PAST FORCED ADOPTIONS IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP

PAST FORCED ADOPTIONS IMPLEMENTATION WORKING GROUP

CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (EOI)

The Minister for Community Services, the Hon Julie Collins MP has asked the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to invite EOIs from people with an interest in the implementation of the Australian Government’s response to the recommendations of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee inquiry into past forced adoption policies and practices.

 Following the National Apology by the Prime Minister to people affected by forced adoption or removal policies and practices on 21 March 2013, the Government response to the recommendations of the Senate Inquiry was announced.  As part of this response, a national consultation group involving people affected by forced adoption practices will be established – the Past Forced Adoptions Implementation Working Group (the Working Group).

 This Working Group will perform a key advisory role to the Government on services and projects related to the implementation of the Government’s response.  At least three meetings are proposed per year, which may be face-to-face or conducted via tele/videoconference.  Working Group members will be appointed until 30 June 2014, with an extension of term if required and agreed.  Terms of Reference will be developed and agreed by the Working Group.  Professor Nahum Mushin, the Chair of the former National Apology Reference Group, has been appointed by the Minister for Community Services, the Hon Julie Collins MP as the independent chair of the Past Forced Adoptions Implementation Working Group.

 

If you would like to be considered for membership of the Working Group, please provide an outline of your interest in no more than 2 pages.

 The following questions may be used as a guide in preparing your EOI:

 

• What is your interest in being a member of the Past Forced Adoptions Implementation Working Group?
• What skills/knowledge/experience can you bring to the Working Group?
• What do you see as the particular challenges for past forced adoptions stakeholders working collaboratively and how would you address them?

 As part of your application, please provide your contact details, confirm your availability to participate in three meetings a year, state your involvement with any advocacy or support groups, and declare any real or perceived conflicts of interest.

 

Please submit your EOI to forcedadoptions@fahcsia.gov.au by 5.00pm on 10 June 2013.  

 Enquiries can also be sent to the above email address.

 

Please note that membership of the Working Group will be in a voluntary capacity.  Reasonable travel and accommodation costs will be met by the Department.

 

Further information about the National Apology, the Senate Inquiry report and the Government response can be found at http://www.ag.gov.au/About/ForcedAdoptionsApology/Pages/default.aspx. 

THERE WILL BE NO MEETING FOR MAY.

Meeting 13th April 2013.

Our next meeting will be at Four Mile Creek Hotel at Strathpine.
(opposite Westfields Strathpine.)
Starting time 11 45 am onwards.
Please call Trish for more details; 0417 077 159.

Article from Hungary's leading newspaper.

Recently we were approached by a Hungarian newspaper about the recent National Apology for Forced Adoption. They have written the below correspondance:

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I believe yours is a very important story
that needed to be covered even here, in Hungary. My article
(http://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/20130322-kenyszeradoptalasok-es-bocsanatkeres-ausztraliaban.html)
was published today, it was a leading story, and there was an impressive feedback
from the readers. I wish you all the best, and I hope that Australia will come to
terms with all that happened.

We have used Google translate to create a very rough translation of the website for your viewing. See below:

http://www.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.origo.hu%2Fnagyvilag%2Fkomment%2F20130322-kenyszeradoptalasok-es-bocsanatkeres-ausztraliaban.html%3Fcmd%3Dgettid%26status%3Dok

PM apologises for 'dark period in nation's history'

ABC News (Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:23pm AEDT) "Prime Minister Julia Gillard has delivered a national apology to victims of forced adoption practices that were in place in Australia from the late 1950s to the 1970s.

More than 800 people affected by forced adoptions gathered at the Great Hall in Canberra for the historic occasion"
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-21/pm-apologisises-for-dark-period-in-nations-history/4586358

Update for Federal Apology

Broadcasting of the event

 

The apology will be televised on ABC News 24. A live stream of the event will also be available through the Parliament of Australia and the ABC News 24 websites.

 Australian media have been invited to attend the event in the Great Hall. The apology will also be filmed by broadcast staff from the Department of Parliamentary Services and provided to television networks. It is likely that guests attending the apology will be filmed for news purposes. The Attorney-General’s Department has also engaged photographers to capture proceedings on the day and images will be uploaded to our Flickr account.

 

The images and footage shot during the day will be used to create a commemorative CD and DVD which will be available on request via forcedadoptionsapology@ag.gov.au or on 02 6141 3030 after the event.

Shuttle bus

The Attorney-General's Department will be arranging a free bus that will operate between Parliament House and various Canberra locations on the day. A flyer containing information including pick up times and locations is now available on the Frequent Asked Questions webpage.

Performances on the day

The event in the Great Hall will feature performances by the Woden Valley Youth Choir and Mia Dyson. Mia Dyson and Anne Kirkpatrick will both perform at the Federation Mall from 1:00pm.

 

Events to be held around Australia to view the national apology

 

A number of events will be held around Australia to coincide with the delivery of the national apology in Canberra.

Events will be held in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania to view the live broadcast of the apology.

 

Detailed information about these events and contact details can be found on the Frequent Asked Questions webpage.

 

 

Background information to the Apology

 

A new webpage containing background information to the national apology has also gone live.

 

 

Further information about the apology event can be found on the Forced Adoptions Apology website

 

St John’s Liturgy for all affected by Forced Adoptions.

On 12^th February 2013, a Liturgy of Healing and Support was held for Those Affected by Forced Adoptions at St John’s Cathedral, Brisbane.  The Archbishop of Brisbane, the Most Rev’d Dr Phillip Aspinall and the Dean of Brisbane, the Very Rev’d Dr. Peter Catt welcomed the congregation to St John’s for  this important and significant service.

Many special guests attended this service including The Governor of  Queensland, Her  Excellency, Ms Penelope Wensley,  Professor Ian Jones, Hon. Tracy Davis, Hon. Desley Scott, Catholic  Archbishop, the Most Rev’d Mark  Coleridge, Salvation Army Leaders,  along with representatives from the Australian Senate  and Queensland Parliament who could not attend due to sitting commitments.

A special Message was sent from Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Her message said:

“For too long, women suffered the unthinkable trauma of having their babies taken away, while those babies grew to childhood and adult life confused about their origin, so often suffering from feelings of profound rejection and distress.
We can never recover the ties that were broken and the life journeys that remain forever unexplored. But at least we can face the past with honesty, bring comfort to each other, and ensure the mistakes of former times are not repeated in our own.”

Archbishop Aspinall said:
“We acknowledge before you the pain that comes with loss.
We bring before you the unanswered questions about those who were adopted and a life missed with them:
What would life have been if we stayed together?
What type of person did she become?
What is he doing now?
We pray for all affected by forced adoption. 
May our time Together today be one of healing.”

 

Margaret Hamilton and Trish large then spoke of the horrors that is forced adoption.
Susan Kelly from PASQ was their support person.

Dean Peter Catt then spoke from the heart to the congregation.

This was followed by the lighting of remembrance candles.
Special readings and hymns were chosen by Dean Peter Catt.
A special pale pink rose was then planted in the rose garden, and a plaque which reads:
“Always remember,
 A Children’s Tea Rose.
Planted 12 February 2013.
To those affected by Forced Adoption.
Commemorate the Diocesan Apology"

This beautiful Service was followed by afternoon tea provided by the Diocese. All who attended remarked positively on the Liturgy and mingled with the special guests during the afternoon Tea.

ALAS believes that this service of healing is the first ever given by any Church in Australia and we are proud to have been involved.
We congratulate St John’s on their willingness to hold this service.
Channel 10 News covered the event on their 6pm news.