"The Apologies of Australia, Canada and the United States to Historically Subjugated Peoples: On Argumentation, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness" by Patrick Belanger

Article

The Apologies of Australia, Canada and the United States to Historically Subjugated Peoples: On Argumentation, Reconciliation, and Forgiveness

Argument Cultures: Proceedings of OSSA 09 (2009)

Patrick Belanger, University of Southern California
Kara Gilbert, Monash University
Tom Goodnight, University of Southern California

Link

Abstract

In 2008, the governments of Australia and Canada apologized to indigenous peoples of each respective country for past wrongs, while the United States House of Representatives offered an apology to African peoples and their descendants for slavery. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of the three national moments to explore the capacities for language-based argumentation to invite forgiveness, mitigate historical social injustices, and promote inter-cultural accord that weaves temporal sinews of reconciliation.

Keywords

apology,
Australia,
Canada,
discourse,
forgiveness,
reconciliation,
United States,
trust

Disciplines

Publication Date

2009

Citation Information

Belanger, P., K. Gilbert, and T. Goodnight (2009). The Apologies of Australia, Canada and United States to Historically Subjugated Peoples: On Argumentation, reconciliation, and forgiveness. In: J. Ritola (Ed.), Argument Cultures: Proceedings of OSSA 09, CD-ROM (pp. 1-11), Windsor, ON: OSSA.