‘Faith, Hope And Reconciliation’- Faith Bandler, Delivered At The ‘Talkin’ It Up’ Reconciliation Conference, Wollongong, 1999

‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’- Faith Bandler, delivered at the ‘Talkin’ It Up’ Reconciliation Conference, Wollongong, 1999 1. The structure, content and register of a speech are driven by the original context in which the speech was initially delivered. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

2. In what ways does Faith Bandler embody the idea of reconciliation? How does this contribute to her ‘ethos’ as a vital element of her rhetoric?

3. What challenge does she present to her audience? How is the audience included in the challenge from the opening phase of the speech?

4. What is the effect of the active verbs, ‘lived, breathed, climbed…the rugged past’?

5. Bandler exploits the opportunity to crystallise public attitude towards strengthening the reconciliation movement in her informal register in the opening phase of her speech. What is gained by a shift to a more formal register after this?

6. What is the effect of Bandler’s occasional truncated sentences, ‘Until 1962’, ‘these days’?

7. Bandler reconnects with the Roman and Greek tradition of oratory in developing pathos within her audience to reveal memorable ideas- find examples of pathos.

8. Bandler galvanises ‘people power’ rather than political power. Find the alliterated phrase she uses to support this key idea/ comparison. What is the effect for the listener?

9. Bandler repeats the term ‘millions’ in the middle phase of her speech. In doing this, Bandler amplifies the extent of world suffering rather than focusing solely on the injustices faced by Indigenous Australians. What is achieved by this strategy?

10. A feature of the middle phase of the speech is the cumulation of the interrogative mood. Find examples of how the interrogative mood is developed.

11. Bandler sustains her argument of justice and equality through her use of clichés that become shared cultural codes to bridge the gap between black and white. Do you agree?

12. The amplification of her interrogative mood, ‘If not us, who…If not now, when?’ invites her ‘overhearing’ national and international audience to imaginatively consider their response. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

13. Why will ‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’ transcend its original context, sustain artistic and critical value and remain relevant to future audiences? ‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’- Faith Bandler, delivered at the ‘Talkin’ It Up’ Reconciliation Conference, Wollongong, 1999 1. The structure, content and register of a speech are driven by the original context in which the speech was initially delivered. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

AGREE- these elements must be considered by the contextual circumstances- purpose/ audience and context- selective choice in language. In addition, the circumstances of the speech’s delivery contribute to the value of the speech as an ongoing text worthy of critical study. The speech may be an important reference point in a nation’s social or political narrative/ history.

2. In what ways does Faith Bandler embody the idea of reconciliation? How does this contribute to her ‘ethos’ as a vital element of her rhetoric?

LIVED EXPERIENCE-> 1967 REFERENDUM, ACTIVIST, CHILDHOOD TRAGEDY, 79 YR OLD-> TREMENDOUS AUTHORITY & CREDIBILITY WITH AUDIENCE. Her rhetoric is characterised by the language of reconciliation-> inclusive language to unite her audience; ‘friends’, ‘youth and not so young’; rhetoric to inspire unity- ‘What is reconciliation all about?’

3. What challenge does she present to her audience? How is the audience included in the challenge from the opening phase of the speech?

MAINTAIN ACTIVISM IN REGARDS TO RECONCILIATION MOVEMENT TO PREDOMINANTLY INDIGENOUS AUDIENCE- INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE, INCLUDED IN THE VERBS- PAST TENSE- EXPERIENCE

4. What is the effect of the active verbs, ‘lived, breathed, climbed…the rugged past’?

EMOTIVE/ VISUAL IMAGE-> GREAT SACRIFICE AND HARD WORK/ ADVERSITY AND RESILIENCE-> it has been a long, slow process with great effort and sacrifice.

5. Bandler exploits the opportunity to crystallise public attitude towards strengthening the reconciliation movement in her informal register in the opening phase of her speech. What is gained by a shift to a more formal register after this?

MAKES HER ARGUMENT MORE CREDIBLE/ SUSTAINED-> increases argumentative force.

6. What is the effect of Bandler’s occasional truncated sentences, ‘Until 1962’, ‘these days’?

MIRRORS THE TIMELINE- LENGTH OF THE CAMPAIGN- maintains the pace- as Bandler moves between past and present, merging the struggles of past campaigners with the necessity of new commitment. Transition points-> move to new phase/ idea.

7. Bandler reconnects with the Roman and Greek tradition of oratory in developing pathos within her audience to reveal memorable ideas- find examples of pathos. ‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’- Faith Bandler, delivered at the ‘Talkin’ It Up’ Reconciliation Conference, Wollongong, 1999 EMOTIVE LANGUAGE AND CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE- PEOPLE’S POWER- stories of others- stolen generations. ‘Sponsored racism’, ‘terrible utterances’, ‘terrible tragedy’, ‘shame and anger’, ‘misdeeds and indecencies’ -> co-patterned choices develop pathos with audience for the cause.

8. Bandler galvanises ‘people power’ rather than political power. Find the alliterated phrase she uses to support this key idea/ comparison. What is the effect for the listener?

‘MOVE MORE THAN GOVERNMENTS. IT CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS.’ ThIS ADDS RHYTHM, VARIETY, AND HIGHLIGHTS KEY POINTS.

9. Bandler repeats the term ‘millions’ in the middle phase of her speech. In doing this, Bandler amplifies the extent of world suffering rather than focusing solely on the injustices faced by Indigenous Australians. What is achieved by this strategy?

BROADENING HER AUDIENCE BASE- UNIVERSAL ISSUES/ VALUES AND IDEALS.

10. A feature of the middle phase of the speech is the cumulation of the interrogative mood. Find examples of how the interrogative mood is developed.

RHETORICAL QUESTIONS- ‘WHY IN THE NAME OF CREATION OUR DIFFERENCES SHOULD MATTER?’ ‘WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND OUR COMMONALITIES?

BANDLER THEN MOVES ON TO ESTABLISH A MORE IMPERATIVE MOOD-> ‘IF WE NEED TO GO FORWARD WITHOUT THEM, THEN WE MUST’, ‘WE ARE NOT TO FORGET’, ‘THEY HAVE TO BE WON’.

11. Bandler sustains her argument of justice and equality through her use of clichés that become shared cultural codes to bridge the gap between black and white. Do you agree?

YES, THE CLICHES CONNECT BANDLER ON THE ORDINARY LEVEL AND ENSURE UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN GROUPS. EXAMPLES OF CLICHES- SET IN STONE, HEAL THE WOUNDS, THE TASK IS YET TO BE TACKLED, HANDED ON A PLATTER, PUT ON THE BACK BURNER, IT CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS.

RATHER THAN DETRACT FROM THE POWER OR FORCE OF HER SPEECH, BANDLER’S USE OF CLICHES AND IDIOM FIND COMMONALITIES WITH HER AUDIENCE- SHE IS ONE OF THEM- UNITY- THE TASKOF RECONCILIATON IS SHARED- IT IS A VERY ‘HUMAN’ ISSUE- NEEDS UNDERSTANDING.

12. The amplification of her interrogative mood, ‘If not us, who…If not now, when?’ invites her ‘overhearing’ national and international audience to imaginatively consider their response. Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

YES, THE PARALLEL STRUCTURE ALSO REINFORCES HER THESIS- ACT NOW. USE OF SECOND PERSON- ASSEMBLES AUDIENCE AS PARTICIPATING IN CAMPAIGN. IT MAKES THE AUDIENCE, THOSE PRESENT AND THE OVERHEARING AUDIENCE ACCOUNTABLE. ‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’- Faith Bandler, delivered at the ‘Talkin’ It Up’ Reconciliation Conference, Wollongong, 1999

13. Why will ‘Faith, Hope and Reconciliation’ transcend its original context, sustain artistic and critical value and remain relevant to future audiences?

Faith, Hope and Reconciliation stands as a significant speech in Australia’s social and political history. Written and delivered at the turn of the 21st century, Faith Bandler’s treatise for peace and friendship amongst all Australians, to ‘find our commonalities’ furthered the campaign for reconciliation which realised a concrete outcome in 2008 with PM Rudd’s formal ‘Sorry’ speech. Although seemingly simple, Bandler’s speech was appropriate in structure, content and rhetoric for her ‘Talkin’ It Up’ audience and also for her ‘overhearing’ Australian and international audience; her formal and informal register ensuring her purpose was achieved for a broad and diverse audience. Ideals such as justice and equality reverberate through her cleverly crafted speech- ideals Bandler embodies as much as claims.

While Bandler’s speech may not adhere to the classical elements of effective rhetoric, one success that is achieved is the way that her words, and their delivery, makes Bandler very ‘human’; there is an integrity in the delivery, a lived and felt experience. It is with an eye to critiquing Bandler’s text as appropriate within its primary context that is a first step to assessing its ongoing worth. For if the speech was well received by this audience, within this context, if her message was felt and acted upon, then her purpose was met. Thus the content, construction and language must be judged on this basis.

Bandler’s speech has value for all as it espouses universal themes and ideals- peace, justice, equality and unity and is a model of effective rhetoric for a particular audience within its primary context- the ‘Talkin’ Up Reconciliation’ convention.