Far from improving the living conditions of Indigenous Australians and children, the policies have resulted in disempowerment, widespread despair, criminalisation and higher unemployment. The Intervention and subsequent political measures have led to heated controversies and continue to divide the Australian nation. They have revived the trauma of the past—including of the Stolen Generations—and have substantially damaged the process of reconciliation.
Fourteen essays by scholars from Australia and Germany examine (historical) contexts and discourses of the Intervention and subsequent policies impacting Indigenous Australia since 2007 from the perspective of diverse academic disciplines including history, sociology, law, Indigenous studies, art history, literature, education and media studies. They invite readers to engage in the debate about human rights, about Indigenous self-determination, and about the preservation of Indigenous culture.
Barbara Schmidt-Haberkamp is Professor of Anglophone Literatures and Cultures at the University of Bonn, Germany. She has served on the board of the German Association for Australian Studies, and has published widely on Australian literature and culture.