Kevin Rudd apology

 Synthèse LLCE ANGLAIS

      The document is a speech of the former prime Minister Kevin Rudd back in 2008. On the thirteenth of February of 2008 which marks the national apology day, he made an official apology on Australia's behalf to the indigenous peoples whom lived in the country. Aboriginals have suffered of discrimination, dehumanization during the nineteenth century, in fact they have abandoned their culture by force in order to blend into the European Society. Thus we will wonder to what extent is Australia inclusive to aboriginals nowadays. In a first part we will treat about how they are inclusive by talking about their past and in a second time how he is including them by talking about their future.                                                                                                                                  

          In the first part of his speech, he talks about the aboriginals' past. He apologizes for Australia's past mistakes toward the Aboriginals. Aboriginals kids have been removed of their families by force, they are the stolen kids. In order to include them into Society, the former prime minister held responsible Australia for its past actions: "We reflect in particular on the mistreatment (...)". In order to move forward, Australia needs to accept what happened. Concerning his words, he uses consequently the word "we" and said "our nation" in his speech in order to include aboriginals and non aboriginals to show that Australia is now a united country that only forms one people. He also use "we"  and "let us" because everyone is guilty of  what happened to them: white families, laws and policies. There is also an anaphora of  the word "reflect", it insists that Australia is feeling remorse for what occurred and that they have been thinking about what to do about the situation to got better. Kevin Rudd also says "proud"  numerous time to show that Australians respect the Indigenous culture and that they aren't considered as a "savage" people and culture anymore. The speech begins with "I" and "gap", It is meaningful and impacting because it reflects of the aboriginals' situation, there is real a gap with the aboriginals and non aboriginals people. While saying his speech he is also giving tribute to the victims of the stolen generation to show that they really respect them and that what happened to the victims still matters. To include Aboriginals, he acknowledged what happened. Accepting their past mistakes is a part of progression.                                                                  

     In the second part of his speech, he talks about how Australian can build together a new future and chapter for their history. Now that the apology is done, they are engaging to resolves all the injustices and unfair treatments toward the indigenous people. The parliament wants to show that they care about them and that they are listening to them. The government resolves to have a better education access, and economic access because a gap has been there for a long time. Besides, they will provide a better health care access since the infant mortality rates in indigenous families is four times higher than in any communities. By saying his speech, he wants his country to be re-conciliated and the speech to be received in the spirit of healing the nation. He uses a lot of time "future" to reassure them because as for aboriginals their future has been erased and unclear when they got removed from their families and suffered because of policies and laws. Plus they still got traumas from this. There was no possible future for them. By telling this, he gave hopes to families that couldn't believe in a better life.  Now, they have more possibilities. Kevin Rudd also precises that the changes can't be done over a night but that it will be done gradually,  step by step to make a safer environment for them. He also implies that non aboriginals should respect them by saying " and by placing absolute premium in respect, cooperation and mutual responsibility". Despite the fact that the government has acted, it's also the responsibility of citizens to act and to be respectful toward aboriginals, efforts has to come from all the sides. They are also more inclusive toward them because by telling all these facts, the government is educating people on Australian History that most people ignored about the Aboriginals' situation. So from now on, Aboriginals are truly becoming a chapter in History, their stories are heard.                                                                                              

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