We acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, the Wurundjeri and Kulin nations.
We also recognise today, the recent National Apology Day which is not about guilt, recriminations, blame nor unrest.
More than ever, it brings to mind the ethos of Rotary International – Respect for Humanity, through generations past and future. The past sadness is ever present and recurring in people’s lives these days, and this can only be addressed not only through the word SORRY, but with an open heart and mind, with an understanding how these events happened.
And commit ourselves towards reconciliation.
Today is not only about the Stolen Generation, but about a reconciled Australia where all Australians feel they belong with a shared past and bright future.
God bless us all.
Ruth Carlos Marinez
Thank you to Ruth Carlos Marinez for providing this reflection on 15 February 2023.
