Reconciliation, Nationalism and the History Wars A paper presented to the Australasian Political Studies Association Conference University of Adelaide
Dr Andrew Gunstone
Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies
Monash University [node:read-more:link]
It is our time to take the biggest stand in our history as an invaded people. I believe that Aboriginal people have now reached the point where going forward means challenging the status quo and altering our history.
We have two choices: to de-colonize ourselves and become free and independent people pursuing our own chosen destiny through the process of self-determination, or to acquiesce and become assimilated into the invader society, degrading our culture to mere museum pieces in which we perform like trained monkeys for the tourists.
Parts of the Genocide Convention were imported into domestic law by way of the International Criminal Court Consequential Amendments Act 2002, but only the Attorney-General can begin a genocide case and if he/she refuses there is no right of appeal and no reasons need to be given. (268.121 - 268.122). This is contrary to the intent of the long-standing Genocide Convention, which Australia was the third country to sign.