To what extent can the 'stolen generations' be termed as Genocide?

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Elliot

Of course it was genocide. Genocide does not refer exclusively to killing. It has been defined by the UN as 'acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.' Systematically killing members of that group is the most extreme form of genocide, but it is not the only form. Article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide includes as a genocidal act 'forcefully transferring children of the group to another group.' And to say that the motivation behind the policy was solely to give children better living conditions is simply willful ignorance. How is beating someone for speaking their own language meant to give them better living conditions? Of course non-Aboriginal children were taken into care as well, but there had to be a reason. An aboriginal child could be taken without any evidence that the child was being neglected or abused.
That the intention was the destruction of the Aboriginal race is hardly controversial. What other interpretation is there for statements such as those made by AO Neville as Chief Protector of Aborigines in WA, including: 'Eliminate the full-blood and permit the white admixture to half-castes and eventually the race will become white.'

Aussie

The ' stolen ' generation is about children being forceably taken away from parents in order to give them a better , healthier life ...it was a government decision based on poor living conditions in outback aboriginal communities & was done in the best interests of the children , as it is today !
Genocide is about systematic murder ...hardly applicable to this situation !

Power Flower

I don't think it can be really. It was a very unpleasant part of our history, with the effects still reaching into today.... but I don't think genocide would be the appropriate term.

Box Monkey

The fact is any child born out of wedlock, or to a teenage mother or to very poor parents or to parents with social/mental issues was likely to be fostered out or placed in an extremely harsh orphanage even if they were white. It's not fair that the term "stolen generation" is applied exclusively to aboriginal people.

rustupd

i suggest you look up the word(((Genocide))) in a dictionary to see what it means as you do not seem to know
then look up on a few websites((the stolen generation)) & read about it & you will see your question is a ridicules thing

Yellow Alarm Clock

Genocide? In Australia? No, because we are a multicultural country. Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi oi oi.

ABCDiamond Britzinoz.com

I hope you do well in your assignment topic.

It does seem that you need to do much research, as there are differing opinions on the meaning of these terms.

You do need to look up the international LEGAL definition of the crime of genocide which is found in Articles II and III of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.

maybe from the:
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Lauren

Genocide is the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group, which is exactly what was done to the Aboriginal people. Way back then ignorance of their culture can be blamed, but these days anyone who says this is not genocide is more ignorant than those of the past.

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