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dominic O'Grady
(02) 8898 6532;
or 0400 110 169

SOURCE: Public Interest Advocacy Centre