Why we needed leadership on "sorry"

Psychology

Australia was ready for strong leadership on an apology to the Stolen Generations, according to two University of Adelaide psychology researchers.

Professor Martha Augoustinos and Associate Professor Amanda LeCouteur from the School of Psychology said the Australian public was now more likely to acknowledge and accept the national apology because of leadership shown on the issue by the current Federal Government.

Professor Augoustinos and Dr LeCouteur began studying the public debate into a possible apology to indigenous people following the 1997 release of a report into the Stolen Generations by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

"The report generated previously unheard of public debate in Australia and raised awareness of the maltreatment of indigenous people," Professor Augoustinos said.

"Over the past decade, most Australians would in some way have been exposed to or been engaged in the debate about whether a national apology should be offered to the Stolen Generations.

"Although the public debate has been polarised over the years, it's fair to say that Australians have generally been ambivalent about an apology, which is why the leadership on the issue has been so important."

Professor Augoustinos and Dr LeCouteur have published a number of papers on the issue, including a chapter in the book Collective guilt: International perspectives (2004) by Cambridge University Press.

That chapter, called "On whether to apologize to Indigenous Australians: The denial of white guilt", discusses a number of recurring arguments in the debate, including:

• No to an apology - present generations of non-indigenous Australians shouldn't be blamed or held accountable;
  
• No - guilt is an inappropriate emotion, and saying "sorry" is an admission of guilt;
  
• No - the act of saying "sorry" is too divisive for the community;
  
• No - it's all in the past, and we can't change what has happened;
  
• Yes to an apology - an apology is an acknowledgement of past ills, without accepting responsibility;
  
• Yes - it's socially appropriate; an act of "civility" to apologise;
  
• Yes - an apology is a symbolic pre-requisite for reconciliation.

"The comments made publicly at the time by the Howard Government gave a sense of official legitimacy to those who felt unsure about an apology, or who were against it for a variety of reasons," Professor Augoustinos said.

"The public mood has shifted since the initial debate, and the leadership currently being shown by the Rudd Government will have a further influence on that," she said.

University of Adelaide staff and students were among those who celebrated the 13 February apology by Federal Parliament to the Stolen Generations.

Vice-Chancellor and President Professor James McWha encouraged the University's more than 2800 staff to take time off to witness and acknowledge the national apology, at an event at Elder Park, Adelaide.

The University's Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) played a key role at the event by helping to organise music and stage managing the music acts. CASM musicians also performed throughout the event.

Professor McWha said that as one of South Australia's biggest employers, the University had a duty to encourage reconciliation among its staff and the wider community.

"The University of Adelaide has a strong commitment to national reconciliation," Professor McWha said.

"Encouraging staff to celebrate this important step forward in reconciliation is just one of the many ways that we can help to make reconciliation real," he said.

Story by David Ellis