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Empowering Aboriginal communities.

Article Excerpt
Leaving aside the global question of climate change, the rebuilding of our relationship with Indigenous Australians into a partnership based on justice is the greatest and most urgent task facing the new Rudd government. This means achieving living standards and life opportunities for Indigenous people that are comparable with the rest of the population.

There can be no doubt about our responsibility to redress the continuing consequences of 200 years of dispossession, murder and deprivation. Recently quoted by Melbourne barrister Geoffrey Gibson, Hannah Arendt put it this way: 'Every government assumes political responsibility for the deeds and misdeeds of its predecessor and every nation for the deeds and misdeeds of the past ... Every generation by virtue of being born into a historical continuum, is burdened by the sins of the fathers as it is blessed with the (positive) deeds of its ancestors'. The previous prime minister was prepared to revel in the achievements of previous generations but denied vehemently any responsibility for misdeeds committed only a few decades ago. There are signs that the new government will stand up 'for the marginalised, the vulnerable and the oppressed', in keeping with the principles enunciated by Bonhoeffer and adopted by Kevin Rudd in his 'Faith in Politics' article in The Monthly in late 2006.

Self-determination--Where are the Tools?

Kevin Rudd's new ministers cannot complain about lack of advice. In recent weeks there has been a spate of articles attempting to answer the question of how, what and what first. Significantly, several Indigenous writers have argued that solutions must be found and implemented by Indigenous people themselves. There can be little doubt that this is a sound proposition, however, put baldly it rings some warning bells...

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